NWS Climate Services NCTP Regional Cores Fiona Horsfall NWS/OCWWS/Climate Services Division Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop Tallahassee, Florida March 9, 2004

Outline NWS Climate Servcies NOAA Climate Transition Program Regional Climate Cores Summary

Real-time monitoringReal-time monitoring Forecasting products and servicesForecasting products and services Models and technology, model outputModels and technology, model output ObservationsObservations Customer education, assistance, and outreachCustomer education, assistance, and outreach NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Definition

Real-time monitoringReal-time monitoring of climate variability (including drought conditions) coast to coast down to the county level NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Vision

New forecast productsNew forecast products –Linking weather and climate on intraseasonal time scales –Downscaled to local levels –Reflecting new insight into warm season precipitation, drought, and the Southwest monsoon (NAME) –Extending beyond a year to a decade or more NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Vision

User-friendly resource to climate services middlemen and providers (including the private sector) of NWSUser-friendly resource to climate services middlemen and providers (including the private sector) of NWS climate modelsclimate models climate forecast model outputclimate forecast model output climate guidance productsclimate guidance products know-howknow-how NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Vision

Capacity to ensure the accuracy and continuity of the U.S. historical recordCapacity to ensure the accuracy and continuity of the U.S. historical record NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Vision

Fully-mobilized regional and field offices forFully-mobilized regional and field offices for –Customer outreach –Downscaling climate forecasts –Product and information dissemination –Integration and quality control of surface observations NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Vision Forecasted Temperature (°F) POF (%)

NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Implementation Regional Climate Services Program Managers in all six NWS regions Regional Climate Services Program Managers in all six NWS regions Developing partnerships with RCCs and AASC Developing partnerships with RCCs and AASC NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Implementation Plan Released August 29, 2003 NWS Regional and Local Climate Services Implementation Plan Released August 29, 2003 Climate Services Focal Points appointed in every field office Climate Services Focal Points appointed in every field office Training developed ( Training developed (

Climate Services Focal Points appointed in every field office Climate Services Focal Points appointed in every field office –NWS local experts on climate and climate variability –NWS customer interface for climate information –Local conscience of historical climate record NWS CLIMATE SERVICES Implementation

5 goals for plan for regional and local climate services 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 Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) product suite to increase the use and effectiveness of regional and local climate information. Goal 4: Conduct education and outreach to regional and local customers of climate services Goal 5: Establish strong partnerships with the climate community to facilitate collaborations in the delivery of regional and local climate services NWS Climate Services Operations Goal 5: Establish strong partnerships with the climate community to facilitate collaborations in the delivery of regional and local delivery of regional and local climate services

NOAA Climate Transition Program NCTP What is NCTP?What is NCTP? –Represents a new way of doing business essential to advance delivery of climate services –A model for proposal-driven, transition to applications of research to expand regional/local climate services –Collaboratively developed between NWS and OAR/OGP –Provides opportunity to develop best partnerships between NOAA assets and with the external community –Responds to NOAA’s vision for “…service delivery methods that continuously assess and respond to user needs with the most reliable information possible.”

NOAA Climate Transition Program What are the program benefits? –Provides a mechanism for embedding research sustainably into operations –Advances scientific research –Supports the next generation of decision-maker relevant climate science –Supports interactive learning –Increases scientific and operational capacity –Develops infrastructure –Adapts as demand for climate services increases –Responds to user/decision-maker requirements –Results in products that have value to regional/local climate-sensitive decision-making processes –Competitive, but open to all

NCTP Unit Model Decision- makers Decision- makers Prototype Development Transfer to Operations Problem Identification Education/ Outreach Research Operations Extension

Clearly defined rolesClearly defined roles ResearchResearch OperationsOperations Decision makerDecision maker ExtensionExtension Defined participant contributionsDefined participant contributions Project management descriptionProject management description NOAA Climate Transition Program Criteria for Proposal

Formal agreement between participantsFormal agreement between participants Statement of duration and timelineStatement of duration and timeline Benefit analysis (socio-economic and other quantative analyses, ecosystem benefits, etc.)Benefit analysis (socio-economic and other quantative analyses, ecosystem benefits, etc.) Address post audit (validation, verification, refinement, maintenance)Address post audit (validation, verification, refinement, maintenance) Expected outcome clearly definedExpected outcome clearly defined NOAA Climate Transition Program Criteria for Proposal cont’d

Good news! –N–N–N–NCTP is funded for FY05 (2-3 projects) –C–C–C–Currently drafting FRN (Federal Registry Notice) Announcement for position to manage program Brochure with proposal guidelines NOAA Climate Transition Program

What is the context within which NCTP functions?What is the context within which NCTP functions? –In an environment that allows for robust interaction between research, operations, and decision-making communities This requires the development of cohesive and collaborative interactions among the climate community to enhance knowledge, maximize opportunities and limit redundancy

The Climate Research-Services Conveyor Belt Research NCTP Operations/ Decision-makers Information Gathering and Dissemination

Regional Climate Cores Cores for Regional CollaborationCores for Regional Collaboration Region domain defined by issues, not politics Regional meetings/conferences – –Standardized format for meeting structure – –NOAA resource management – –Contracted out to local assets, eg., RISAs, RCCs, SCs, universities, self-selecting – –Frequency defined by participants

CORE SCs RCC NOAA Federal* research Coordination/management NWS NESDIS NOS NMFS OAR RISAs Non-profit Private Sector Extension Academia State entities Federal* operations PPI County Offices *Non-NOAA Regional Climate Cores

Regional Climate Core Functions Share regional/local scienceShare regional/local science Identify policy issuesIdentify policy issues Identify operational issuesIdentify operational issues Facilitate transitions of research to operationsFacilitate transitions of research to operations Maintain dialogue for regional issuesMaintain dialogue for regional issues Share regional/local scienceShare regional/local science Identify policy issuesIdentify policy issues Identify operational issuesIdentify operational issues Facilitate transitions of research to operationsFacilitate transitions of research to operations Maintain dialogue for regional issuesMaintain dialogue for regional issues Review consistencies across regionsReview consistencies across regions Establish collaborationsEstablish collaborations Set planning guidelinesSet planning guidelines Communicate funding opportunitiesCommunicate funding opportunities Make recommendations for regional/local prioritiesMake recommendations for regional/local priorities Review consistencies across regionsReview consistencies across regions Establish collaborationsEstablish collaborations Set planning guidelinesSet planning guidelines Communicate funding opportunitiesCommunicate funding opportunities Make recommendations for regional/local prioritiesMake recommendations for regional/local priorities

A 3-step processA 3-step process –Gather information, needs Regional conferencesRegional conferences Domain defined by issues, not politicsDomain defined by issues, not politics –Develop a capacity for working ResearchResearch FundingFunding TransferTransfer OperationsOperations ExtensionExtension –Delivery and improvement Regional Climate Cores

Summary NWS Climate Services – Leveraging regions and field to develop customer interfaces for delivery of climate servicesNWS Climate Services – Leveraging regions and field to develop customer interfaces for delivery of climate services NCTP and Regional Climate CoresNCTP and Regional Climate Cores –Provide mechanism for research needs identification and transition to operations –Enable collaborations with national, regional and local climate communities –Develop effective partnerships for decision-maker relevant climate research and service delivery