NOAA climate data stewardship: Progress through partnerships

Recent changes in the organizational structure of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have created an environment conducive to improved end-to-end agency climate data stewardship. Changes include the reintroduction of a climate services program into the National Weather Service (NWS) through the creation of a Climate Services Division (CSD) at the headquarters level, the creation of a NWS liaison at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), and the addition of six Regional Climate Centers as contractual support for NCDC. Action is being undertaken to mitigate deficiencies identified in the current surface weather and climate data collection, quality control, and dissemination process. Central to the effort in improving NOAA’s end-to-end data stewardship process is the strengthened partnerships and related coordination and collaboration between these different organizations. Strengthened partnerships, data policy changes, staff training in climate principles, and more effective operational practices ensure compliance with climate community needs and pay immediate dividends through increased data quality and data availability for all users. The evolution and changes noted above are documented. Future agency priorities for additional improvements that further protect the integrity of the nation’s climate record are also discussed.