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The National Weather Service (NWS) has quietly halted its practice of translating weather alerts into languages beyond English, a move that could leave millions vulnerable during dangerous weather events. The decision stems from an expired contract with a translation provider, according to NWS spokesperson Michael Musher, who offered no additional details.
Until recently, an AI-powered company called Lilt had been handling translations into languages like Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Samoan, stepping in late 2023 to replace the old system of manual translations. The NWS had previously called that manual process too time-consuming and inefficient. But now, with the contract lapsed, translations are on hold—right as the Trump administration pushes for deep budget cuts across federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS. Those cuts have already left many NWS offices understaffed.
NOAA declined to elaborate, pointing instead to a brief statement on its website confirming the contract’s end. Lilt, meanwhile, didn’t respond to inquiries.
This change could have serious consequences. Census data from 2019 shows that nearly 68 million U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home, including 42 million Spanish speakers. For them, understanding weather warnings isn’t just convenient—it can be a matter of survival.
Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a University of Illinois researcher who’s collaborated with NOAA on weather communication, stresses the stakes. He recalls a 2021 tornado outbreak in Kentucky where a Spanish-speaking family ignored an English-only alert on their phone, not grasping the danger. Moments later, a Spanish version arrived—and they rushed to safety just in time. “That translation saved their lives,” Trujillo-Falcón said. He noted that bilingual forecasters once handled translations, but the workload was crushing alongside their regular duties.
The impact goes beyond emergencies. Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a Columbia Climate School researcher, points out that everyday weather forecasts matter for industries like tourism, transportation, and energy, as well as for families planning their lives. Without translations, people lose access to actionable advice tied to those predictions.
Norma Mendoza-Denton, an anthropology professor at UCLA, sees another layer. Many U.S. residents get by with basic English for daily tasks—like a shopkeeper chatting with customers—but struggle with complex terms like those in weather reports. “If they can’t get NWS updates in their language, it could mean the difference between safety and disaster,” she said.
As extreme weather grows more frequent, the absence of translated alerts raises urgent questions. For millions, the forecast just got a lot harder to read—and the risks a lot higher.
