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Climate Services Professional Development Series

PCU 1: Know the Infrastructure for Climate Data and Services Producer: Jenna Meyers, AFS/CSB Training need: NWS field staff must provide accurate and consistent climate information and services to NWS customers, and have a working knowledge of credible sources of information from a wide array of providers.

Training objective: NWS field staff need to identify appropriate sources of climate data, products, and information.

Specific Job Task Skills and Knowledge:

  1. Utilize climate data from different providers:
    • NESDIS/NCEI
    • Regional Climate Centers
    • State Climatologists
    • Universities
    • OAR/NCO Integrated Regional Assessments
    • Cooperative Institutes
    • OAR Laboratories (e.g., CDC, PMEL, AOML, FSL, GLERL)
    • Local sources (e.g., office, cooperative observers)
    • USDA, USGS, COE, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation
  2. Access climate forecasts from the different providers:
    • Climate Prediction Center (CPC)
    • Experimental (e.g., IRI, CDC, CPC)
    • Private sector
    • Other national and international meteorological organizations (e.g., UK MetOffice, ECWCF, and other World Meteorological Organization partners)
  3. Apply information on climate variability and climate change from various sources:
    • Official NOAA sources (e.g., CPC, NCEI, ESRL)
    • Universities
    • Other US Federal Government labs
    • RCCs/State Climatologists
    • Professional organizations (e.g., AMS, AGU, AAG)
    • International Organizations (e.g., WMO, IPCC)
    • Private organizations (e.g., EPRI)