NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Delivery Operations

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.

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 and 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 to 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.

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.

• 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 the  NWS Policy Directive on Impact-Based Decision Support Services 

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 is defined as 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.

Local NWS offices are the most common points of entry for customers and partners needing climate-related 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)

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

• 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

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

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 day-to-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

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

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

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

Local offices are the primary interface for users of NWS climate information and services. They work hand-in-hand 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.

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

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

• 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 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 climate-related 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.

• 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 

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

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.

• 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

• 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

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

• 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)

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

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. This 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.

• 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)

• 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.

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/ 

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.

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. Effective 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. 

 For Additional Examples Click Here 

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.

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

10-1001 Climate Outlooks Directive 

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010001curr.pdf 

• Three-Month Outlooks (Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)
• Three-Month Outlooks Discussion (Contiguous U.S. and Alaska)
• Three-Month Probability of Exceedance Outlooks (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)
• 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 (SST) 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)

10-1002 Climate Monitoring Directive

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010002curr.pdf  

• Crop Moisture Index
• Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (WWCB)
• Climate Diagnostics Bulletin
• CLIMAT Messages
• El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion

10-1202 Drought Services

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01012002curr.pdf  

• 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)

10-1001 Climate Outlooks

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010001curr.pdf  

10-1002 Climate Monitoring

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010002curr.pdf  

10-1003 Climate Data Services

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010003curr.pdf  

10-1004 Climate Records

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010004curr.pdf  

10-1005 Local Climate Outlooks

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01010005curr.pdf  

12-1202 Drought Services

 https://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01012002curr.pdf  

AASC: American Association of State 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 Program

CP: Office of Central Processing

CPC: Climate Prediction Center

CSB: Climate Services Branch

CSL: Climate Services Leader

CSPM: Climate Services Program Manager

CTB: Climate Test Bed

CWA: County Warning Area

CWC: Center for Weather and Climate

CWSU: Central Weather Service Unit

DAPM: Data Acquisition Program Manager

DGT: Drought Information Statement

DIS: Office of Dissemination

DOH: Development and Operations Hydrologist

EMC: Environmental Modeling Center

ENSO: El Niño-Southern Oscillation

ESRL: Earth System Research Laboratory

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency

GFCS: Global Framework for Climate Services

GHCN: Global Historical Climatology Network

HFP: Hydrology Focal Point

HIC: Hydrologist-in-Charge

HPM: Hydrology Program Manager

IDSS: Impact Based Decision Support Services

IRI: International Research Institute for Climate and Society

LCAT: Local Climate Analysis Tool

LCD: Local Climatological Data

MIC: Meteorologist-in-Charge

MJO: Madden-Julian Oscillation

NAO: North Atlantic Oscillation

NCA: National Climate Assessment

NCEI: National Centers for Environmental Information

NCEP: National Centers for Environmental 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 Atmospheric Administration

NOS: National Ocean Service

NOWData: NOAA Online Weather Data

NWC: National Water Center

NWS: National Weather Service

NWSOC: NWS Operations Center

NSP: National Service Program

O2R: Operations-to-Research

OAR: Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

OBS: Office of Observation

OCONUS: Outside Contiguous United States

OMB: Operational Monitoring Branch

OPB: Operational Prediction Branch

OPL: Observations Program Leader

OWP: Office of Water Production

PCU: Professional Competency Unit

PDS: Professional Development Series

PNA: Pacific/North American Pattern

PNS: Public Information Statement

QA/QC: Quality Assurance/Quality Control

R&D: Research and Development

RCC: Regional Climate Center

ROCs: Regional Operations Centers

RFC: River Forecast Center

RISA: Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments

S2S: Subseasonal to Seasonal

SC: State Climatologist

SDM: Station Duty Manual

SCH: Service Coordination Hydrologist

SH: Service Hydrologist

SOO: Science and Operations Officer

SPT: Service Program Team

STI: Office of Science and Technology Integration

USDA: United States Department of Agriculture

USGCRP: United States Global Climate Research Program

USGS: United States Geological Survey

WCM: Warning Coordination Meteorologist

WFO: Weather Forecast Office

WMO: World Meteorological Organization

WPOD: Water Prediction Operations Divison

WSO: Weather Service Office

xmACIS: Applied Climate Information System

Fiona Horsfall, Editor, AFS Climate Services Branch

Jenna Meyers, Co-Team Lead, AFS Climate Services Branch

Viviane Silva, Co-Team Lead, AFS Climate Services Branch

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

The NWS Climate Services Branch would like to thank all NOAA and NWS staff who reviewed and provided substantial comments to improve this publication.

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