ROLE OF REGIONAL

CLIMATE CENTERS

Molly Woloszyn, Extension Climatologist

Midwestern Regional Climate Center and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

• Who are the RCCs? • Goals and Objectives

• Brief History of the RCC’s

• Midwestern Regional Climate Center • Major products and activities of the MRCC

• Collaboration opportunities

Overview

Who are the RCCs?

The Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) are a partner

in a national climate service program that includes

the

National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

Regional Climate Centers

State Climate Offices

National Weather Service

Regional Climate Centers

Regional Climate Centers

GOALS &

OBJECTIVES

Increase the usage and value of

currently available climatic information

(national, regional, and state networks)

Serve as a clearinghouse for climate

information

Plan, organize, and conduct applied

climate research

Perform education, extension-type

programs

Regional Climate Centers

BRIEF

HISTORY

Program developed in response to

mandate in National Climate Program

Act of 1978

Three demonstration projects operated

1981-1986

Congress appropriated funds beginning

in 1986 to fund regional climate centers

First RCC established in 1987 (Western

RCC)

Illinois State Water Survey

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Midwestern Regional Climate Center

Agriculture

Environment

Energy Transportation

Water Resources

Climate Change

Health Risk Risk Management

Major Activities of the MRCC

Climate services

Providing access to climate data

and climate products

Snapshot of Midwest Mesonet Page

A brand new page, created to provide access to the

nation’s mesonet networks

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu

/prod_serv/datanetworks.

htm

Major Activities of the MRCC

Monitoring of climate conditions

On-going: Midwest Climate Watch public website

Assess the impacts of events like droughts and floods

Examine climate trends of the Midwest

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/

cliwatch/watch.htm

Snapshot of Midwest Climate Watch

Weekly and Monthly Climate

Highlights – written by an

MRCC climatologist

Real-time weather observations

and climate maps

Snapshot of Midwest Climate Watch

NWS Central Region Maps Midwest Drought Information

MRCC Climate Products and Services

Overview

Major Activities of the MRCC

Education and outreach

Frequent climate updates on Facebook and Twitter

Student and adult outreach events

K-12 educational resources

Assist communities in risk assessment and climate planning

Monthly eNewsletter: The Climate Observer

Snapshot of eNewsletter

Receive

interesting

climate

information &

tools right in

your email

inbox!

http://illinois.edu/gm/

subscribe/9189

To subscribe:

Major Activities of the MRCC

Applied climate research and outreach

West Nile Virus Project • Developed climate models to

provide estimates of the likely

date when the risk of WNV to

humans and other wildlife is

likely to increase

City of Chicago • Working to develop a climate adaptation toolkit for local

governments in the Chicago area

• Developing a suite of climate change indicators for Chicago

• Developing winter adaptation strategies for the City

State Climatologist

Office for Illinois

Chicago Metropolitan

Agency for Planning

Rainfall Frequency Atlas of the Midwest (Bulletin 71)

• Studied the frequency of rainfall events in the Midwest in order to assist

engineers in developing appropriate stormwater structures

• Looking to update this report with more recent precipitation frequencies

• Would like to create a user-friendly interface to find the

information for locations as well!

Collaboration Opportunities

• Climate data available from around the United States

• Contact us (217-244-8226) if you need assistance

Do you need climate data?

• Contact us if you can’t find what you need

• Please provide us feedback on the products

Please use our climate resources

• Continuous dialogue with stakeholders and those who work closely with them

• Can we develop new products or tools that could assist stakeholders?

Develop new resources and tools

based on user needs

• MRCC climatologist can assist with project

• Outstanding research question that we could work together on to develop into a research proposal?

Do you need climate expertise for a

project?

MRCC on the Web

MRCC Homepage: http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu

Midwest Climate Watch:

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/watch.htm

Subscribe to our eNewsletter:

https://illinois.edu/gm/subscribe/9189

Find us on

Facebook!

Follow us on

Twitter!

@MidwestClimate

Contact info: (217) 244-8226 or mrcc@isws.illinois.edu