SHOW ME THE DATA!!! Finding innovative ways to visualize NOAA NCEI information and tell your story towards a Climate Ready Nation.

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) provides reports and graphics of weather, water, and climate trends for the United States. While they provide useful information for numerous sectors, most people really want to know what is going on in their own area. In addition, typical time series graphics do not appeal to the public as they once used to. For impactful science communication, it’s important to have a visualization that is simple, informative, and powerful. Scientists like Ed Hawkins and Brian Brettschneider knew this when making the climate stripe and solar eclipse map, respectively. These easily digestible, yet intuitive graphics have become quite popular, with notable “viral” status. More importantly, their work have become talking points amongst both peers and the public alike when looking at changes in our local and global environment. In a fast paced world of information overload, exacerbated by weather and climate fatigue, it is important for us as physical scientists to stay up to date on the latest methods when providing visuals for public dissemination.

This talk will showcase examples of using data archived at NCEI, condensed into visuals that aim to capture the audience’s attention and tell a story. Examples include current temperature and precipitation information compared to its period of record, geographical timelapse of extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires and droughts, and adding socioeconomic data at the county and census tract levels to highlight those vulnerable to climate hazards. A discussion of technological advances, including interactive GIS maps and the use of cloud tools through NOAA’s Open Data Dissemination Program, will also be explored. It is hoped these graphics will help the public better understand how weather, water and climate impacts their neck of the woods, which would then lead to discussions to inform response strategies and resilience and adaptation planning towards a Weather and Climate Ready Nation.