NWSEO CALLS FOR NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE TO BE MADE PART OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Transcription

1 APRIL 2009 NWSEO CALLS FOR NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE TO BE MADE PART OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE At its recent winter meeting, the NWSEO National Council decided to urge the Administration and Congress to reject proposals to create a new National Climate Service as a separate line agency within NOAA because it duplicates the mission and service historically performed by the National Weather Service, and could lead to a reduction in resources and personnel available for the NWS. There have already been efforts to move climate related positions from the NWS to NCDC as a precursor to spinning-up the NCDC as the new National Climate Service, but these efforts have been stopped as a result of a protest from NWSEO. Dan Sobien, President of NWSEO, has sent the following letter to new NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco in an effort to educate her about the many climate services already provided by the NWS and to urge her to support making the National Climate Service a part of the National Weather Service: Dear Dr. Lubchenco: We have read news reports about your expressed goal of creating a National Climate Service within NOAA, modeled on the National Weather Service. However, such a new line office would unnecessarily duplicate many of the services which the National Weather Service currently performs. In fact, nearly 1,000 NWS employees are currently conducting Climate Service work as a prime element of their jobs - such as the scientists at the Climate Prediction Center (where climate modeling is conducted); the employees at the Climate Services Division at NWS headquarters; the Climate Service Program Managers at NWS regional headquarters; and the Climate Services Focal Points and Observation Program Leaders at each of the NWS's 122 forecast offices. The NWS's observations program constitutes the primary data collection source for the nation's climate record, and NWS field offices and Climate Prediction Center issue a host of climate predictions and products. The NWS, through the Climate Prediction Center's International Program, even provides a wide range of climate predictions and climate forecasts for the international community that assist developing nations with 1

2 famine and disaster risk reduction efforts. Recently, the NOAA Science Advisory Board conducted an analysis of four proposed organizational models for the National Climate Service, including the evolution of the NWS into the "National Weather and Climate Service." The SAB concluded that "from every practical standpoint, this option is the simplest to implement." NWSEO concurs in that assessment, and has prepared the attached white paper on why the new National Climate Service should be made a part of the National Weather Service. During the prior Administration, we requested an opportunity to participate in the discussions with NOAA about the creation and structure of the proposed National Climate Service. Unfortunately, our request was rejected. It is our hope that the new NOAA leadership will give consideration to our views and expertise in this matter, and will not rely solely on the views of the holdovers from the last Administration. Very truly yours, Dan Sobien Why the National Climate Service should be part of the National Weather Service Senior NOAA leadership has proposed the creation of a new National Climate Service within NOAA, similar to the National Weather Service. However, such a new agency would duplicate the historic and current mission, programs and services of the National Weather Service at unnecessary expense, or would result in a reduction of resources for the NWS. The NWS Organic Act of 1890 charges the NWS with the responsibility for the taking of such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States. The NWS operates surface and upper air observing systems, monitors climate variability in real time over a broad range of time scales, conducts applied climate prediction research, and issues an extensive array of climate products and information, including climate forecasts and outlooks. Therefore, the new National Climate Service should be created as an entity within the National Weather Service, or the NWS should be re-chartered as the National Weather and Climate Service. The NOAA Science Advisory Board (February 26, 2009) evaluated four potential models for a National Climate Service, including the evolution of the NWS to the National Weather and Climate Service. The SAB concluded, from every practical 2

3 standpoint, this option is the simplest to implement. Nearly 1,000 employees of the National Weather Service are currently performing Climate Service work as a prime element of their jobs. Moreover, the entire National Weather Service workforce has climate integrated into its current weather forecast and warnings activities in a manner that either uses, supports and/or provides climate services as part of their around the clock weather and climate monitoring mission for the nation. The national Climate Prediction Center (CPC) in Camp Springs, Maryland is part of the National Weather Service. The CPC performs global climate modeling, issues predictions of climate variability, and assessments of the origins of major climate anomalies. The products cover time scales from a week to years, and cover the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere, extending into the stratosphere. The CPC provides climate outlooks of temperature and precipitation, from 6-10 day through the 13 month/seasonal outlook including flood and hurricane season outlooks. The CPC is best known for its United States climate forecasts based on El Niño and La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific. The nation s official climate record is based on observations from the NWS Cooperative Observer Program. The COOP program consists of 11,400 observation stations that report daily minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, snowfall, snow depth or hydrological data. This network, along with about 1,000 Automated Surface Observation Stations, forms the Federal government s weather and climate monitoring network. The data provided by this network is used for real time forecasting, management of water resources, prediction of crop yields, and the study of climate variability. The Climate Services Division at the NWS headquarters acts as the portal for NOAA information on climate change and variability, oversees the NWS s operational climate services programs, identifies user requirements for climate data and products, and develops training on climate services for NWS field staff. Climate services are fully integrated within the NWS field organization and forecasting offices across the nation, from acquiring national climatic data to producing and disseminating climate predictions: There is a Climate Services Program at each NWS Regional Office. 3

4 For example, the NWS Alaska Region s Climate Services Program centers around a number of indicators of climate change in Alaska and the Arctic: sea ice melt and retreat; glacier melt; warming temperatures; thawing permafrost with loss of infrastructure; precipitation pattern shifts, coastal erosion and flooding; ecosystem shifts; and potential health epidemics. The Alaska Region s Climate Services Program is addressing observations, monitoring, and assessments with its partners and collaborators to provide new climate products for a changing climate and is making this information available to local and regional decision makers and the general public. As part of this effort, the NWS Alaska Region has partnered with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy to provide monthly Alaska weather and climate highlights on a Web site. The NWS Central Region s Climate Services Program covers agriculture, bio-energy, and drought impacts and planning. It disseminates information, including climate change, weather/climate data, water and drought planning information, through many entities, including extension services, state climate offices, various academic institutions, and other decision makers. At each of the 122 Weather Forecast Offices: - Each WFO routinely issues climate products, including the Supplementary Climate Data Report every six hours, Daily Climate Report two or three times a day for several locations, a Monthly Climatological Report and National Drought Information Statements. - A forecaster serves as a Climate Services Focal Point. - The Observational Program Leader and the Hydrometeorological Technicians on staff manage the Cooperative Observer Program - a prime element in recording the nation s climate. The OPLs are charged with maintaining the climate observational equipment while also recruiting and training the thousands of observers who comprise the citizen corps of NWS climate observers. - Each office maintains the Automated Surface Observation Systems in the WFO s area of responsibility. - Twice a day, specially trained staff at 70 Forecast Offices launch instrumented weather balloon packages to collect current atmospheric data critical to atmospheric predictive modeling and to establish the earth s climate profile up through the stratosphere. 4

5 - Forecast Office staff respond to public climate information inquiries. The18 Weather Service Offices in Alaska and Pacific Regions launch and collect data from instrumented weather balloons and respond to public climate information inquiries. Some also daily issue climate products such as the Supplementary Climate Data Report and Daily Climate Report. Four WSOs in Alaska take sea-ice and sea surface temperature observations. The duration of open waters is very important to determining Arctic sea ice climate change. At 13 River Forecast Centers: - Collect and archive hydrological, snowfall, snowpack depth and rainfall data. Some offices have collected over 100 years of historical data. - Flood Climatology and Flood Frequency Program data collection and archiving vital for FEMA and flood insurance. - The Alaska RFC collects and archives river and lake freeze-up dates and ice thickness measurements, which are important indicators of climate change in the region where climate change is now occurring the fastest. Anchorage Weather Forecast Office Sea Ice Desk performs Sea Ice analysis, Sea Surface temperature analysis, and Sea Ice Forecasts for the North Pacific/Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. The NWS already provides climate services to the international community. NWS climate scientists serve as experts on World Meteorological Organization Teams, participate in international research projects and collaborate on international climate products. In addition, NWS is involved in international training activities and in development of climate products for humanitarian purposes. The Climate Prediction Center s International Program is designed to develop products that assess vulnerability in many of the world s emerging nations, including those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The CPC executes climate prediction projects for the USAID: the Famine Early Warning Systems and the Disaster Risk Reduction Program with focus on Southeast Asia, Central America, and Africa. One of the best examples of NWS international involvement is the African Desk, which was established in 1994 to focus on short term climate 5

6 monitoring and predictions for Africa. More recently, the African Desk has been active in the WMO Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project for southeastern Africa. The Desk continues to provide a seamless suite of products ranging from daily weather products to subseasonal and seasonal climate forecasts to both domestic and international institutions. Other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, use NWS generated climate data, products and services to administer and oversee nearly $1 billion in pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance products. State and Federal Wildland Fire agencies use NWS climate forecasts for wildland fire planning purposes. The NOAA Science Advisory Board recommended that three NOAA data centers (the National Climate Data Center, National Oceanographic Data Center and National Geophysical Data Center) be transferred from NESDIS to the NWS as part of a new National Weather and Climate Service to more fully integrate climate services in one agency. The SAB also concluded that greater connectivity between... research, operations and users is required. Therefore, the Climate Program Office in NOAA s Office of Atmospheric Research should also be transferred to the NWS. Many of the functions of the CPO mirror operations already conducted by the NWS - such as the Climate Observations Division which executes international and ocean-based meteorological observation programs, and the National Integrated Drought Information Service. The CPO is already co-located with NWS headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. prepared by the National Weather Service Employees Organization April,