midwestern regional climate center · the mrcc. landscape conservation cooperatives....
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Midwestern Regional Climate Center
Annual Workshop / WebinarFebruary 26, 2020
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Welcome to the MRCC annual Workshop / Webinar. Some logistics to cover while people join … First, all participants will be muted to minimize background noises during the presentations. If you wish to speak, please let the webinar organizer know by raising your hand (hand icon) so that you can be unmuted. We will attempt to keep on schedule (see agenda), but depending on the material, we may finish an agenda topic a bit early/late and move along to the next topic. If you missed something, need to step away from the computer for a break, or are unable to attend the entire webinar, we will be recording the webinar and posting it on the webinar website (mrcc.Illinois.edu/events/Webinar2020/index.jsp). Of course, you are welcome to reach out to any of the MRCC staff at any time after the webinar to address any questions, comments or concerns that may not have been covered during the webinar.
IntroductionsVeronica Fall
Climate Extension Specialist
Michael Timlin
Regional Climatologist
Dr. Nancy Westcott
Research Climatologist
Bryan Peake
Service Climatologist
Eileen Deremiah
Web and Applications Developer
Dr. Karsten Shein
Director
Debra Jacobson
Operations Director
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We have a dedicated staff of 7 climate professionals who ensure the delivery of high-quality climate data and information services to meet the needs of the Midwest US and beyond. We are currently in the process of hiring two more staff to ensure a continued ability to meet all stakeholder needs. Introducing Dr. Karsten Shein: I became the MRCC director in November, coming to the MRCC after a 14-year stint as a climate scientist, project manager, and engagement professional at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in Asheville, NC. Prior to NOAA, I was an assistant professor of Geography at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, science coordinator for NASA’s Global Change Master Directory, and a research scientist at the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in the UK. Also, for the past 24 years, I’ve been a regular monthly contributor of aviation weather articles for Professional Pilot magazine. This is a homecoming of sorts for me. I grew up in the Chicago area and received my Bachelors degree from the University of Illinois, my Masters degree from Indiana University, and my Ph.D.. from Michigan State – all in Geography/climatology.
The MRCC
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives
mrcc.Illinois.edu
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The MRCC is the oldest of the 6 regional climate centers serving the nation. Established in the mid-1980s, the MRCC operates under a NOAA contract to provide regionally relevant climate services to the 61 million residents of the 9 state region that includes Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. Though we have a focus on agriculture and water resources, climate concerns span all sectors and communities, and we continue to work with our stakeholders across the region to address their climate information needs. The importance of what we provide was underscored by the NWS explicitly calling us out as an important strategic partner in its 2020 Climate Services Delivery Operations Document, and by a bipartisan Congressional increase in RCC funding this year. We don’t do this alone either. Over 35+ years, we’ve cultivated strong relationships with a variety of partners in academia, non-profits, state and federal governments, and state climate offices.
State of the MRCC
2019 | A Transition Year
Special Thanks To:Dr. Dave Kristovich
Deb Jacobson
Cli-MATE
17,000+ registered users ~4600 new in 2019!
Website
~1M page views190K sessions
128K users
AWSSI
Frequently requested and used by national media
VIP
Push by NWS to achieve nationwide use
Heat Index / Windchill
Expansion to nationwide
Midwest Climate Watch
Regular climate monitoring reports and
assessments
Great Lakes
Bi-National PrecipitationOngoing partnership with
IL-IN Sea Grant
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At the start of 2019, the MRCC had several staff changes due to resignations and retirement. Director Beth Hall, who led the MRCC for 8 years left to become the Indiana State Climatologist. We are grateful to Dr. Dave Kristovich from the Illinois State Water Survey who stepped up to provide leadership for the MRCC during much of 2019 as the water survey sought a new permanent director. Water Survey Director Kevin O’Brien also asked Deb Jacobson to step in to provide day-to-day operational direction. We are very fortunate to have Deb continue on in that role. In August 2019, Dr. Karsten Shein was hired to be the new MRCC director. Naturally, bureaucracy at several points along the way delayed the official transition until November 2019 – along with the usual formal announcements, but Dr. Shein has hit the ground running and steering a continuation of MRCC’s mission. Despite these transitions, the MRCC never wavered in its delivery of high-quality climate data and information to those who need it. From a significant growth in Cli-MATE, our flagship data access platform, to national expansion of several of our products, to a focus on addressing the record-setting 2019 water situation across the region, we remain in a strong position to serve the region and beyond.
Midwestern Regional Climate Center
Annual Workshop / WebinarFebruary 26, 2020
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Placeholder / Transition Slide
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Intentionally Left Blank
On the Horizon• Retrospective of 2019 Midwest rainfall/flooding• Contract recompete for 2021-2026
• Serving the region since mid-1980s• Letters of support are always appreciated
• Mesonet Network• Mesonet managers meeting here March 10-11
• Closely following 2020 Midwest water situation• Spring planting• Emergency Management
• Staffing up• Educational opportunities
• Summer Internship Program• Student hourly workers
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Abundant and anomalous precipitation continues to be a concern for the region, and we will continue to monitor it and provide timely information about it to help stakeholders manage it. NOAA is also in the process of preparing a solicitation for the renewal of the regional climate centers on a 5-year cycle. The MRCC is the oldest of the RCCs, and has a long history of providing the highest-quality climate services to the region. We are confident in our ability to and intent to continue in that tradition. While we are not soliciting any support, we are always happy to receive letters that express support for the work we do. If you are so inclined, the ISWS provides a template on the ISWS website that may help you in crafting such a letter. We’ve entered discussions with several of the region’s Mesonets as they seek solutions to their challenges of increasing use and awareness of the data they collect and demonstrating relevance to help them maintain and expand their important networks across the region. The MRCC will be hosting a Mesonet managers meeting on March 10-11. Naturally, we are all concerned about a repeat of 2019’s water situation in 2020. From monitoring current conditions to interpreting seasonal outlooks – we’re committed to providing the relevant and timely information that will be needed in the year ahead. As mentioned briefly at the start of the webinar, we are in the process of hiring two climate specialists to focus on the update and enhancement of our software tools. We expect to be fully staffed within the next few months. Finally, we are committing ourselves to providing educational opportunities for students, particularly from populations underrepresented in the sciences. We have already brought on two student hourly workers who are giving a fresh look to the way we disseminate information to younger audiences and keeping our systems humming along. We also are developing a summer internship that will help to train the next generation of service climatologists by giving students and recent graduates real world experience in operational service climatology.
Open Mike Session
Annual Workshop Webinar | February 26, 2020
Please type your questions into the Zoom Q&A window.
We’ll answer as many as we can during the webinar. If we run out of time, we’ll post all questions and answers on the webinar website.
mrcc.illinois.edu/events/Webinar2020/index.jsp
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This session is intended to provide an opportunity for webinar participants to ask questions of the MRCC staff, and in turn, help us to identify participant needs and opportunities to enhance our existing suite of climate services or develop new products and services to meet those needs. Please use the Q&A window in your Zoom App to ask your questions. We will attempt to answer all questions during the webinar, but we will post all questions and answers on the webinar website (mrcc.Illinois.edu/events/Webinar2020/index.jsp).