diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/mrms_fetch_worker.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/mrms_fetch_worker.ex
index ce2166ff..ab42fa7e 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/mrms_fetch_worker.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/mrms_fetch_worker.ex
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.MrmsFetchWorker do
   Runs on the `propagation` queue so it shares the scoring node's crontab
   and isn't competing with the heavier HRRR pipeline for slots.
   """
-  use Oban.Worker, queue: :propagation, max_attempts: 2
+  # Lower priority than PropagationGridWorker so an MRMS backlog
+  # (cron fires every 2 minutes) doesn't starve the hourly chain
+  # on the shared :propagation queue.
+  use Oban.Worker, queue: :propagation, priority: 5, max_attempts: 2
 
   alias Microwaveprop.Weather.MrmsCache
   alias Microwaveprop.Weather.MrmsClient
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker.ex
index bb4f3c0a..14eca6bd 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker.ex
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.PropagationGridWorker do
 
   use Oban.Worker,
     queue: :propagation,
+    # Highest priority on the shared :propagation queue. MrmsFetchWorker
+    # and PropagationPruneWorker also live here; a backlog of those
+    # (e.g. after a deploy, or MRMS firing every 2 minutes) would
+    # otherwise starve the hourly chain because Oban dispatches
+    # priority-then-FIFO. Explicit so the invariant is visible.
+    priority: 0,
     # Higher than the default 3 so a few DynamicLifeline rescues
     # (e.g., a rolling deploy that kills a mid-flight chain step)
     # don't exhaust the chain's retry budget and discard the whole
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_prune_worker.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_prune_worker.ex
index a9c563af..1d24a18c 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_prune_worker.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_prune_worker.ex
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.PropagationPruneWorker do
 
   use Oban.Worker,
     queue: :propagation,
+    # Lower priority than PropagationGridWorker so the hourly chain
+    # never waits behind a pending prune on the shared :propagation
+    # queue (2 slots).
+    priority: 5,
     max_attempts: 3,
     unique: [period: 300, states: [:available, :scheduled, :executing, :retryable]]
 
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker_test.exs
index 885be7d8..beabfb74 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/workers/propagation_grid_worker_test.exs
@@ -12,7 +12,22 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.PropagationGridWorkerTest do
   use Microwaveprop.DataCase, async: false
   use Oban.Testing, repo: Microwaveprop.Repo
 
+  alias Microwaveprop.Workers.MrmsFetchWorker
   alias Microwaveprop.Workers.PropagationGridWorker
+  alias Microwaveprop.Workers.PropagationPruneWorker
+
+  describe "queue priority" do
+    test "PropagationGridWorker runs at the highest priority on :propagation" do
+      assert PropagationGridWorker.__opts__()[:priority] == 0
+    end
+
+    test "MrmsFetchWorker and PropagationPruneWorker yield to the grid chain" do
+      # Same :propagation queue — must be lower priority so hourly chain
+      # steps jump ahead of a MRMS or pruner backlog.
+      assert MrmsFetchWorker.__opts__()[:priority] > 0
+      assert PropagationPruneWorker.__opts__()[:priority] > 0
+    end
+  end
 
   describe "perform/1 — chain seeding (empty args)" do
     test "enqueues a single fh=0 chain step with a normalized run_time" do