# Presentation: 420677

## NOAA Regional Climate Centers

- Regional enterprises for user-centric climate services, interdisciplinary climate research,       applications, and education that provide a regional focus to addressing societal needs.

- RCC Overview December, 2008 Marjorie McGuirk

**Notes:**
The nation should develop a program of regional entities (laboratories or centers) that emphasize region-specific observation, integrated understanding, and predictive capability to provide useful information that will drive the development of a regional focus on addressing societal needs.

## Climate Services PartnershipsThe Broad Community

**Illinois State**** Water Survey**

**Louisiana State University**

**WWA**

**Desert Research Institute**

**NOAA Climate **
**Diagnostic Center**

**CIG**

**University of ****Nebraska**

**CAP**

**IDEA**

**CLIMAS**

**SECC**

**NOAA National Climatic Data Center**

**NOAA Climate Prediction Center,***

**Cornell University**

**International Research Institute**

**UNC-Chapel Hill**

**CISA**

- Also:122 WFOs15 WSOs13 RFCs~50 State   Climatologists

**ACCAP**

- Climate Services Partnerships***The Broad Community***

**SCIPP**

-  RCCs support the Climate activities in the States as identified by color

## Regional Centers of Data

- 		and Products

- NOAA RCCs

- NCDC

- Ancillary Variables

- Federal Networks

- State Networks

- NWS

-  USDA
-  NPS
-  USGS

-  Economic
-  Agronomic
-  Societal

-  Mesonets

-  “Specialty” Variables

-  Real Time
-  Products vs. Data
-  Monitoring
-  Data Synchrony
-  Paperless Coop

-  Customer Service
-  Data Stewardship
-  HCN-M

- Model Data
- Remotely Sensed

- Geospatial
- Land Use

## NOAA/NESDIS Regional Climate Centers and NOAA/OAR Research 

**MRCC****	****University of Illinois – Urbana, IL**
**SERCC****	****University of North Carolina, ****	****Chapel Hill, NC**
**SRCC****	****Louisiana State University, ****	****Baton Rouge, LA**
**WRCC****	****Desert Research Institute,****	****University of Nevada, Reno, NV**
**NRCC****	****Cornell University, Ithaca, NY**
**HPRCC****	****University of Nebraska –Lincoln, NE**

**NOAA/NESDIS Regional Climate Centers ****and NOAA/OAR Research**

- NOAA OAR RISA supports university-based teams on research grants to analyze how climate impacts key sectors in resource management and planning.

**Notes:**
NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers, operating under contract to the National Climatic Data Center, offer data management and analysis support to the Grant-funded OAR Research Activity called RISA  NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) 

RISA Locations
Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP)
California Applications Project (CAP)
Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA)
Climate Assessment of the Southwest (CLIMAS)
Climate Impacts Group (CIG)
Pacific RISASoutheastern Climate Consortium (SECC)
Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP)Western Water Assessment (WWA)

## NOAA Regional Climate CentersRCC Functions – Climate Services 

- Provide general and user-defined regional and local climate products and services to external users and partners including:
- near-real time relational database system,
- web-based information resources.
- Provide regional and local expertise and assistance to a wide range of customers.
- Climate services tasks are iterative and evolutionary
- Specific on-line climate information and data archival and access capabilities grow from user and partner interests and needs.
- Infrastructure strengthening
- Specialized climate service personnel recruitment and training

## NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC/RCC Climate Assessment Research

**NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC/RCC ****Climate Assessment Research**

## NOAA Regional Climate CentersRCC Functions – Education and Outreach 

- Conduct outreach to regional and local decision makers on the use of climate products.
- Building design (snow loads, soil freezing),
- Flood management,
- Irrigation,
- Pest management
- Coastal erosion
- Water management
- Agriculture
- Climate change
- Energy
- Environment
- Risk management
- Transportation
- Natural hazards

## millions NowData products per month
30+ State Climatologists with ACIS access
AgACIS access in 3141 US counties
1000s of regional climate maps generated per day
Nearly 5,000,000 online climate services monthly
Decision tools for Cooperative Extension, private industry, government
Irrigation
Flood management
Public health

- Operational Delivery of RCC Climate Products

- millions NowData products per month
- 30+ State Climatologists with ACIS access
- AgACIS access in 3141 US counties
- 1000s of regional climate maps generated per day
- Nearly 5,000,000 online climate services monthly
- Decision tools for Cooperative Extension, private industry, government
- Irrigation
- Flood management
- Public health

## xmACIS (NWS Field Office Use)
Applied Climate Information System
Data query tool for NWS local climate research/local product development, and to answer customer climate record inquiries
Complete historical climate database with near real-time update
agACIS (Custom data and products for the NCRS)
NOWData (Customer Use)
Self-service tool
Subset of xmACIS
Free, limited access
For current year and Normals
Portal for ACIS and NCDC information
ThreadEx (Open Use)
Consistent daily temperature and precipitation extremes
Datzilla (Partner Use)
Data discrepancy reporting
400 registered NOAA users
WxCoder III (COOP Use)  
Internet observation entry system

**Applied Climate Information System**
**Data query tool for NWS local climate research/local product development, and to answer customer climate record inquiries**
**Complete historical climate database with near real-time update**
- agACIS *(**Custom data and products for the NCRS)*
- NOWData *(Customer Use)*
**Self-service tool**
**Subset of xmACIS**
**Free, limited access**
**For current year and Normals**
**Portal for ACIS and NCDC information**
- ThreadEx *(Open Use)*
**Consistent daily temperature and ****precipitation extremes**
- Datzilla *(Partner Use)*
**Data discrepancy reporting**
**400 registered NOAA users**
- WxCoder III *(COOP Use)**  *
**Internet observation entry system**

**NCDC-RCC-NWS Collaboration****National Climate Services Data Tools**

## Climate Services & Supporting Research NESDIS & NOS Climatologies

**Goal**: Conduct a pilot study focusing on the southeastern U.S., from Virginia to the Atlantic coast of Florida.  Parameters of coastal climatology, and geographic and temporal scale that parameters will be reported and examined, will depend upon “core” uses of this information by managers.

**Actions**:
- Conduct stakeholders workshop (Q3)
- Produce report describing core uses to guide development of data, tools, and applications of coastal climatology in southeast U.S. (Q4)
-  Core uses will include: mock-ups of applications from fishery management, mitigation of hazards, agriculture, energy conservation, water consumption, storm water management, and coastal inter-modal transportation

**Climate Services & Supporting Research** NESDIS & NOS Climatologies

## Climate Services & Supporting Research Climate and Weather Impacts on Society and the Environment (CWISE)

**Objective**:  Conduct research to better assess the impacts of climate variability and weather events on natural systems and society.

**Goal**:  Provide information, services and products to mitigate against environmental, economic, ecosystem health and human health impacts related to extreme climate conditions and atmospheric storms.

**Actions**:
-      Host user workshop
-       Begin development of coastal climatology
-       Initial focus on North and South Carolina
-       Award NOAA cooperative agreement
-       Establish partnerships and begin to engage        potential users

**Climate Services & Supporting Research** Climate and Weather Impacts on Society and the Environment (CWISE)

## 3 tiers of climate services: NCDC, AASC & RCCs
RCCs provide consistency in data and products
Established ties to all 50 states & inter-state agencies
Closely Integrated with Cooperative Extension
Agriculture     Sea Grant    Water Resources   Environment
Urban Issues   K-12 Education    Climate Change
Growing ties to the NOAA RISAs

- Established Links to State and Regional Stakeholders

- 3 tiers of climate services: NCDC, AASC & RCCs
- RCCs provide consistency in data and products
- Established ties to all 50 states & inter-state agencies
- Closely Integrated with Cooperative Extension
- Agriculture     Sea Grant    Water Resources   Environment
- Urban Issues   K-12 Education    Climate Change
- Growing ties to the NOAA RISAs

## Partnering with Regional Climate Centers 

**Optimizing Climate Services Partnerships**

**Partnering with Regional Climate Centers **

*Examples:  **DATA*

**Regional Data Network from the High Plains RCC**

**Fire Season Stations in AZ from the Western RCC**

## Partnering with Regional Climate Centers 

**Optimizing Climate Services Partnerships**

**Partnering with Regional Climate Centers **

*Examples:  **SERVICE*

**Real-Time Regional Mapping from the Midwestern RCC**

## Partnering with Regional Climate Centers 

**Optimizing Climate Services Partnerships**

**Partnering with Regional Climate Centers **

*Partnership Examples:  **RESEARCH*

**West Nile Virus Research Midwestern RCC**
**Northeast RCC**
**Southeastern RCC**

## HCN-M Surveys
Desktop and in the field
Northrup Grumman GEOS Decision Tools
Extremes Database for The WeatherChannel
Able to transition applied research
Current discussions with RMA
Consistent and authoritative information in
                                 response to extremes

- Nimble and Responsive

- HCN-M Surveys
- Desktop and in the field
- Northrup Grumman GEOS Decision Tools
- Extremes Database for The WeatherChannel
- Able to transition applied research
- Current discussions with RMA
- Consistent and authoritative information in
-                                  response to extremes

## NIDIS Interagency PartnersFederal, State, Tribal, Local Levels

_**U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC):**_ International Trade Administration, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
_**U.S. Department of Energy (DoE):**_ Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Office of Science
_**U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS):**_ Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Directorate
_**U.S. Department of the Interior (DoI):**_ Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey,
_**U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT):**_  Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Surface Transportation Board
_**Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farm Credit Administration (FCA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Internal Revenue Services, International Trade Commission (USITC),  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF) , Small Business Administration (SBA) **_
_**Western Governors’ Association**_ – a key sponsor of early NIDIS development efforts and ongoing concerns
_**Western States Water Council**_ – represents water managers in the Western United States
_**Regional Climate Centers – **__collection, quality control, and analysis of data, weekly  input to the Drought Monitor and Drought impact Reporter_
_**National Conference of State Legislatures**_ – drought monitoring and mitigation activities will require state support, of which much requires state legislative involvement
_**National League of Cities**_ – water availability and quality issues
_**American Association of State Climatologists**_ –  many of whom are active participants in the Drought Monitor
_**National Drought Mitigation Center**_ – A national clearinghouse for Redrought-related information, research, mitigation measures, and operational home of the Drought Monitor and Drought Impact Reporter;
_**Native American tribal governments**_ – mostly located in arid regions in which water is a vital concern

**NIDIS Interagency Partners*****Federal, State, Tribal, Local Levels***

## NOAA Regional Climate CentersRCC History and Program Management

- Response to National Climate Program Act of 1978
- Three demonstration projects 1981-1986
- Congressionally directed funds 1986
- Western RCC Desert Research Institute – 1987
- Midwestern RCC Illinois State Water Survey – 1988
- High Plains RCC University of Nebraska – 1988
- Northeast RCC Cornell University – 1989
- Southeast RCC South Carolina Dept. Natural Resources – 1990
- (Now University of North Carolina Chapel Hill)
- Southern RCC Louisiana State University – 1990
- National Climate Program Office 1988-1991
- National Weather Service 1991-1997
- National Climatic Data Center 1997-present

**Notes:**
Regional Climate Centers perform under contract to NESDIS National Climatic Data Center to provide climate Archive, Access and Assessment services in the respective states of their region. 
RCCs operate under Earmark funds providing essential governmental services. 
RCCs collaborate with 
RISAs which are based funded through competitive research grants. 
NOAA Cooperative Research Institutes which are established through the USEC DOC
NWS Climate Services at HQ, Regional and Field Offices

- Toward the future

-  Establish a niche as **Regional Centers of Climate Data Products and Infrastructure**
- Consistency in products, data and information
- Efficiency in managing databases
- Expansion beyond NOAA data sets
- Ancillary variables as well as unique gridded data sets
- Become **Leaders** in environmental data management
- Transition climate data to decision tools
- Rapid response to state and regional climate anomalies
- Real time linking of climate data to environmental models
- Serve as **Active Bridge **for state, local and regional   stakeholders to NOAA
- Fill a Climate Extension role by expanding existing strong ties to
-  Cooperative Extension
- Facilitate serving the needs of local stake holders