2 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

From the Director

Delivering climate services to the nation is part of our mission. Provision

of services on subseasonal to seasonal timescales enables Americans

to prepare for and respond to hazardous weather and water events for

the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the nation’s

economy. As with all our services, we meet the everyday needs for climate

information of our Core Partners through “impact-based decision support

services,” or IDSS, at local, state, federal, and tribal nation levels. It is this

climate information that allows our nation to be “climate-smart,” and thus

better prepared for and able to respond to disruptive weather and

water events.

Your roles in delivery of our climate services are key to our success.

This 4th edition of the National Weather Service Regional and Local Climate Service Delivery Operations

Document provides detailed guidelines on how best to accomplish these climate services. It provides an

overview of the NWS Climate Services Program, roles and responsibilities of NWS climate services staff,

and examples of impact-based decision support services by local offices.

I urge you to follow the guidelines in this document to maximize our efficiency for required regional and

local climate services. Your role in this endeavor is critical to maintain NWS’ position at the forefront of

climate services delivery to this nation and to achieve NOAA’s mission goals.

Louis W. Uccellini

Director of the National Weather Service, NOAA
SECTION 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................................2

SECTION 2: Climate Services Program............................................................................................................8

SECTION 3: Local Offices................................................................................................................................. 11

SECTION 4: Regional Headquarters.............................................................................................................. 28

SECTION 5: Climate Prediction Center......................................................................................................... 32

SECTION 6: Training......................................................................................................................................... 34

SECTION 7: Key Partners................................................................................................................................. 35

SECTION 8: Tools and Resources .................................................................................................................. 38

APPENDICES:..................................................................................................................................................... 41

Table of Contents
2 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to describe the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Services Program and implementation actions as well as to clarify roles,

duties, and responsibilities of NWS staff, who are in a position to deliver climate information and services at the

national, regional, and local offices.

SECTION 1: Introduction

NWS Vision

A Weather-Ready Nation:

Society is prepared for and responds to

weather, water, and climate-dependent events.

The Vision for Climate Services

A timely, accurate, and reliable NWS suite

of subseasonal to seasonal monitoring and

prediction products using trusted data, stateof-the-art models, and advances in physical

and social sciences to provide impact-based

decision support services in easy-to-understand

formats from highly-trained, professional staff for

preparedness, response, and climate-related

risk reduction.

NWS Mission

Provide weather, water, and climate data,

forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life

and property and enhancement of the

national economy.

GOAL 1:

Reduce the impacts of weather, water, and climate

events by transforming the way people receive,

understand, and act on information.

GOAL 2:

Harness cutting-edge science, technology, and

engineering to provide the best observations,

forecasts, and warnings.

GOAL 3:

Evolve the NWS to excel in the face of change

through investment in our people, partnerships,

and organizational performance.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 3

Over recent decades, climate-related phenomena and

their impacts have captured national attention. From

the disruptive El Niño events of 1982-83 and 1997-98 to

the recent heightened discourse concerning long-term

global change, climate remains a high-visibility topic

in the public consciousness. Recognizing this growing

importance and the national engagement on this

issue, NOAA has enhanced its efforts to deliver a broad

array of climate services. A vital component of this

enhancement is the extensive suite of climate services

offered by the NWS, including observing systems,

monitoring, predictions, analyses and assessments

of the state of the climate, and the delivery system to

reach users. NWS has already established trust and

credibility in providing scientific information to local

users, and its continued engagement with the public

is a touchstone for continued success from the local to

the national level for climate services.

Support for Decision Making on 

Subseasonal to Seasonal Timescales

NWS provides Impact-based Decision Support

Services (IDSS) on subseasonal to seasonal (S2S1)

timescales at more than 150 offices nationwide from

National Centers to regional and local offices. S2S

services help NWS Core Partners2 better understand

expected hazardous conditions and manage their

risks by providing them with S2S information and

interpretative services.

NWS currently provides S2S information in the form

of historical data and analyses, the current state of the

atmosphere and ocean system, and precipitation and

temperature outlooks out to one year. This includes

information on current and predicted drought

conditions, expert interpretations and assessments

of the state of several climate teleconnections, and

tools that provide information on the impacts of S2S

weather at regional and local levels.

 

NWS Climate Services

Seamless suite of forecast products spanning weather and climate

Weather Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/353

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2200

U.S. Public Law 115–25 of April 18, 2017,

reauthorized on January 7, 2019 through the

NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PL 115423), the

“Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation

Act of 2017,” directs NWS to “(1) collect and utilize

information in order to make usable, reliable,

and timely foundational forecasts of subseasonal

to seasonal temperature and precipitation; (2)

leverage existing research and models from the

weather enterprise to improve the forecasts...;

and (3) determine and provide information on

how the forecasted conditions may impact.....the

number and severity of droughts, fires, tornadoes,

hurricanes, floods, heat waves, coastal inundation,

winter storms, high impact weather, or other

relevant natural disasters, snowpack, and sea

ice conditions...”

NWS collaborates with other relevant NOAA programs

to identify high priority needs for research and

development (R&D) and transition that R&D into

operations to improve skill and usability of products

and services. NWS developers and forecaste

integrate scientific advances to evolve the operational

product suite to meet the needs of those with the

responsibility for decisions on S2S timescales. 

 Subseasonal is defined as two weeks to three months and seasonal from 

three months to two years

2

 Core Partners are defined in more detail on page 6
4 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

S2S IDSS includes engagement, collaboration, and

provision of interpretative services of S2S information

to NWS Core Partners, which enables them to prepare

for and respond to hazardous weather, water, and

climate events. S2S information includes foundational

data, potential risks, and predictions to enable

stakeholders to conduct vulnerability analyses and

assessments and take actions that are “climate-smart”

and weather-ready.

IDSS extends along a time continuum from the near

term (minutes) to seasonal. Climate-focused IDSS

requirements are based on partner needs within a

given time frame and address: 1) hazardous weather,

water, and climate impacts; 2) mitigation and

adaptation efforts on the seasonal scale;

3) preparedness efforts on the subseasonal scale; and

4) planning activities in response and recovery efforts

in the short term. The expertise and focus of NWS

National Centers and local offices play vital roles in

providing IDSS along this continuum. S2S Services in the IDSS time continuum 

(Andy Foster, NWS Headquarters)

NWS defines IDSS as the provision of relevant

information and interpretative services to enable

Core Partners’ decisions when weather, water, or

climate has a direct impact on the protection of lives

and livelihoods. IDSS may be characterized as either

episodic or recurring.

Episodic IDSS: Provision of information an

interpretative services to directly support an event

or incident where weather, water, or climate has a

direct impact on the protection of lives/livelihoods.

Examples include event-related webinars, NWSChat,

iNWS, and on-site or remote interaction.

Recurring IDSS: Provision of ongoing support t

a subset of Core Partners throughout the year to

improve partner mitigation, preparation, response,

and recovery related to events/incidents where

weather, water, or climate has a direct impact on

the protection of lives/livelihoods; or to support

routine-high value decisions. Examples include

joint training, Integrated Warning Team interactions,

pre-event/scenario planning, water use/contingency

forecasts and planning, table-top exercises used

to plan actions and procedures addressing these

events or incidents, after-action reviews, and daily

coordination regarding routine high-value decisions

such as aviation operations or reservoir releases.

Impact-based Decision Support Services
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 5

Working with the Global 

Climate Community

The NWS Climate Services Program leverages the

work done within the global climate community of

researchers, developers, and providers, including

the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to

identify partners and users, and their needs for climate

information. NWS’ foundational data and standard

products are available to support priority areas of the

Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), which

fall under the auspices of the WMO, as well as others

including academia, state climatologists, other state

and local providers, and the private sector.

GFCS priority areas for application of

climate services:

• Agriculture and food security

• Disaster risk reduction

• Energy

• Health

• Water

GFCS components and priority areas 

(https://gfcs.wmo.int/about-gfcs)
6 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

NWS Core Partners Definition

IDSS Directive 10-24 - April 9, 2019

NWS Core Partners are defined as government and

non-government entities which are directly involved

in the preparation, dissemination, and discussions

involving weather, water, or climate related National

Weather Service information that supports decision

making for routine or episodic high impact events.

These entities have a unique need for increased

interaction with NWS personnel for provision of IDSS,

or to facilitate their role in supporting the

NWS mission.

NWS General Criteria for Core Partners:

• Directly involved in the preparation,

dissemination, or discussion involving

hazardous weather, water, climate, or other

emergency information

• Possess a unique need for increased

interaction with the NWS for IDSS

• Have an operational nexus necessitating

mutual exchange of data/information to

support each other’s operations

For full definition of NWS Core Partners, please visit:

https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01024curr.pdf

Climate Coordination Partnerships

NWS Climate Services partnerships may further be

characterized as follows:

Upstream Partners: those who conduct applied

climate research, develop and provide sector-specific

and value-added data products, tools, and services.

Downstream Partners: those who coordinate with

NWS on the use of climate science, data, products,

tools, and services to support climate-sensitive

decision making.

High impact - Any weather-dependent event

that significantly impacts safety, health, the

environment, economic productivity, or

homeland security. No standard, nationwide

criteria define a high impact event. It may impact

millions of people or one sector, and it may vary

in timing or location.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 7

NWS has been providing the nation with climate

services since the late 1800s. At that time, the Weather

Bureau (the predecessor to NWS) was still expanding

the Cooperative Observer Program network as

mandated by the Organic Act of 1890. The nation

continues to rely on NOAA/NWS as the neutral brokers

of observations as we assess long-term

temperature trends.

The Dust Bowl years of the 1930s led to the first

concerted effort in long-range prediction. The first

experimental monthly prediction was issued by

the Weather Bureau in 1947, followed by seasonal

predictions 35 years later. The passage of the National

Climate Program Act in the mid-1970s led to the

formation of the Climate Analysis Center in NWS in

1979, presently called the Climate Prediction Center,

which provides national and global operational

climate prediction, monitoring, and assessment

products for timescales from weeks to years.

Further advances in extended and long-range

prediction occurred over the ensuing decades as the

prediction process gradually evolved from a largely

subjective procedure to one that employs a more

objective use of specific tools. The first results from

operational modeling that coupled the atmosphere

and the ocean became available in 1995.

To enhance and improve NWS climate services

capabilities at the regional and local offices, the

Climate Services Division (presently called the Climate

Services Branch) was established at NWS headquarters

in 2000. In 2003, each NWS regional headquarters

appointed a Climate Services Program Manager, and

each local office appointed a Climate

Services Leader. Together with the Climate

Prediction Center, the national, regional,

and local offices deliver climate services to

users.

Historical U.S. Weather Bureau Cooperative Observer Program Station 

(NOAA Library)

Dust Bowl of 1930s (NOAA Library)

Historical Perspective
SECTION 2: Climate Services Program

8 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

NWS Climate Services are distributed across the

organization: national headquarters, national centers,

regional offices, and local offices. While the majority

of service delivery exists at the local office level and at

the Climate Prediction Center, program management

resides within the regional headquarters offices and

the Analyze, Forecast, and Support Office (AFSO) at

national headquarters.

Climate Services 

Program Core

Climate Services Branch

The Climate Services Branch (CSB) provides support

and oversight of the NWS Climate Services Program

and develops climate prediction operations plans,

policies, and procedures. Its mission is to ensure

NWS has the capacity to develop and deliver reliable

climate services integrated with weather and water

information through user engagement, policy

development, data stewardship, facilitating the

incorporation of research into operations, training,

education, and outreach in collaboration with

partners. CSB works with field offices and users to

identify and validate climate services needs and

establish operational requirements for

climate observations.

Climate Prediction Center

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) develops and

delivers operational predictions of climate variability,

provides real-time monitoring of climate and the

required databases, and produces assessments of

the origins of major climate anomalies. The products

cover timescales from a week to seasons, extending

into the future as far as technically feasible, and cover

the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere, extending

into the stratosphere.

Climate Services Program Managers

The Regional Climate Services Program Managers

(CSPMs) support NWS local offices as the liaisons to

NWS national headquarters and national centers,

ensuring local compliance to NWS climate services

policies and providing applied science, technologies,

tools, communication, and training to local offices.

CSPMs also initiate, coordinate, and foster regional

partnerships and climate services activities.

Climate Services Leaders

The local NWS offices are the most common points

of entry for users requesting information. Climaterelated requests would most often be referred to the

Climate Services Leader (CSL) within the local NWS

office. However, the provision of climate services

is a team effort, often requiring participation from

several members in the office. The CSL leads the

local office climate team, which delivers climate

outlooks, analyses, and observations, and provides

local interpretation of CPC products. The CSL works

with the entire local office climate team ensuring the

integrity of observations; serving as an expert for local,

state, and tribal decision makers; and acting as a local

liaison between NWS and NOAA partners.

Service Program Team

The Forecast Services Division, within NWS AFSO, is

home to the eleven National Service Programs (NSP).

Each NSP has a corresponding Service Program Team

(SPT) responsible for capturing, vetting, and becoming

a champion of proposed field requirements, providing

programmatic input into the Annual Operating Plan

process, reviewing and making approval decisions for

Experimental Products and Services (supporting the

Products and Services Change Management Process:

NWSI 10-102), and providing the service delivery

portfolios with subject matter expertise regarding

innovation context and research transition.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 9

Members of the Climate SPT include representatives

from:

• Climate Services Branch (lead)

• Climate Services Program Managers

• Climate Prediction Center

• Water Resources Services Branch

• Office of Science and Technology Integration

• NWS International Affairs Office

Additional Supporting 

Offices

National Centers for 

Environmental Prediction

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction

(NCEP) Centers analyze and project short-term climate

fluctuations on a regional and worldwide basis,

identify significant climate anomalies, and provide

current climate information to users. NCEP Centers

also develop and produce oceanographic products

and guidance; provide weather support for special

aerospace and satellite operations; perform research

and development to improve its climatic, hydrologic,

meteorological, space weather, and oceanographic

products; develop plans and provide direction for

improving products; and advise leadership of new

capabilities resulting from new techniques

or procedures.

In addition to CPC, two other NCEP Centers provide

direct support to the NWS Climate Services Program:

Environmental Modeling Center

The Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) improves

numerical weather, marine, and climate predictions

through a broad program of research in data

assimilation and modeling. In support of the NCEP

operational forecasting mission, EMC develops,

improves, and monitors data assimilation systems

and models of the atmosphere, ocean, land surface,

sea ice, and coupled system, using advanced methods

developed internally as well as cooperatively with

scientists from universities, NOAA laboratories and

other government agencies, and the international

scientific community.

NCEP Central Operations

The NCEP Central Operations (NCO) sets the standard

for information technology excellence for the NWS. NCO

serves as a valued technical asset for NWS and NOAA

in defining and accomplishing mission goals. NCO

executes the NWS operational model suite, creating

climate, weather, ocean, space, and environmental

hazard products. It manages improvements to the

NWS/NCEP model suite including supporting research,

development, and transition of new or enhanced

models to operations. It develops meteorological

software used by the NCEP Centers to create forecaster

generated products. NCO manages the flow of data

and products to and from the NWS including NCEP

Centers, partners, and customers.

Office of Water Prediction

The Office of Water Prediction (OWP) collaboratively

researches, develops, and delivers state-of-the-science

national hydrologic analyses, forecast information,

data, decision support services, and guidance to

support and inform essential emergency services and

water management decisions. In partnership with NWS

national, regional, and local offices, OWP coordinates,

integrates, and supports consistent water prediction

activities from global to local levels.

• Aviation 

• Climate 

• Fire Weather 

• Marine 

• Public

• Severe Weather

• Space Weather 

• Tropical

• Tsunami 

• Water Resources 

• Winter Weather

AFS National Service Programs
10 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

OWP’s operational unit is the National Water Center

(NWC), which is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Within the NWC, the Water Prediction Operations

Division (WPOD), in collaboration with NOAA field

offices and other federal water agencies, is

responsible for the delivery of forecast guidance

and analyses, as well as inundation information

for hydrologic events in the United States. This

information is leveraged by NCEP, as well as the River

Forecast Centers (RFCs) and Weather Forecast Offices

(WFOs) for their official outlooks, forecasts, watches,

and warnings, information on flash and riverine

flooding, water resources outlooks, and providing

IDSS to inform emergency and water resources

management decisions.

NWS National Headquarters 

Portfolio Offices

The Office of Science and Technology Integration (STI)

supports the Climate Services Program by analyzing

requirements for service improvements from NWS

field offices and CPC through close coordination with

AFSO; develops potential scientific and technological

solutions through coordination with partners within

NOAA and with the external research community;

and sponsors applied research and development of

programs and projects to address these requirements.

This includes providing project management for the

development of the Local Climate Analysis Tool (LCAT).

STI plays a key role in the adjudication and, in most

cases, the development of projects submitted through

the NWS/Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

Service Level Agreement for Climate.

The Office of Observations (OBS), Office of

Dissemination (DIS), and Office of Central Processing

(CP) also have linkages to the Climate Services

Program. OBS supports the many observing

programs, including the Cooperative Observer

Program (COOP), by deploying and maintaining

various sensors and ensuring that new sensors meet

requirements for climate continuity. DIS provides web

and dissemination services for public access to climate

data, products, and tools.

CP runs various climate models, such as the Climate

Forecast System (CFS), and maintains and upgrades

climate programs within the Advanced Weather

Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) for data

integration and product development.

NWS Operations Center

The NWS Operations Center’s (NWSOC) primary

responsibilities are to organize and maintain twoway communications between senior leadership

and the field, provide NWS Continuity of Operations

planning, and support NWS liaisons that are

embedded at the agencies of Federal Core Partners.

The NWSOC supports climate services by serving as

a dissemination mechanism for climate information

to both the local offices and senior leadership. The

NWSOC coordinates with NWS Regional Operations

Centers (ROCs) and the NWS National Centers,

including CPC by reporting out on S2S outlooks and

related major climate anomalies.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 11

The core of the NWS Climate Services Program resides

at the local offices. Although the WFOs are the primary

public interface for NOAA, RFCs and Center Weather

Service Units (CWSUs) provide focused climate

services for Core Partners, specializing in hydrology

and aviation respectively. While much of this

document deals with the interface and structure of

WFOs in climate services, RFCs and CWSUs may have

similar operational functions and demands. The local

offices have five primary climate services functions to

which all activities can be tied.

• Deliver climate information and services to

users as the primary local interface for NOAA

• Serve as the steward and conscience for the

integrity of the historical climate record

• Participate in NWS climate analysis,

monitoring, and prediction activities

• Support the NOAA mission of having a ready,

responsive, and resilient nation to extreme

weather, water, and climate events

• Provide climate-focused IDSS to NWS

Core Partners

Local Office 

Climate Team

Local NWS offices are the most common points of

entry for customers and partners needing climaterelated information. This requires a team effort from

the entire local office in order to provide the best

climate information and decision support services.

The CSL is the team member who would most often

respond to climate-related requests; however, all

members of the local office play an important role in

fulfilling the NWS mission as it relates to climate and

achieving a Weather-Ready Nation. The whole-office

team concept should be employed where all members

of the office are adept in responding to climate

requests and are cognizant of other NWS and NOAA

climate resources available in their area.

Although all members of the local office should be

able to provide basic climate services, significant

contributions are provided by members of the local

office climate team.

• Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC)/

Hydrologist-in-Charge (HIC)

• Science and Operations Officer (SOO)/

Development and Operations Hydrologist

(DOH)

• Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM)/

Service Coordination Hydrologist (SCH)

• Service Hydrologist (SH)/

Hydrology Focal Point (HFP)

• Observing Program Leader (OPL)/

Data Acquisition Program Manager (DAPM)

• Climate Services Leader (CSL)

MIC/HIC

The role of the MIC/HIC is to ensure local office

personnel support NWS’ and NOAA’s mission to

deliver climate services.

• Identify and support the CSL function

• Include climate program development in local

office goals

• Promote education and training for CSL and

local staff in climate services

SECTION 3: Local Offices
12 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

• Ensure resources are allocated for climate

services at the local level, including travel and

outreach intended for participation in

climate-related conferences and workshops

• Support local office participation in

developing and using climate analysis tools

• Support staff to ensure proper siting,

relocation, installation, maintenance, and use

of equipment at climate observing sites

• Support local office data stewardship

practices

• Support local office participation in CSB and

regional climate services activities

• Support local office initiatives to help inform

communities, businesses, and governments

of important climate information and support

Core Partners in making climate-related

decisions

SOO/DOH

The role of the SOO/DOH, in coordination with the

CSL, is to provide guidance in technical areas (e.g., the

use of technologies and tools in local climate studies),

ensure scientific rigor is maintained, and safeguard

data integrity in the conduct of office activities.

• Provide applied science, tools, and training to

support local office climate products

and services

• Offer guidance and assistance to the CSL on

local climate studies

• Support development of techniques for the

local office to use in generating local

climatologies and assist in testing and

evaluation of new climate products

and services

• Maintain professional competency through

NWS training in climate services for staff in

field offices

WCM/SCH

The role of the WCM/SCH is to contribute to the

climate services mission through extensive familiarity

with the local community they serve in their dayto-day operational weather responsibility. Their

experience in local outreach can be applied as they

collaborate with the CSL in reaching climate users,

particularly Core Partners in need of

climate-focused IDSS.

• Conduct climate-related outreach activities

including public awareness of local

climate impacts

• Participate in NOAA climate communication

activities

• Support the CSL in coordinating, integrating,

and delivering NWS climate products and

climate-focused IDSS

• Work closely with the CSL to educate local

customers and partners on the science of

climate variability and change and support

Core Partners in making climate-related

decisions in their community

SH/HFP

The SH/HFP is responsible for understanding the

hydrologic conditions of the local WFO area and

maintains relationships with water resources

managers. The SH/HFP can aid the CSL in ways similar

to the WCM and SOO, with a primary focus on the

hydrologic aspects of climate services.

• Advise the CSL on how climate-scale

rainfall/snowfall surplus or deficit impacts

local water resources

• Work with the CSL on climate studies focused

on precipitation and associated impacts to the

water resources community

• In times of drought, assist the CSL with local

Drought Information Statements (DGT),

outreach efforts, weekly input for the

U.S. Drought Monitor, and local studies

• Support local water resources Core Partner

needs in making climate-related decisions
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 13

OPL/DAPM

The role of the OPL/DAPM is to oversee the

operations and maintenance of data collection for the

climate record in WFOs and Weather Service Offices

(WSOs). The CSL and the OPL/DAPM maintain a close

working relationship and coordinate on all issues

related to climate data.

• Ensure climate observations and related

metadata, data continuity, and data quality

control activities are fully coordinated with

partners and conform to NWS policy

• Ensure proper siting, relocation, installation,

maintenance, and use of equipment at climate

observing sites

• Routinely communicate with users, Core

Partners, and the regional CSPM on issues

related to ensuring the integrity of the

climate record and user requirements

CSL

The role of the CSL is to lead the local office climate

team, which includes the delivery of climate outlooks,

analyses, and observations, and providing local

interpretation of CPC products. The CSL works with the

entire local office climate team ensuring the integrity

of observations; serving as an expert for local, state,

and tribal decision makers; and acting as a local

liaison between NWS and NOAA partners.

• Develop and maintain relationships with Core

Partners and provide climate-focused IDSS

as needed

• Serve as data stewards in the collection,

quality control, and dissemination of

climate data

• Remain up-to-date on new NOAA climate

products and services and relay pertinent

news and tools to local staff

• Promote NOAA climate products, services, and

education and outreach activities at the

local level

• Conduct local climate studies using

nationally provided analysis tools

(See Section 8)

• Understand content, use, and location of CPC

products (see Appendix B) and educate local

office personnel and community partners on

proper interpretation

• Educate and provide outreach to local

customers on the science of climate variability

and change

• Enhance climate-focused IDSS activities by

integrating climate information for assessment

of long-term risks of severe weather events and

attribution of climate variability and change

• Respond to climate inquiries from local users
14 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Climate Services Program at the Local Offices

Local offices are the primary interface for users of NWS

climate information and services. They work hand-inhand with Core Partners to support decision making

when climate impacts life and property.

• Provide climate data and product 

interpretation to Core Partners to better inform

their decisions affected by climate variability 

and change

• Build strong and trusted relationships with 

Core Partners primarily impacted by climate 

variability and change

• Provide climate variability and change insights 

with respect to impacts on weather and water 

conditions in the local area of responsibility

• Provide climate context for current weather 

events through comparisons with historical 

records, normals, and other statistics

• Work with Core Partners in emergency 

response exercises, drills, and simulations 

related to adaptation and mitigation due to a 

changing climate

Local offices will respond to partner and customer

requests for IDSS and coordinate those requests with

the regional CSPM and CSB.

Many climate-related events that require the

application of IDSS often transcend the established

boundaries of a single WFO. In such cases, where

several WFOs are affected, a response at the state

or regional level may be more appropriate. Enlisting

coordination through the CSPM, the affected Regional

Operations Center (ROC), and CSB would ensure a

team-led consistent response.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 15

Sectoral Communities

Core Partner systems that wisely use climate

information can make better informed decisions

at policy, institutional, and community levels.

This helps to improve efficiency of resources

and serves to increase production in areas such

as agriculture. In order to assist meeting these

goals, Central Region publishes a monthly climate

summary for a broad ranges of users, including the

agricultural community. The summary contains

interpretative services for pertinent CPC forecasts,

including monthly and seasonal temperature and

precipitation outlooks, El Niño/Southern Oscillation

(ENSO) predictions, and the U.S. Seasonal

Drought Outlook.

– Shawn Rossi, NWS Hastings, and 

Ray Wolf, NWS Quad Cities

Disaster Risk Management

On average, nearly 125 tornadoes occur per year

in the Northern Plains region of the United States.

Understanding these frequently occurring disasters

is essential in order to prepare for them. To assess

the probability of a tornado occurring given certain

environmental conditions, WFO Bismarck performed a

study on the climatology of tornadoes in the Northern

Plains states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and

Minnesota. Using an environment analog-based

approach, they examined multiple parameters of

atmospheric soundings to correlate how specific

conditions relate to tornado occurrence. Assessing risk

of significant tornadoes provides for opportunities of

training, simulation, and community preparedness for

such events.

– Chauncy Schultz, NWS Bismarck

Example of Central Region Climate Outlook

The numbers indicate the highest observed Significant Tornado Parameter values for the associated soundings during the period of study

Examples of Climate Services at S2S Timescales
16 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Community Outreach

Native communities in Western Alaska face many

challenges related to the local climate. The harsh

environment generates many threats, such as

coastal storm flooding, high wind events, erosion,

icing, and permafrost thawing. In order to bring

native communities into a more modern era of

understanding and predicting climatic variations, a

partnership between the NWS Alaska Region Office,

the Alaska Institute for Justice, and the Alaska Division

of Geological and Geophysical Surveys was formed.

The goals of this partnership consist of informing

communities of environmental trends, preparing

them for threats, and advocating for their rights. Each

organization provides a different aspect of assistance.

NWS Alaska Region Office delivers climate information

that is helping native communities adapt to rapidly

changing environmental conditions, such as coastal

flooding, coastal erosion, and sea ice extent.

– Rick Thoman, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment 

and Policy

Hydro Power Generation

The NWS Forecast Office in Juneau, Alaska is

providing weekly drought situational reports to Core

Partners in the Metlakatla Indian Community to help

manage their fragile water supply and prepare the

community for their energy needs. In the southern half

of Southeast Alaska, rainfall and multi-year snowpack

deficits have left communities with less water to

generate power from hydro-power generators. The

drought conditions have led to the shutdown of many

hydro-power generators that are being replaced with

expensive diesel generators, increasing the costs to

customers. The community of Metlakatla, the only

Native reservation in Alaska, has seen the worst of

the drought conditions and has requested increased

decision support from the NWS in order to better

handle their energy challenges.

– Aaron Jacobs, NWS Juneau

Reservoir levels compared to daily generation of hydropower

Example of coastal erosion in Alaska
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 17

Health

Heat has been the leading cause of weather-related

fatalities in the United States since recording began

in 1986. The NWS Western Region produces HeatRisk,

a forecast that provides numerical potential heat risk

thresholds and colors for specific locations in the

United States. Four different thresholds are delineated

within the HeatRisk product to exhibit progressive

levels of risk (low, medium, high, very high). Many

factors go into determining the levels of risk, including

temperature difference from the average, time of

year, expected duration of abnormal heat, and risk of

health-heat complications. The HeatRisk page also

informs visitors of the groups most at risk, such as the

elderly, the very young, and those working outdoors. It

is used by partners in many sectors, such as the media,

hospitals, and schools.

[https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrh/heatrisk/]

– Paul Iniguez, NWS Phoenix

Water Resources

The Red River of the North experiences flooding

regularly, with major flooding occurring along its main

stem in 45% of all years in the record. Core Partners

in this region had a desire for a new style of flood

outlook forecasts, focused on the spring snowmelt

season. WFO Grand Forks developed a new product,

with the goal to better communicate probabilities

for understanding of flood risk. After multiple

collaboration sessions with partners for feedback on

the current Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System

(AHPS) flood outlook products, they created the

Probabilistic Flood Outlook Summary, which displays

the probabilities of 95%, 90%, 75%, 50%, 25%, 10%,

and 5% of reaching certain river stages in a brand new

graphical format. The product was met with a great

response from partners, and there are plans to make a

new online interface and expand the program to more

locations along the Red River in coming years.

[https://www.weather.gov/fgf/PFOS]

– Ryan Knutsvig, NWS Grand Forks

Western Region’s HeatRisk product 

Outlook graphic showing most likely river stage range based on the 

latest forecast
18 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

• Join the U.S. Drought Monitor and

NIDIS listservs

• Participate in CPC’s NWSChat room as a

means to interact with CPC forecasters

Social Media as an avenue for delivery of 

climate-related information

Social media has proven to be a powerful tool for

local offices to convey climate-related information to

customers and partners. One of the most effective

ways to elicit actionable responses from users is

to provide climate context to events by making

comparisons to extreme or historical conditions.

CSLs should work closely with the local office climate

team and social media focal points to ensure climaterelated information is properly communicated. This

may encompass providing recurrent local climate

information graphics or interpretations of National

Center outlooks. Any local interpretation of S2S

outlooks provided for public consumption must

remain consistent with the National Center forecast

through open communication with the

official producers.

Partnerships

Local office staff members are encouraged to develop

close working relationships with their local internal

and external climate partners and familiarize themselves with existing and new climate services at NOAA

centers and laboratories.

• Engage local Core Partners and other

stakeholders in the development and delivery

of climate services and identify opportunities

for joint activities

• Promote NWS climate products, services,

and outreach activities to the local

climate community

• Support partner needs for climate-related

decision making toward protection of life

and property

Communication

CSLs should ensure clear communication with both

internal and external partners and stakeholders.

• Communicate regularly with the CSPM to

remain current on emerging NWS climate

services initiatives and promote local-level

climate priorities and needs

• Identify and request resources required to

respond to local user needs from local office

management or regional CSPMs

• Inform NOAA and Core Partners on emerging

climate projects, products, and initiatives

• Follow the existing policy for communicating

requirements and feedback as per NWSI

10-102, “Products and Services Change

Management” process

• Subscribe to the NWS climate services and

local Regional Integrated Sciences and

Assessments (RISA) listservs

NWS Climate Services Listserv

The NWS Climate Services e-mail listserv provides

an internal forum to coordinate and communicate

climate-related information, questions, and

announcements. Individuals can sign up easily,

send messages, receive posts automatically,

and begin searching through previous archived

conversation threads. Examples of posts include

meeting announcements, training opportunities,

new research and papers on climate, and general

questions (and answers) about climate. Join the

nws_climate listserv at:

[https://infolist.nws.noaa.gov]
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 19

Outreach & Education

• Provide information to users on new climate

products and services, and know where to

refer customers for additional information on

complex climate questions

• At the request of CSB or the CSPM, participate

on regional and national external climate

teams as an expert from a local perspective

• Support climate literacy with local educators

through the NWS Education Program and

NOAA Office of Education

• Conduct activities at the request of educators

in the local area of responsibility in

coordination with the WCM

• Educate local users on science of climate

variability and change

Conduct outreach and education in the local area of 

responsibility on climate products, data, 

and information

For the local office outreach program, the WCM

and the CSL should ensure climate information is

included in any outreach and educational materials

and activities. Packaging climate information with the

meteorological and hydrological outreach programs is

a natural fit and should be encouraged. Activities such

as school talks and meetings with local constituent

groups are excellent entry-level outreach and

education efforts.

Ensure local webpages are routinely updated

The CSL, information technology staff, and webmaster

should ensure the local climate web pages, including

the Local Data/Records section, are updated on a

regular basis.

Organize climate awareness events in support of 

local communities

Climate events, such as El Niño and La Niña, may

significantly impact local climate. To ensure local,

state, and tribal governments and businesses are

informed about such events and equipped to mitigate

the impacts, CSLs should conduct climate awareness

outreach activities.

Participate in other outreach activities

Additional outreach activities include supplying

climate factsheets to the public and discussing local

applications with Core Partners and stakeholders.

Such discussions may include how drought

impacts the area, the current seasonal hurricane/

typhoon outlooks, and the effect of ENSO and other

teleconnections on local weather patterns. Offices

should include climate topics when conducting

workshops targeted to local audiences (media,

agriculture sector, energy, emergency managers,

water resources managers, etc.) to inform users on

the potential uses of climate resources and to gather

feedback on products and services.

Requirements

Evaluate user needs and make recommendations for 

products and services

CSLs should establish trust with local users and Core

Partners through frequent interaction and identify

local needs for climate information. They have access

to national and local climate data and established

methods for climate analysis, and can conduct initial

investigations to establish the science-based capacity

for responding to specific user needs. CSLs should

report findings and make recommendations on local

user needs to the regional CSPMs and CSB for further

review and action.

• Monitor customer feedback when making

product and service enhancements

• Integrate Core Partner information on local

user needs

• Solicit feedback from customers on improving

existing (and design for new) climate services

and products

• If a specific need or product enhancement is

necessary, coordinate through the CSPM and

follow the NWS Capability and Requirements

Decision Support (CaRDS) process
20 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Maintain office procedures to support local 

climate services

To maintain local office climate services continuity and

ease the transition for newly appointed CSLs, each CSL

should maintain a local office guide containing useful

documents.

• Latest version of the NWS Regional and Local

Climate Services Delivery Operations

Document

• Information on local climate services tools

(e.g., Datzilla, xmACIS, LCAT, and others)

• List of climate contact points and partners

• Directory of useful web links, including climate

services directives

• Reference to useful presentations and

publications

• Climate services training and education

resources

• Job sheets for various tasks using the AWIPS

climate program (such as the process for

correcting data) or other programs

• Factsheets and brochures

[weather.gov/climateservices/print]

Maintain local office climate program requirements 

within the office Station Duty Manual (SDM)

To maintain a reference on national directives

pertaining to the local office climate policy, the CSL

should author (or provide information to the author of)

chapters related to climate services in the local

office SDM.

• References to applicable NWS Directives

• Local office-specific climate services

requirements and best practices

• Examples of routinely-issued climate products

Data Services

Local offices are the stewards for the data that serve as

the nation’s climate record. The MIC or HIC has overall

responsibility for the successful collection of accurate

climate data and takes action when necessary to

ensure the integrity of the climate record.

However, on a day-to-day basis, this critical climate

function should be shared by the CSL and the OPL/

DAPM. The OPL/DAPM oversees the operations and

maintenance of data collection for the climate record.

The CSL and the OPL/DAPM, with the support of

the local office climate team, must maintain a close

working relationship and coordinate on all issues

related to climate data. The team ensures climate

observations and related metadata, data continuity,

and data quality control activities are fully coordinated

with partners and conform to NWS policy and needs.

The team routinely communicates with customers,

climate services partners, and the regional CSPM on

issues related to ensuring the integrity of the climate

record and customer requirements.

Local Climate Data Experts

• Serve as data stewards in the gathering and

quality control of climate data that meet

national standards for dissemination

• Respond to customer inquiries regarding the

collection and interpretation of climate data

and products

• Act as the local expert on complementary data,

such as local mesonet data, and understand

details on mesonet data accuracy

(instrumentation, exposure, and maintenance)

• Provide local expertise (when needed) to

the National Centers for Environmental

Information (NCEI)/State Climate Extremes

Committee if a potential state meteorological

value record has been observed; coordinate

with the state’s State Climatologist and

adjacent WFOs

• Provide data summaries in response to local

user inquiries utilizing data records available

through NOWData, xmACIS, and other

data tools
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 21

• Work closely with NCEI to ensure that the

Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN) data

are correct for all locations within a County

Warning Area (CWA) or Hydrologic Service

Area; when needed, corrections are made

using the Datzilla system

Climate Observing Requirements 

and Policy

The CSL coordinates with the OPL/DAPM to ensure

data quality from the point of observation through

the point of delivery. This includes site support for

COOP stations and training for observers, as well

as the collection, quality control, archiving, and

dissemination of secure and accurate observations.

• Understand NWS Climate Data Services policy

and Climate Records policy (NDS 10-1003

and NDS 10-1004)

• Ensure compliance with NWS web policy with

respect to climate information (NDS 10-1003),

including the labeling of NWS data as

“preliminary” and not freely distributing

value-added data products for which NCEI

charges a fee for cost recovery

• Provide weather observers and their staff with

proper tools and training required to ensure

the collection of accurate and consistent

climate data at all sites in compliance with

NWS observation policies and

customer needs

Climate Data Quality

• Ensure integrity of the data record by following

quality control policies; ensure that daily,

monthly, seasonal, and annual climate

summaries for key locations are disseminated

• In coordination with the CSPM, serve as the

liaison between local office-specific quality

control activities and NCEI, the Regional

Climate Centers (RCC), and State

Climatologists (SC), and ensure problems are

identified and solutions implemented

• Leverage Quality Assurance/Quality Control

(QA/QC) tools provided by partners such as

the ACIS Climate Data Comparison Tool

[http://acis-compare.rcc-acis.org/] and data

correction tracking system Datzilla

[http://datzilla.srcc.lsu.edu/datzilla/] to report

erroneous records

• Coordinate with the regional CSPM, CSB, and

NCEI on updating and expanding ThreadEx

to provide a longer period of record for

data extremes (see page 35 for more

on ThreadEx)

Climate Data Continuity

The CSL and local office climate team may be

requested to participate in plans for conducting

overlapping observations with other climate services

partners. The team also ensures that customers

are advised of pending changes at long-standing

climatological data stations that can introduce data

discontinuities (e.g., station moves, instrument

changes, etc.).

The team ensures:

• Impacts of proposed changes are understood

and options considered before implementation

• Requirements for overlapping observations

are addressed

• Any changes (planned, accidental, or natural)

are adequately and appropriately documented

in metadata

• Customers are advised in a timely fashion of

pending and completed changes

The team may also be requested to:

• Serve as the focal point for data continuity

issues

• Monitor and oversee changes to observing

systems supporting the climate record,

including coordinating changes with

climate partners
22 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Climate Analysis, Monitoring, and 

Prediction Activities

Monitor, assess, and communicate the state of 

the climate, including variability and change, and 

potential local impacts

CSLs should monitor global-scale weather and climate

events with support from the regional CSPM and CSB.

Information gained through this analysis, along with

National Center forecasts, can be used in the delivery

of IDSS on S2S timescales.

• Assess global domain satellite imagery

• Monitor the global-scale circulation and

other teleconnections

• Review other source material from National

Centers, including forecasts and outlooks,

discussions, bulletins, and updates

Monitor the status of drought or excessive rainfall, 

temperature anomalies, and other parameters (e.g., 

evapo-transpiration)

During periods of insufficient or excessive

precipitation, extreme temperature anomalies, or

other unusual climate situations, the local office

climate team maintains up-to-date information

regarding the status of specific events and provides

local insights to the CSPMs and National Centers. Th

information may be used in national products (such

as the U.S. Drought Monitor) or in local information

releases such as a Public Information Statement

(PNS). For drought periods, the DGT is used to convey

relevant information on local impacts and current

water resources.

Products

• Remain current with changes in NWS climate

products and services

• Participate in NWS climate analysis,

monitoring, and prediction activities

(e.g., CPC seasonal outlooks and hazards

assessment, U.S. Drought Monitor, and others)

U.S. Drought Monitor. A collaboration of NOAA, USDA, NDMC and others
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 23

Local Climate Studies

• Identify sensitivity of local weather and water

conditions to climate variability and change

• Provide guidance and expertise for climate

data continuity studies

• Translate climate analysis and prediction into

relevant context for actionable decisions by

Core Partners for protection of life

and property

Identification of sensitivities often requires additional

background studies by the CSL. Climate studies at

scales important to NWS local users reveal important

relationships and information unavailable through

CPC national products. Such information could

include long-term statistics of local climate variables

(averages, variability, rate of long-term trends, etc.),

probabilities for future weather and/or climate events,

or the historical climate context of weather events for

mitigation and adaptation practices.

Climate studies should be conducted using

methodologies consistent with CPC practices, which

are available in LCAT. LCAT is an online statistical tool

that can be used by local offices to access data and

perform local climate analysis studies responding to

user requests and inquiries. The LCAT dialog interface

allows users to specify data and analysis methods for

studying the local rate of climate change, local climate

variability impacts, and local drought severity and

water resources applications.

The CSL is encouraged to share the results of local

studies through peer-reviewed papers, regional

and national conferences, as regional technical

attachments, or as online posts for the general public.

See Section 8 for more information about LCAT.

Develop expertise in local climate variability 

and change

CSLs can use the extensive NWS formal training

available from CSB and the NWS Training Center (see

Section 6 for more information) and review

literature on regional and local climates. Routine

participation in climate-related conferences and

workshops will allow CSLs to network, learn, develop

ideas, and explore new techniques for communicating

climate issues to users more effectively.

CSLs should be the local office climate team expert

concerning the National Climate Assessment

(NCA)* and in particular chapters pertaining to their

respective regions and climate regimes. Where

applicable, CSLs should convey this information and

educate decision makers within their communities

towards building a climate-resilient nation.

 *The NCA assesses the science of climate change and 

variability and its impacts across the United States, now 

and throughout this century. It can be found at 

https://www.globalchange.gov/
24 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Trends in Coastal Flooding

In recent years, coastal flooding has caused

significant, negative economic impacts and damage

to infrastructure along the East Coast of the United

States. The City of Charleston, SC is located on a

peninsula, making it especially prone to flooding.

Using National Ocean Service records, WFO Charleston

documented a climatology of flood events that

surpassed a level of 7.0 feet on the MLLW (Mean Lower

Low Water) scale, and found an increasing trend in the

number of such floods per year.

– Emily McGraw, NWS Charleston

A Climatology of Severe 

Thunderstorm Warnings

Studying the climatology of severe weather helps

promote preparedness and the safety of residents in a

County Warning Area. A study of the New England area

identified severe weather hot spots and trends in the

frequency of severe thunderstorm warnings using GIS

polygons of severe thunderstorms events. The study

revealed areas of improvement for issuing warnings in

a CWA, such as better understanding artificial warning

minima along CWA boundaries.

– Chris Kimble, NWS Portland/Gray

Examples of local climate variability and change 

studies by the local offices

Charleston, SC coastal flood events by year (7.00 ft MLLW or higher)

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, New England, 2008 to 2014
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 25

Assessing Temperature Trends

Motivated by social media reports of extreme

temperatures in Portland, ME, NWS Gray performed

a statistical study to analyze whether any observable

temperature trends were occurring. Although there

is no clear trend in the number of record highs being

set, a downward trend and strong correlation in the

number of record lows was discovered. One of the

most important aspects of NWS climate observing

is the reporting of daily record highs and lows. Daily

climate records help to place extremes within a

historical context.

– Chris Kimble, NWS Portland/Gray

Fire Season Climatology

The study of fire weather climatology is important,

especially in the Spokane area, where the amount

of land affected by wildfires has risen substantially

over the past few decades. WFO Spokane examined

links between wildfires, seasonal temperatures, and

precipitation using LCAT. Since 1950, seasonal spring

total precipitation and average temperatures in the

Spokane area have increased, while seasonal summer

total precipitation has decreased and the average

temperature has increased. These changes affect

wildfire risk: wetter springs lead to taller grasses which,

when combined with hotter and drier summers,

provide more fuel for wildfires.

– Jeremy Wolf, NWS Spokane Wildfire acres burned in Spokane, WA area

Record low temperatures in Portland, ME
26 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Tropical Cyclone Climatology

Guam’s isolated location in the middle of the western Pacific Ocean leaves it susceptible to the damaging effects

of tropical cyclones. WFO Guam analyzed the seasonality of tropical cyclone frequency and proximity. While

most tropical cyclones around the contiguous United States occur in September, around Guam they occur in

October. This finding will help WFO Guam to better prepare for future cyclones.

– Brandon Bukunt, NWS Guam

Tropical storms affecting Guam from 1945-2018

ENSO Linkages to Snowfall

Using LCAT, WFO Grand Junction analyzed the

relationship between ENSO and three different yearly

variables: average temperature, total precipitation,

and total snowfall. Many linkages with ENSO were

discovered across several locations. In this example,

La Niña years correlated significantly to above-average

total snowfall in the months of December, January,

and February, and vice-versa with El Niño.

– Megan Stackhouse, NWS Grand Junction

Total snowfall in Hayden, CO (Dec-Jan-Feb)
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 27

Evaluate routine climate analysis information to 

explore linkages between climate phenomena and 

local weather events

The CSL should routinely review climate analysis and

monitoring information, including NOAA websites of

CPC, NCEI, NOAA’s Earth Systems Research

Laboratory, and RCCs. Information such as the ENSO

Diagnostic Discussion, sea surface temperatures, and

knowing the characteristics of different teleconnection

patterns or oscillations such as the Arctic Oscillation

(AO), Pacific-North American pattern (PNA), the

Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and the North

Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) can help provide larger-scale

context for local conditions.

Local Office Workload

An extensive array of relevant climate services activities

is presented in this document. Some of them are basic

and common to all local offices, particularly those

related to routine monitoring and data dissemination,

prediction and assessment products, and training.

Other issues and challenges are not uniform across

the country. For example, some areas experience

greater impacts from particular climate signals with

subsequent socio-economic consequences, whereas

others may have very limited climate-related impacts.

Some locales have greater populations that require

more outreach activities.

The provision of climate services is a team effort,

requiring participation of the entire local office. Effecti

IDSS delivery should extend beyond just the CSL and

the WCM/SCH, incorporating a whole-office effort, or

drawing participation from multiple local offices. The

distribution of duties among the team is the ultimate

responsibility of the MIC/HIC, who assigns the CSL to

perform the activities required to support the NWS

climate mission.
28 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Regional headquarters offices serve as the liaisons

to national offices, ensuring local compliance to

NWS policies, and providing applied science, tools,

and training to support local climate programs.

Additionally, they initiate, coordinate, and foster

regional partnerships and climate services activities.

Regional Director

The NWS Regional Director supports the Climate

Services Program Manager.

• Allocates resources to local offices for climate-

related capabilities

• Allocates regional resources (i.e. funding,

personnel, training, etc) to support

climate services

• Promotes the NWS strategic goals for building

a Weather-Ready Nation, which includes

climate services

• Ensures climate services are part of the Evolve

initiatives in the region

• Promotes the NOAA climate goal at the

regional level and coordinates with NOAA

climate stakeholders

• Ensures CSPM and CSL professional

development in climate science and services

• Ensures the development, implementation, 

and revision of a regional climate services plan

that is consistent with national objectives

• Includes climate-related milestones in the

annual regional operating plan

• Ensures that national policies and directives 

are regionally supplemented

• Ensures that regional NWS observing systems

are managed in accordance with the data

continuity plans

Climate Services 

Program Manager

The Climate Services Program Manager (CSPM)

supports the local offices as the liaison to national

offices, ensuring local compliance to NWS climate

services policies, and promoting applied science,

technologies, tools, communications, and training.

The CSPM also initiates, coordinates, and fosters

regional partnerships and climate services activities.

The CSPM ensures field offices have adequate

resources (within fiscal constraints) to fulfill

their mission.

Overall Program Management

• Allocate resources to field offices

• Conduct local office assessments and

program reviews

• Understand NOAA and NWS vision and

goals for climate services, and know the

local requirements and abilities needed to

achieve them

• Develop a regional climate services plan in

coordination with CSB

• Implement national climate services program

policies and directives

• Set annual goals for regional and local offices

for planned activities (face-to-face interactions)

• Coordinate with the other services programs

(i.e. Water Resources, Marine, etc.) on climate

services requirements, and pass those to CSB

SECTION 4: Regional Headquarters
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 29

Communication

• Support exchange of information among local

offices, NWS headquarters, and regional users

• Communicate with NOAA climate services

partners on initiatives and identify

opportunities for joint activities

• Promote partnerships to identify local level

priorities and develop regional products

Impact-based Decision 

Support Services

• Enhance and promote climate-focused IDSS

through integration of climate information into

other NWS decision support activities

• Provide climate product and data

interpretation services to regional

Core Partners

• Collaborate with the ROCs to include climate

information in their regional IDSS

Local Studies

• Investigate opportunities for regional and local

studies by establishing working relationships

with local academic communities

• Provide guidance, expertise, and tools to local

offices for conducting studies

• Support development of techniques for local

offices to generate local conditional

climatologies

• Review scientific findings of local

climate studies

• Coordinate local field office participation as

beta-test sites for transition of new climate

products and services from research

to operations

Climate Data

• Coordinate with regional Observing Services

Program Manager on data-related activities

• Ensure local offices serve as data stewards

in the gathering, quality control, and

dissemination of data and data continuity plans

Communication Activities

• Distributing relevant information to the local

offices from CPC or CSB such as upcoming

local meetings, press releases, and

notification that feedback is being sought

on products

• Use the climate listserv to communicate

routine and relevant climate news,

announcements, training opportunities,

and inquiries

• Solicit local office and regional user input for

monthly teleconferences with the

Climate SPT

• Partner with RCCs, in coordination with NCEI,

on the need for new products as well as

ensure that existing products are pertinent

and up-to-date with current data

• Collaborate with NIDIS Drought Early

Warning System Coordinators on the

provision of drought updates and webinars

to users on a multi-state and regional spatial

scale when appropriate

• Partner with NOAA-funded RISAs to ensure

that new research and focused applications

and services are topical and pertinent for the

appropriate geographical area
30 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Outreach & Education

• Provide materials and tools for regional and

local climate services

• Know where to refer customers for additional

information to answer complex

climate questions

Partnerships

• Engage regional government partners in the

development and delivery of climate services

• Provide regional coordination with other NOAA

line offices and key external partners and users

such as RCCs, RISAs, and SCs

• Refer questions in areas beyond NWS expertise

to our partners in America’s Weather and

Climate Industry [weather.gov/enterprise]

Products

• Collect, synthesize, and convey input from

partners and local offices to CSB on national

products such as the Drought Monitor,

Drought Outlook, Hazards Assessment, etc.

• Collaborate with National Centers on testing

new methods at the regional level and

recommending improvements for regional

and local products and services

• Ensure regional and local observations and

forecast products meet national standards

for dissemination

Requirements

• Follow the existing policy for communicating

requirements and seeking feedback on

proposals for new/enhanced products/services

as per NWSI 10-102, “Products and Services

Change Management”

• Solicit feedback from local offices and regional

customers for monthly teleconferences with

the Climate SPT to improve existing products

and identify requirements for new products

Drought

• Maintain situational awareness of current

drought conditions in the region

• Coordinate drought-related activities, policy

needs, and regional partnerships with the

regional Water Resources Program

• Maintain international contacts for

understanding drought in border regions

Training

• Monitor, coordinate, and manage CSL

professional development in the area of

climate science and services

• Assess field training needs in collaboration

with CSB

• Oversee capacity building of local staff
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 31

The NWS Alaska Region Headquarters

provides climate services information to the

Alaska River Forecast Center (APRFC), which

helps to improve APRFC’s spring breakup

outlooks and fuel the highly successful River

Watch program. The River Watch program is

a partnership between the State of Alaska,

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency

Management, and APRFC. During the annual

spring ice jam breakup, these organizations

partner to do aerial reconnaissance, ground

observations, and remote sensing of river and

ice observations. This serves to identify flood

threats and navigational hazards.

[weather.gov/aprfc/riverWatchProgram]

– Eric Holloway, Alaska Region Headquarters

Regional Operations 

Centers

Regional Operations Centers (ROCs) provide regional

partners with IDSS. ROCs also provide a centralized

message coordination point for local NWS offices

(WFOs, RFCs, CWSUs) and NWS National Centers.

ROCs maintain situational awareness of S2S outlooks

and use appropriate climate information to provide

regional IDSS. The ROCs should communicate

regional partner requirements and feedback on

climate services to the CSPM, who will coordinate with

CSB. The ROCs also serve as a central dissemination

point and can distribute relevant climate information

to the region’s field offices. The CSPM will also work

with the ROCs to provide the climatological context

and historical anomalies of extreme weather events

to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to

support Presidential Disaster Declarations under the

Stafford Act. This could involve drought, heavy rains/

floods, or snowfall.

Water Resources

Regional Hydrology Program Managers (HPM)

maintain situational awareness of S2S outlooks and

work with WFOs, RFCs, and OWP/WPOD to provide

climate-focused IDSS to local and regional hydrology

Core Partners. They coordinate with the CSPM to

provide regional drought-focused IDSS and to support

local water resource planning. Regional HPMs share

feedback and requirements from the WFOs, RFCs,

OCP/WPOD, and regional hydrology partners to the

regional CSPMs, who will coordinate with CSB.
32 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) serves the

national need for timely, accurate, and actionable

climate information as an integral part of the NWS

seamless product suite to respond to the needs

of users who experience climate impacts on their

activities or are interested in climate issues. CPC

develops and delivers climate prediction, monitoring,

and assessment products on S2S timescales to the

NWS field offices, the nation, and the

global community.

CPC interacts closely with EMC, OAR Climate

Program Office, and other NOAA-funded partners

towards development of climate models, data

assimilation systems, and climate monitoring and

prediction products.

CPC coordinates with NWS field operations and CSB

to (1) identify and develop user requirements; (2)

improve operational climate outlooks and monitoring

and assessment products; (3) improve delivery of

climate products and services and measure success

through a variety of web-interactive and direct

outreach mechanisms (meetings, teleconferences,

and webinars); (4) accelerate the transition of science

and technology advances to improve operational

climate models and forecasts; (5) take advantage

of opportunities to develop collaborative products

and services, both within NWS and with users and

partners; and (6) enhance climate training and ensure

consistency with NOAA and NWS training plans.

Operational Monitoring Branch

The Operational Monitoring Branch (OMB) has a broad

mission and performs the following functions:

• Prediction, monitoring, and assessment of

short-term climate anomalies

• Climate research for improved understanding

of climate variability in order to improve

operational products

• Development and transition to operations of

techniques and tools for improved climate

prediction, monitoring, and assessment of

short-term (S2S) climate variability

• Training support at the national and

international levels in order to build capacity to

use short-term climate information

OMB performs these functions in close coordination

and collaboration with the CPC Operational Prediction

Branch (OPB) in order to meet stakeholder needs and

to provide decision support services for Core Partners.

Operational Prediction Branch

The Operational Prediction Branch (OPB) prepares and

disseminates NWS climate outlooks to a wide array

of users that include NWS field offices, government

agencies, regional and local governments, and the

general public. OPB produces:

• Outlooks for temperature and precipitation for

the 6-10 and 8-14 day periods, week 3-4,

monthly, and seasonal out to one year

• Hazard outlooks for the U.S. and global tropics

• Contributions to the multi-agency

Drought Monitor

• Monthly and seasonal drought outlooks

OPB also maintains, develops, and applies empirical,

statistical, and dynamical techniques to support,

improve, and extend CPC’s official operational climate

outlooks. Climate database management (assembling,

quality control, and interpretation of global data), realtime outlook verification, and application of new and

improved web-related technology and applications

are an important component of the work in OPB. OPB

closely coordinates and collaborates with OMB in

order to meet stakeholder needs and provide decision

support services for Core Partners.

SECTION 5: Climate Prediction Center
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 33

Climate Test Bed

CPC manages the NOAA Climate Test Bed (CTB),

whose mission is to accelerate research-to-operations

(R2O) to improve NCEP operational climate models,

monitoring, and predictions. CTB also provides

operations-to-research (O2R) support to the climate

research community with access to operational

models, forecast tools, and datasets. CTB closely

coordinates with OMB and OPB, and EMC under the

supervision of the CPC and EMC Directors.

International Activities

CPC engages ina broad set of international activities

that serve to strengthen partnerships and build

capacity for international collaboration. CPC provides

international expert assessment products, as well

as weather and climate information, that are used

to assess past, present, and future conditions around

the globe. Specific expert assessment products

include seasonal rainfall outlooks using the NCEP

CFS, extended range and long-range weather and

climate guidance, and global and regional hazards

outlooks prepared in coordination with national and

international partners, including United States Agency

for International Development Famine Early Warning

System and Office of Foreign Disaster

Assistance teams.

CPC is heavily engaged in professional development

training through the African Desk and Monsoon Desk

training programs. These desks provide opportunities

for professional meteorologists and university

scientists in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere to train and

collaborate at NCEP. Tailored curricula have been

developed to meet the needs of participants, improve

climate services, and enhance capacity building.
34 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

The NWS Climate Services training program consists of

both online and residence courses for NWS personnel

to:

• Ensure professional competency in the

provision of climate services including

S2S IDSS

• Support capacity building of local and

regional staff

Online Professional Development Series

NWS operational personnel have access to online

training through the Climate Services Professional

Development Series (PDS) [https://training.weather.

gov/pds/climate/]. Knowledge of climate phenomena

and services acquired through this training should be

conveyed to other staff members through local office

training by the CSL working with the SOO/DOH and

their regional CSPM.

The Climate Services PDS comprises six Professional

Competency Units (PCU) that provide targeted training

for each of the three primary functions (customer

interface, data stewardship, and participation in

analysis, monitoring, and prediction) of the

local offices.

• PCU 1: Know the Infrastructure for Clima

Data and Services

• PCU 2: Understand Climate Variability a

Change and Apply to Local Services

• PCU 3: Understand the Basis and

Methodologies of CPC Products

• PCU 4: Use NOAA Climate Products and Tools

in Local Climate Services

• PCU 5: Apply Climate Information to Decision

Support, Partnership, and Communication

• PCU 6: Understand Principles for Conducting

Timely, Accurate, and Consistent Climate Data

Observations and the Broad Range of

Their Applications

Instructor-led coursework

In addition to the online training modules, NWS CSB

offers instructor-led courses. All courses are available

for registration at U.S. Department of Commerce

Learning Center Management System [https://doc.

csod.com]. Not all courses are offered annually, and

these courses may be offered as residence or virtual

depending on availability of funding. Although the

target audience for the residence courses are the CSLs,

they are also offered to other NOAA employees and

key external partners when space is available.

• Subseasonal to Seasonal Impact-based 

Decision Support Services (S2S IDSS) Course

provides knowledge and skills on S2S

timescales for planning and response to

disruptive weather, water, and climate events

and the use of tools for interpretive services of

NWS climate products for Core Partners

• Operational Climate Services Course provides

an introduction to NWS local office climate

services, familiarity with climate tools and

products, and best methods for delivery of

climate services

• Climate Variability and Change Course provides

scientific knowledge on physical mechanisms,

impacts, and predictability of climate variability

and change events and their use in NWS

climate products

• Advanced Climate Variability and Change 

Course provides advanced scientific knowledge

used in modeling of climate variability

and change, climate attribution of severe

meteorological and hydrological events, and

hands-on knowledge for conducting local

climate studies

SECTION 6: Training
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 35

National Centers for 

Environmental Information

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental

Information (NCEI) is responsible for preserving,

monitoring, assessing, and providing public access to

the nation’s treasure of climate and historical weather

data and information. From the depths of the ocean

to the surface of the sun, and from million-year-old ice

core records to near real-time satellite images, NCEI

is the nation’s leading authority for environmental

information. NCEI puts a priority on interpreting and

applying scientific understanding to an extensive array

of climate datasets through two Centers: the Center for

Weather and Climate (CWC) and the Center for Coasts,

Oceans, and Geophysics (CCOG).

NCEI’s Regional Climate Service Directors (RCSDs)

The RCSDs support the development and delivery

of a wide range of place-based climate science

and information products and services to help

people make informed decisions. RCSDs regularly

communicate with stakeholders across a breadth

of economic sectors, about climate information

needs, and help build and strengthen active partner

networks with public and private constituents. They

play a primary role in integrating the work within

NOAA and among its partners engaged in developing

and delivering climate services at the regional level,

including the NWS field offices, the Regional

Integrated Sciences and Assessment

programs, Regional Climate Centers, state

climatologists, the National Integrated

Drought Information System as well as other

agencies, institutions, and organizations.

Regional Climate Centers

The Regional Climate Centers (RCC)

program, managed by NCEI, provides

climate services to six regions

encompassing the United States. Services

provided by the RCCs have evolved through

time to become an efficient, user-driven

program that exemplifies many of the

components that have been cited for effective regional

climate services.

• The RCCs maintain and provide a subscription

to the xmACIS and NOWData systems, and they

develop the ThreadEx stations at the request of

CSB (see Section 8 for more information).

Many local offices work collaboratively on climate

services with their local RCC, which provide scientific

expertise and the provision of and interpretation

of NWS data, forecasts, and products. CSLs a

encouraged to reach out to their respective RCC.

As operational climate service providers, the RCCs fill

three main niches:

• Provision and development of sector-specific

and value-added data products and services

• Establishment of robust and efficient

computer-based infrastructure for providing

climate information

• Seamless integration and storage of non-NOAA

climate data with traditional NOAA

data sources

SECTION 7: Key Partners
36 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

Regional Integrated Sciences and 

Assessments Program

NOAA’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments

(RISA) program supports research teams that help

expand and build the nation’s capacity to prepare for

and adapt to climate variability and change. Central

to the RISA approach are commitments to process,

partnership, and trust building. RISA teams work with

public and private user communities to:

• Advance understanding of context and risk

• Support knowledge to action networks

• Innovate services, products, and tools to

enhance the use of science in decision making

• Advance science policy

The RISAs also extensively partner with NWS local

offices. They offer scientific expertise and frequently

collaborate with local offices as part of their research

agendas. NWS may support RISA efforts through the

provision of and interpretation of NWS climate data,

forecasts, and products. CSLs are encouraged to reach

out to RISAs in their area to coordinate on climate

services-related activities.

State Climatologists

NOAA collaborates with the American Association of

State Climatologists (AASC) to help provide improved

climate services to the nation. Founded in 1976,

the AASC is a professional scientific organization

composed of one state climatologist per state

as well as the directors of the six RCCs and other

associate members. Together, all of AASC’s members

work to advance the development and delivery of

science-based climate services on the local and state

levels. State Climatologists are excellent resources

for their expertise in climate science and services.

Coordination with respective State Climatologists

is very important so that consistent messages are

conveyed to stakeholders. CSLs are encouraged

to seek out their respective State Climatologists to

coordinate on delivery of climate services.

Tribal Partners

NWS is working closely with tribal communities

across the nation to provide products and services

that enable the residents to make informed decisions

about their subsistence way of life and to take the

necessary steps to protect their lives and properties

when threatened by weather, water, and climate

events. Across the country, both within and outside

the Contiguous United States (CONUS), there are 573

federally recognized Tribal Nations spread across

36 states. Many field office CWAs cover numerous

tribes spanning different cultures, languages, and

environmental and geographic challenges.

Tribes often survive by their closeness to nature,

and climate change has become one of their biggest

threats, upsetting the lives and livelihoods of these

native communities. In many instances, traditional

knowledge no longer applies or serves their needs as

hazardous and extreme events are becoming more

and more unprecedented. The communities are

reaching out for help, and as NWS Core Partners, local

offices have the opportunity to form close, trusted

relationships with tribal community residents in order

to deliver effective and beneficial IDSS. Engagement

for building trust and forming long-standing ties is

crucial when working with these Sovereign Nations.

Actively listening to community members and

spending time face-to-face learning about their

traditions and significance of natural elements helps

to link science and culture, which is critical for building

these tight-knit, connected relationships.

Outside Contiguous United States (OCONUS) regions

face additional challenges with Tribal Nations as many

are in remote locations where transportation is difficult

and communication options are limited. For example,

in Alaska, Indigenous Peoples comprise roughly 24

percent of the state’s population. Many live in one of

229 federally recognized Alaska Native villages, some

with as few as 60 members, while others have close

to several thousand. Most villages are located along

rivers or on the western and northern coasts, facing the

Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. For those who live

along those Alaskan coasts, the retreat of sea ice no

longer protects these communities from storm surge,

erosion, and flooding due to hurricane-force storms

that batter the villages.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 37

For all communities that rely on subsistence hunting,

the loss of sea ice threatens the ability to safely hunt

for whales and other marine mammals. Communities

along the river are often threatened by flooding from

spring ice jams. In the southeast, drought conditio

can impact hydroelectric production.

As waters continue to warm across Alaska, marine

ecosystems are impacted in a profound way: 1)

seabirds and mammals are starving as their food

sources move further north; 2) walruses are coming

ashore because they cannot find suitable sea ice on

which to rest and forage for food; and 3) there are

increased concerns about harmful algal blooms and

toxic shellfish poisoning.

In the Pacific Islands, NWS offices serve thousands of

people covering multiple time zones across several

islands, and they often must have products and

services translated into native languages. El Niño has a

very strong signal in this region, and the native island

communities rely on dependable ENSO outlooks

and value local interpretation of impacts, including

drought, low or high sea levels, flash floods, typhoons,

mudslides, and wildland fires.

Other Key Partners

• Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) |

Climate Program Office (CPO)

• Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) |

Earth System Research Lab (ESRL)

• National Ocean Service (NOS)

• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

• National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC)

• National Integrated Drought Information

System (NIDIS)

• National Integrated Heat Health Information

System (NIHHIS)

• United States Global Change Research

Program (USGCRP)

• United States Geological Survey (USGS) |

Climate Science Centers

• United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA) | Climate Hubs

• International Research Institute for Climate

and Society (IRI)

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
38 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

CSLs have a number of tools available to facilitate

climate services to the various partners and customers

of NWS. These tools are designed to aid in providing

decision support services to build a weather, water,

and climate ready nation. CSLs should have working

knowledge of these tools in order to use them

effectively to deliver climate services. Within their

office, they should work with their WCM/SCH to

promote these tools to partners and customers and

work with their SOO/DOH to ensure the staff is trained

to use the tools and properly interpret results.

NOWData [https://www.weather.gov/climateservices/nowdataf

NOWData is a public-facing tool that provides ondemand queries of the Applied Climate Information

System (ACIS) climate database for preselected

stations from a drop down menu on the local office

climate website. This tool can be used by the CSL or

anyone in the local office for media inquiries or general

public questions. As it is public-facing, it is a more

“user friendly” self-service tool that the public can

use to easily locate a station and get basic data and

information on their local climate.

xmACIS [https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org

xmACIS is a tailored version for the ACIS database for

use by NWS staff. This tool can be used to query any

station with a valid site ID from the NWS or Federal

Aviation Agency. It gives the ability to search for

individual stations and/or multiple stations within

a specific area such as a county, Climate Division,

CWA, or state. This tool is for more advanced climate

data users, including those conducting studies at

universities, weather forecasting operations, climate

centers, and other government agencies. It provides an

easier way to search the official NCEI GHCN database

for climatological values, and checking values for state

climate extremes.

ThreadEx

[http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/]

ThreadEx is designed to address the fragmentation of

station information over time due to station relocation

for the express purpose of calculating daily extremes

of temperature and precipitation. As observation

locations change, especially in large metropolitan

areas (most commonly due to urban sprawl), the

quality of an observation can degrade if left in the

same location. This is due to the addition of buildings,

roads, and other structures that ultimately affect

temperature and precipitation observations. ThreadEx

is a means to find the greatest or least value of an

element over the lifespan of the station.

xmACIS is a nationally maintained climate

data toolset, created through a partnership

between NWS, NCEI, and RCCs. There are

many useful datasets available through

xmACIS, such as the records and extremes

data from thousands of sites across

the nation, including those from Local

Climatological Data (LCD) sites and COOP

stations. WFO Pocatello uses xmACIS regularly

to publish reports on climate data sets

(including freeze chances, as seen in the

graphic above) to help serve their local Core

Partners, especially those with interests in

agriculture and gardening.

– Alex DeSmet, NWS Pocatello

SECTION 8: Tools and Resources

Table: When is it safe to plant my garden?
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 39

For instance, the most recent location of any given

station may only have the extreme values for the last

20 to 30 years; however, by threading all the historical

station locations together from a particular area, the

extremes data may be available for well over 100 years.

ThreadEx was largely designed to support media

inquiries for records that appear in almanacs,

newspapers, or electronic/broadcast media. Thread

locations can also be used to provide climate statistics

in legacy NWS text products, including the climate

section in the Area Forecast Discussion as well as for

social media content. ThreadEx stations also enable

State Climatologists and regional and national climate

centers to refer to the same period of record as local

WFOs for a particular location.

LCAT

[https://nws.weather.gov/lcat/]

The Local Climate Analysis Tool (LCAT) is a web-based

interactive statistical tool providing NWS local offices

with easy access to information for delivery of timely

responses to climate-related questions from their

customers. LCAT uses trusted data and scientificallysound analysis techniques to provide reliable data

and analysis on the impacts of climate variability and

change at the local level. The tool links local weather

and water events to signals in the climate system,

providing information about how climate variability

and change contribute to local climate trends. LCAT

enables users to conduct in-depth local studies,

download the data used, and generate statistics and

graphics to aid in delivery of IDSS.

LCAT also has embedded training modules and is

continuously being upgraded with new datasets and

capabilities. Local office climate teams are encouraged

to make use of the tool in their provision of

climate-focused IDSS.

NWS AHPS Precipitation Analysis

[https://water.weather.gov/precip/]

AHPS serves as a visualization tool to aid in the

analysis of hydroclimatology, such as assessing water

deficits and surpluses. AHPS provides information on

historic events and can be used as a tool to assist in

quality control of climate records.

NCEI State of the Climate

[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/]

State of the Climate reports are a collection of monthly

summaries documenting climate-related occurrences

on both a global and national scale. They provide

an in-depth look at various weather and climate

phenomena and can be used as a reference for

research or articles. The maps can be used in social

media or web content in summary reports.

Local Climate Analysis Tool (LCAT)

LCAT: Five Areas of Analysis

•	 Climate Change Impacts

Trend analysis, rate of change

•	 Climate Variability Impacts

Compositing, box plots

•	 Drought Analysis & Impacts

Drought index analysis

•	 Sectoral Applications

Water resources (snow, precipitation),

energy (degree days)

•	 Arctic Capabilities

Sea ice thickness, salinity,

water potential temperature
40 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

RCC Tools and Data

Several tools developed and maintained by the RCCs

are provided below.

• HPRCC ACIS Climate Maps

[https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps]

• MRCC cli-MATE

[https://mrcc.illinois.edu/CLIMATE]

• MRCC Vegetation Impact Program

[https://mrcc.illinois.edu/VIP/]

• MesoWest

[https://mesowest.utah.edu/]

• Climate Data Online

[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/]

• U.S. Climate Atlas

[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climateatlas/]

• WRCC Westwide Drought Tracker

[https://wrcc.dri.edu/wwdt/]

RISA Tools and Data

[https://cpo.noaa.gov/Meet-the-Divisions/Climateand-Societal-Interactions/RISA]

RISAs are NOAA-supported research teams that help

expand and build the nation’s capacity to prepare for

and adapt to climate variability and change. Individu

RISA teams develop various decision support tools

that NWS local office climate teams can leverage to

facilitate their IDSS. CSLs are encouraged to identify a

RISA team within their region and understand the tools

available for their use.

IDSS Delivery Methods

CSLs are encouraged to work with their RCC to develop

templates for social media and more formal briefings,

including one-pagers that communicate local impacts

of national and regional outlooks. Internal talking

points should be developed for common climate

questions and make them available for quick reference

via the local office guide or SDM. Local climate

webpages should be monitored and updated as

needed. Any new or enhanced products and services

for IDSS must be addressed through the

NWSI 10-102 process.

MRCC Vegetation Impact Program
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 41

Appendix A: Ten Principles of 

Climate Monitoring 

Effective monitoring systems for climate should adhere

to the following principles:

1. The impact of new systems or changes to existing

systems should be assessed prior

to implementation

2. A suitable period of overlap for new and old

observing systems is required

3. The details and history of local conditions,

instruments, operating procedures, data

processing algorithms, and other factors pertinent

to interpreting data (i.e., metadata) should be

documented and treated with the same care as

the data themselves

4. The quality and homogeneity of data should be

regularly assessed as a part of routine operations

5. Consideration of the needs for environmental and

climate-monitoring products and assessments,

such as IPCC assessments, should be integrated

into national, regional, and global

observing priorities

6. Operation of historically-uninterrupted stations

and observing systems should be maintained

7. High priority for additional observations should

be focused on data-poor regions, poorly observed

parameters, regions sensitive to change, and

key measurements with inadequate

temporal resolution

8. Long-term requirements, including appropriate

sampling frequencies, should be specified to

network designers, operators, and instrument

engineers at the outset of system design

and implementation

9. The conversion of research observing systems

to long-term operations in a carefully-planned

manner should be promoted

10. Data management systems that facilitate access,

use, and interpretation of data and products

should be included as essential elements of

climate monitoring systems

Source:

atdd.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/GCW_GCOS_principles.pdf

Appendix B: Climate Operational 

Product List

Climate Outlooks 

10-1001 Climate Outlooks Directive

• Three-Month Outlooks (Contiguous U.S.

and Alaska)

• Three-Month Outlooks Discussion (Contiguous

U.S. and Alaska)

• Three-Month Probability of Exceedance Out

looks (Selected U.S. cities and divisions)

• Three-month 50 Percent Probability of

Exceedance Outlook Charts (Contiguous U.S.)

• One-Month Outlook (Contiguous U.S.

and Alaska)

• One-Month Outlook Discussion (Contiguous

U.S. and Alaska)

• Hawaiian One-Month and Three-Month

Outlooks and Discussion

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Outlooks

(Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)

APPENDICES
42 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Outlook

Discussion (Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Mean North

American 500 millibar Outlook

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Excessive Heat

Outlooks (Contiguous U.S.)

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Maximum Heat

Index Prediction (Contiguous U.S.)

• 6- to 10-Day and 8- to 14-Day Minimum Wind

Chill Prediction (Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)

• 4- to 14-Day Hazards Outlook (Contiguous

U.S. and Alaska)

• 4- to 14-day Hazards Outlook Discussion

(Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)

• Tropical Pacific Mean Sea Surface Temperature

Outlook (Niño 3.4 area)

• Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

• Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season

Outlook

• Global Tropics Hazards/Benefits Outlook

• Week 3-4 Temperature Outlook (Contiguous

U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii)

• Week 3-4 Temperature Outlook Discussion

(Contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii)

Climate Monitoring 

10-1002 Climate Monitoring Directive

• Crop Moisture Index

• Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (WWCB)

• Climate Diagnostics Bulletin

• CLIMAT Messages

• El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

Diagnostic Discussion

National Drought Products

10-1202 Drought Services

• Palmer Drought Severity Index

(Contiguous U.S.)

• U.S. Drought Monitor (Contiguous U.S.,

Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin

Islands, and US-affiliated Pacific Islands)

• National Drought Summary (Contiguous U.S.,

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico)

• U.S. Drought Outlooks (Contiguous U.S.,

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico)

• U.S. Drought Outlooks Discussion (Cont. U.S.,

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico)

Appendix C: Directives

10-1001 Climate Outlooks

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010001curr.pdf]

10-1002 Climate Monitoring

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010002curr.pdf]

10-1003 Climate Data Services

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010003curr.pdf]

10-1004 Climate Records

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010004curr.pdf]

10-1005 Local Climate Outlooks

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010005curr.pdf]

12-1202 Drought Services

[nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01012002curr.pdf]
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 43

Appendix D: Acronyms

AASC American Association of S

Climatologists

AFSO Analyze, Forecast, and Support Office

AHPS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

AO Arctic Oscillation

AWIPS Advanced Weather Interactive

Processing System

CaRDS Capability and Requirements Decision

Support

CCOG Center for Coasts, Oceans, and

Geophysics

CFS Climate Forecast System

CONUS Contiguous United States

COOP Cooperative Observer Pro

CP Office of Central Processing

CPC Climate Prediction Ce

CSB Climate Services Branch

CSL Climate Services Le

CSPM Climate Services Program Man

CTB Climate Test Bed

CWA County Warning 

CWC Center for Weather and Climate

CWSU Central Weather Service Unit

DAPM Data Acquisition Program Man

DGT Drought Information Statement

DIS Office of Dissemination

DOH Development and Operat

Hydrologist

EMC Environmental Modeling Center

ENSO El Niño-Southern Oscilla

ESRL Earth System Research Lab

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Ag

GFCS Global Framework for Climate Services

GHCN Global Historical Climatology Net

HFP Hydrology Focal Point

HIC Hydrologist-in-Ch

HPM Hydrology Program Manager

IDSS Impact Based Decision Support Services

IRI International Research Institute

Climate and Society

LCAT Local Climate Analysis 

LCD Local Climatological Data

MIC Meteorologist-in-Ch

MJO Madden-Julian Oscilla

NAO North Atlantic Oscilla

NCA National Climate Assessment

NCEI National Centers for Environme

Information

NCEP National Centers for Environme

Prediction

NCO NCEP Central Operations

NDMC National Drought Mitigation Center

NIDIS National Integrated Drought Information

System

NIHHIS National Integrated Heat Health

Information System

NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmosph

Administration

NOS National Ocean Service

NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data

NWC National Water Center

NWS National Weather Ser

NWSOC NWS Operations Center

NSP National Service Program

O2R Operations-to-Research

OAR Oceanic and Atmospheric Rese

OBS Office of Observation

OCONUS Outside Contiguous United States

OMB Operational Monitoring Branch

OPB Operational Prediction Branch

OPL Observations Program Le

OWP Office of Water Prediction

PCU Professional Competency 

PDS Professional Development Se

PNA Pacific/North American Pat

PNS Public Information Stat

QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Cont

R&D Research and Development

RCC Regional Climate Ce

ROCs Regional Operations Centers

RFC River Forecast Ce

RISA Regional Integrated Sciences

Assessments

S2S Subseasonal to Seasonal

SC State Climatol

SDM Station Duty Manual

SCH Service Coordination Hydrolo

SH Service Hydrologist

SOO Science and Operations Off

SPT Service Program Team

STI Office of Science and Technology

Integration

USDA United States Department of Agricultu
44 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020

RCSD Regional Climate Services Director

USGCRP United States Global Climate Research

Program

USGS United States Geological Survey

WCM Warning Coordination Meteorolo

WFO Weather Forecast Of

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WPOD Water Prediction Operations Division

WSO Weather Service Office

xmACIS Applied Climate Information System

Appendix E: Publication Team Members

Fiona Horsfall, Editor, AFS CSB

Jenna Meyers, Co-Team Lead, AFS CSB

Viviane Silva, Co-Team Lead, AFS CSB

Team contributors in alphabetical order:

Andrea Bair, Western Region Headquarters

Andrew Peck, AFS Climate Services Branch

Andy Foster, Central Region Headquarters

Brandon Bukunt, WFO Guam

Chip Guard, WFO Guam

Chris Stachelski, Eastern Region Headquarters

Daniel Huckaby, WFO Fort Worth

Emily McGraw, WFO Charleston

Eugene Petrescu, Alaska Region Headquarters

James Zdrojewski, AFS Climate Services Branch

Jeff Boyne, WFO La Crosse

Margaret Hurwitz, AFS Climate Services Branch

Marina Timofeyeva, AFS Climate Services Branch

Mark O’Malley, WFO Phoenix

Mike Halpert, Climate Prediction Center

Nicole McGavock, WFO Tulsa

Ray Wolf, WFO Quad Cities

Renee Tatusko, Alaska Region Headquarters

Robert Reeves, AFS Climate Services Branch

Timothy Armstrong, WFO Wilmington

Victor Murphy, Southern Region Headquarters

Design: NWS Communications Division

Photo Credits

All images contained in this document are from the

following sources:

• NOAA employees

• NOAA Weather in Focus

Photo Contest Submissions

• Licensed stock images

• Public domain images from other

U.S. Government Agencies

Acknowledgments

The NWS Climate Services Branch would like to thank

all NOAA and NWS staff who reviewed and provided

substantial comments to improve this publication.
NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, January 2020 45
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