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Celebrating 40 Years of the Regional Climate Center Program

Celebrating 40 Years of the Regional Climate Center Program

The Regional Climate Center (RCC) Program was formed in 1983 in response to the National Climate Program Act of 1978, which recognized the need for accurate, localized climate information to support government decision-makers and other stakeholders. This came on the heels of the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), and its successor agency NOAA, and a growing interest in applied climatology owing to factors such as the globalization of the agricultural economy and the impacts of major climate events around the world.

Read A Brief History of the RCC Program.

Map showing the different regional climate centers in the USA

40th Anniversary Timeline

The following timeline lists key events in SERCC’s history in relation to the 40th anniversary of the Regional Climate Center Program. We cannot wait to see what the next 40 years will bring!

National Climate Program Act signed by President Carter

The National Climate Program Act was signed into law by President Carter.

The Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC) was established at Cornell University

SERCC established at SCWRC

CIRRUSWeb at the SERCC was launched

SERCC reestablished at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

SERCC’s First Edition of NCAA Bowls of the Southeast & Their Weather History created

SERCC launched the modern Climate Perspectives Tool

SERCC’s Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Tool launched for the upcoming heat season

The RCC Program celebrates its 40th anniversary

Program Highlights

40 Years of Climate Services

Since its inception in 1983, NOAA’s Regional Climate Center (RCC) Program has been providing timely, customized climate services for decision making across all climate-sensitive sectors.

Diagram showing how operational missions of the Regional Climate Center Program relate to its partnerships. The six operational missions are given in white text in hexagons with different color backgrounds surrounding the text, “RCC PARTNERSHIPS” (in dark blue font). These include: Monitoring (dark green), Assessment (light green), Applied Research (olive green), Data Infrastructure (light blue), Outreach (gray), and Operational Services (dark blue).

Partnerships in Action

How partnerships have led to innovative climate services for the various sectors of the U.S. economy.

Data for Decisions – ACIS

The Applied Climate Information System (ACIS), which simplifies climate data management, delivery, and analysis, is the backbone of numerous products and services that the RCC Program provides.

Climate Services in Action

How climate services provided by the RCCs impact and inform real world decision-making.