The National Science Foundation signaled plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in a letter that also opened the door to a private operation taking over.

Why it matters: The letter marks the first official step toward dismantling the Boulder-based research center, advancing a Trump administration push that critics, such as Rep. Joe Neguse, say could put public safety at risk by privatizing weather forecasting.

The latest: The science foundation's letter, published last Friday, doubled down on the administration's intent to "restructure" NCAR and sought "input from agency partners and the research community on the scope of work currently performed" there.

• It also asked for input from possible operators on opening ownership of the NCAR's Mesa Lab building for "private use."

The other side: Neguse, a Boulder-area Democrat, released a statement yesterday calling the letter "outrageous" and said he would organize a "bipartisan coalition of lawmakers" to submit a formal response.

• "NCAR is a vital, cutting-edge research institution, and dismantling it would be reckless, dangerous, and place the United States at a serious competitive disadvantage," Neguse said, adding that privatizing would "hand off their life-saving work to the highest bidder."

What we're watching: Neguse did not give a timeline for a response, but the NSF letter says feedback from agencies and researchers must be submitted by March 13.

State of play: David Hosansky, a spokesperson for NCAR, told Axios Boulder that "we are continuing to do our work as always, and we're in touch with NSF to better understand how this process will unfold."

Catch up quick: In December, Russ Vought, director of Office of Management and Budget, announced the Trump administration's intent to break up NCAR.

• Colorado's U.S. senators failed to block a spending bill that they had tried to tie to NCAR funding.
• NCAR, funded by the NSF, employs more than 800 people across its Boulder labs.

Go deeper

The annual Great American Beer Festival, one of the nation's largest craft beer celebrations, is headed outdoors for the first time.

Why it matters: Organizers want to inject fresh energy into the 43-year-old event as interest in both the festival and craft beer declines.

Driving the news: GABF is moving from the Colorado Convention Center to the Levitt Pavilion concert venue across town in Denver, the Boulder-based Brewers Association announced yesterday.

• The pavilion features a large stage and a sloping grass field.
• Other details are undecided, particularly whether the event will feature beverages other than beer, as it did in 2025.

The big picture: The shift is based on consumer feedback and a desire to reinvigorate an event that saw falling attendance in recent years, compared to the sold-out sessions at the height of the craft beer boom a decade ago.

What they're saying: "We have been looking at other options to see what we can do to evolve the festival and make it more fun," the association's Ann Obenchain told us.

• "This isn't just a venue change for us, it's an evolution."

Between the lines: Organizers are also shortening the festival to two days Oct. 10-11. At its peak, the event ran three days and featured four sessions.

• The size will also shrink. The new venue in the Ruby Hill neighborhood holds 10,000, far less than the expansive convention center, meaning fewer breweries and fewer attendees.

Yes, but: The ticket price is dropping, too. The $60 tickets — which go on sale in June — represent a $35 decrease from 2025.

The fine print: The event is rain-or-shine in early October, meaning a snowstorm is not out of the question.

Assemble your crew

🏈 Former Buff Shedeur Sanders was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team as an alternate despite taking the field for only eight games. He is replacing the Patriots' Drake Maye, who has a slightly more important game on his schedule. (Sports Illustrated)

🔥 The cause of the Caribou Village fire in Nederland won't be determined until at least this summer, according to a post from the Nederland Fire District.

✍️ A group has begun collecting signatures for a ballot measure to expand the county's Board of County Commissioners from three to five members. (Boulder Reporting Lab)

🦕 Dinosaur National Monument staff have excavated fossils inside the park that likely belong to a large, long-necked dinosaur. (Axios Denver)

Boulder saw a little less than 4 inches of snow during last weekend's winter storm.

By the numbers: Boulder CAST reported the city recorded 1.8 inches of snow Friday evening into Saturday morning and another 1.8 inches Sunday night.

• That brings the city's snowfall total to a measly 23 inches for the season.

All this might surprise out-of-state folks who watched the second half of the AFC Championship and now assume Colorado is a frozen wasteland.

• Parts of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast took the brunt of the latest major winter storm's snowfall.