Hurricane Forecasts Jeopardized by SSMIS Satellite Data Termination

Critical Hurricane Forecast and Sea Ice Monitoring Tool Abruptly Terminated

Date: June 26, 2025

• Abrupt Termination: The DoD will permanently terminate the processing and transmission of microwave data from its three weather satellites by no later than June 30, 2025. This decision was formalized on June 25, 2025, and communicated to users, including NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, on June 24 and 25, 2025, respectively.
• Severe Impact on Hurricane Forecasts: The discontinuation of SSMIS data will "severely impede and degrade hurricane forecasts for this season and beyond," affecting millions of Americans in hurricane-prone regions. This data is critical for understanding storm structure, estimating intensity, and accurately positioning storm centers ...