Upper Midwest Regional Climate Center

Upper Midwest Regional Climate Center
Name	Upper Midwest Regional Climate Center
Abbreviation	UM-RCC
Formation	1987
Type	Regional climate center
Headquarters	St. Paul, Minnesota
Region served	Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska
Parent organization	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Upper Midwest Regional Climate Center The Upper Midwest Regional Climate Center provides climate data services, applied research, and outreach across the Upper Midwest of the United States, operating within a network of federal and academic partners. It supports stakeholders in agriculture, Minnesota DNR, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, and state emergency management agencies with datasets, analyses, and tools. The center integrates observations from the National Weather Service, NCDC, and cooperative networks to inform decisions by USDA programs, FEMA planning, and regional water resource management.

Overview

The center serves the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska by providing climate monitoring, seasonal assessment, and extreme event analysis to partners such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, USGS, and land grant universities. Its services include gridded datasets, station networks, drought reporting used by the U.S. Drought Monitor and crop insurance entities like the Risk Management Agency. Operating within an academic setting, the center collaborates with institutions including the University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, and Iowa State University to support research linked to agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

History and Development

Established in 1987 amid federal efforts to regionalize climate services following initiatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation, the center built upon earlier cooperative observation efforts like the Cooperative Observer Program and regional climate compilations produced by the National Climatic Data Center. Over successive decades it expanded digital archives, adopted tools from the Climate Prediction Center, and integrated automated data streams from networks such as the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and state climatologists' programs. Milestones include deployment of web-based mapping influenced by partnerships with the University of Minnesota Supercomputing Institute and contributions to interagency assessments like those coordinated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Mission and Programs

The center’s mission aligns with mandates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and land grant university service missions to provide actionable climate information to partners such as the United States Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state Departments of Transportation. Core programs include long-term climate monitoring linked to the National Climatic Data Center, drought monitoring supporting the U.S. Drought Monitor, agricultural assessments for the Risk Management Agency, and hydrometeorological products for the United States Geological Survey. Programmatic work also supports research initiatives sponsored by the National Science Foundation and cooperative extension outreach through Iowa State University Extension and the University of Minnesota Extension.

Data Collection and Services

Data services include archived station records from the Cooperative Observer Program, automated surface observations integrated with the National Weather Service networks, gridded climate datasets used by the Prism Climate Group, and radar- and satellite-derived products aligned with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration archives. The center provides tools for climate normals, trend analysis, and extreme event summaries that inform United States Department of Agriculture crop reports, Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard assessments, and municipal planning by agencies like the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Services also include quality control procedures consistent with protocols from the National Climatic Data Center and interoperability with the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Research and Collaborations

Collaborative research engages partners including the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, and federal labs such as the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory on topics like agricultural climate impacts, hydrologic extremes, and seasonal prediction. The center contributes data and expertise to regional studies published via outlets like the Journal of Climate and collaborates on multi-institution projects funded by the National Science Foundation and NOAA Climate Program Office. It participates in consortia alongside the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, state climatologists, and the National Integrated Drought Information System to coordinate research translation for stakeholders including Farm Service Agency and municipal water utilities.

Funding and Governance

Funding is a mix of federal support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, grants from the National Science Foundation, cooperative agreements with land grant universities such as the University of Minnesota, and project-specific contracts with state agencies like the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Governance involves oversight by institutional partners, advisory input from state climatologists, and coordination with federal entities including the NOAA Regional Climate Services Directors. Budgeting and program priorities are informed by federal initiatives such as directives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and interagency climate service frameworks.

Outreach and Education

Outreach targets audiences spanning extension professionals at Iowa State University Extension, emergency managers at Federal Emergency Management Agency regional offices, farmers engaged with the Farm Service Agency, and K–12 educators through partnerships with the University of Minnesota Extension. Educational activities include workshops, webinars, and data training that draw on resources from the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Program, and cooperative extension networks. The center also contributes to regional resilience planning efforts coordinated with entities such as state Departments of Natural Resources and regional planning commissions.

Category:Climate of the United States Category:Organizations established in 1987