1 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Barbara Mayes Meteorologist / Customer Liaison NWS Climate Services Division Silver Spring, MD September 22, 2004 Illinois State Water Survey

2 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Overview –Definition and Vision –Climate Services Division (CSD) Info –NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Goals NWS Climate Services Activities –Outreach –Regional and Local Climate Services Implementation –Training –Other Projects

3 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Definition and Vision Real-time monitoring Forecasting products and services Models and technology, model output Observations Customer education, assistance, and outreach

4 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Vision Real-time monitoring of climate variability (including drought conditions) over the United States down to the county level New forecast products –Linking weather and climate on intraseasonal time scales –Downscaled to local levels –Reflecting new insight into drought and warm season precipitation –Extending beyond a year to a decade or more

5 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Vision User-friendly provider to the private sector of NWS climate models, climate forecast model output, climate guidance products, and know- how Sustained capability to ensure the accuracy and continuity of the U.S. historical record Fully-mobilized regional and field offices for –Customer outreach –Downscaling climate forecasts –Product and information dissemination –Integration and quality control of surface observations

6 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services NOAA Climate Services Team

7 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services CSD Mission Provide vision, direction, and resources to ensure NWS climate services are easily accessible, well understood, optimally used, and reflect customer needs

8 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services CSD Roles Produce guidelines and directives Ensure availability of training Coordinate requirements Facilitate partnerships Ensure adequate resources

9 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services CSD Personnel

10 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Regional/Local Goals Goal 1: Organize and equip the regional and local offices with guidelines and tools to enhance climate services. Goal 2: Provide reliable, timely, accurate, and secure observations and metadata for the climate record. Goal 3: Enhance and extend CPCs product suite to increase the use and effectiveness of regional and local climate information. Goal 4: Conduct outreach to regional and local decision-makers and users of climate services products. Goal 5: Establish strong partnerships with the climate community to facilitate collaborations in the delivery of regional and local climate services.

11 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Regional Climate Services Partners

12 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Past Events ( ) DateTitleLocation Feb. 21, 2001Excessive Heat Hazard WorkshopSilver Spring, MD Oct. 2-3, 2001Workshop for Weather Risk Management Industry and NOAA: Climate Data and Forecast Needs Bethesda, MD Apr. 3, 2002Drought Outlook Product Evaluation WorkshopKansas City, MO Sep. 18, 2002COOP Modernization Partners' ForumWashington, D.C. Oct , 2002 Climate Prediction Assessments WorkshopAlexandria, VA Dec. 2, 2002El Niño Definition WorkshopSilver Spring, MD Aug. 11, 2003Climate Prediction Terminology WorkshopSeattle, WA

13 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Past Events (2004) DateTitleLocation March 9- 11, 2004 Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop Tallahassee, FL June 2, 2004 NOAA Snowfall Network Observations Workshop (SNOW) Kansas City, MO June 3-4, 2004 NOAA Data Users Forum: Surface Weather & Climate Observations & Data Kansas City, MO August 10, 2004 Climate Prediction WorkshopIthaca, NY December 2, 2004 NCEP Climate Guidance Products Users Workshop Camp Springs, MD

14 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Upcoming Events (2005) DateTitleLocation March 15-17, 2005 Third Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop Palisades, NY TBD 2005Meeting on Graphical Presentation of CPC Products TBD TBD 2005Targeted Workshop on NWS Climate Product TBD

15 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Activities Media Toolkit –Enhance cooperation between NWS and media to facilitate customer outreach efforts –Target audience: Field offices, media, partners (state climatologists), public –Content Links and guidance for data access Contacts for climate within NWS Links to NWS climate training Outreach materials (i.e. pdf brochure files) Announcements for upcoming outreach activities and releases Links to research or prominent articles –Completed December 2004

16 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Upcoming Activities Brochures and Booths –Developing brochures for distribution to general public: NWS climate prediction products Sources of climate data General climate information Drought –Developing displays for NWS Climate to use at conferences, workshops, etc.

17 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Outreach Customer Satisfaction Index Survey Solicited customer opinion of NWS products Compared CSI rating to other government agencies and other service areas of NWS Surveyed in October-November 2004 Results available in January 2005

18 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Regional/Local Implementation FY05 –Contractors available for the regions – product specialist, web design specialist, outreach specialist –Downscaling becomes operational * –Compositing begins in field offices * –NOAA Climate Transition Program (NCTP) begins * FY06 and beyond –Maintain FY05 services –Continue downscaling and compositing development * Contingent on funding

19 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Training One offering of Climate Variability residence course Two offerings of new Climate Ops course Continued development of Climate Professional Competency Units (PCUs):

20 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Supported Projects Developing statistical downscaling of CPC outlooks. Defining new homogeneous Climate Divisions for the United States (NOAA/OAR/CDC/CIRES). Implementing web tool for interpretation of probabilistic forecasts.

21 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services NOAA Climate Transition Program Distributes funds via open competitive grant Ensures the sustained delivery of user-driven climate research products to operations Emphasizes partnership between research and operational agencies Supports products with strong stakeholder requirement Initial awards to be granted in Fiscal Year 2005; program will expand in FY 2007 and beyond. Contact: Fiona Horsfall

22 OCWWS -- CLIMATE SERVICES DIVISION NWS Climate Services Key NOAA Activities CSD Chief and CPC Director sit on NOAA Climate Office (NCO) Board Matrix link to other LOs directly and through NCO Lead development of infrastructure for regional climate services. –Lead Climate Program Element 5: Regional Decision Support –Develop organizational models (with OAR/OGP and CDC) Develop and champion NWS climate budget initiatives: –Intraseasonal to Interannual Prediction Research and Development –Regional and Local Climate Services –Overlapping Flights for Radiosonde Replacement Program