Heavy snow will extend from the mountains of California and the Intermountain West into the Northern Plains. Gusty to strong winds may produce critical fire weather risks over portions of the Central and Southern High Plains. Multi-hazard impacts will stretch from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes by Friday into the weekend. Read More >
Kenneth W. Harding
Acting Director for Central Region
National Weather Service
Kenneth W. Harding is the acting Director of the NWS Central Region in Kansas City, MO. The Central Region consists of 45 NWS offices with nearly 1000 employees spread across 14 states. Ken received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Iowa State University in May 1986 and his Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in August of 1991.
Ken started his weather career as a weather officer in the Air Force. He had tours of duty at McChord Air Force Base in Washington, and Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. Most of his military career was spent supporting the air defense mission of NORAD. He also lead the Department of Defense NEXTRAD training effort in Alaska, and was deployed to Korea, Guam, and aboard the USN LCC Blue Ridge.
Ken started his NWS career as a general forecaster in the Air Route Traffic Control Center /Center Weather Service Unit in Anchorage, AK, in 1995. He was selected as the Science and Operations Officer at WFO Aberdeen, SD in August of 1996. He was selected as MIC at WFO Topeka, KS in June of 2006, MIC of WFO Des Moines in June 2014, Central Region Chief Program Officer in June 2016, and Central Region Deputy Director in May 2017. He assumed acting Regional Duties on April 1, 2018.
Ken is a native of Rembrandt, Iowa and has one grown daughter, Nikki.
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