The Global Weather and Climate Center Website: Revolutionizing Global Weather, Climate, Environmental, and Space Weather Education, Communication, and Outreach

In early 2016, the Northeast Weather Forum blog transformed into the Global Weather and Climate Center (GWCC) website (www.globalweatherclimatecenter.com). With a growing domestic and global contingent of undergraduate, graduate, and professional science writers, broadcaster collaborators, and corporate partnerships, we are networking this website company to those who can benefit the most from its educationally-focused, globally-based, content (e.g., teachers, their students and the general public). Site material includes written, audio, video, and striking visual content from numerous sources including those of the weather broadcast community. It is important to make clear that the GWCC website, being educationally-keyed, is not trying to replicate the myriad of weather websites which currently exist around the world. There are more than enough of which cover “weather as it happens.” Our focus is to “make sense” of what is happening or has happened by providing explanations of weather and physical processes and highlighting the applications of that explanation to real life (including preparedness). There is a heightened focus placed on covering higher-impact weather, climate, environmental, and space weather-related issues. Where appropriate, higher-impact storm-based events are covered, but with a greater focus on the science and safety portions of the event. While using the U.S. weather database and our own science writers to our advantage, we also tap into weather resources globally for meaningful content. As a result, teachers and weather broadcast personalities will have access to authentic, real-time, science-based material that can easily be incorporated into classroom discussions and activities. This includes, and needs to continue to include, content from the weather broadcast community for many reasons. Our model of sharing content material is designed to enhance visibility (e.g., web and social media sites, personalities) for all contributors. There will also be a discussion on how GWCC content can be integrated into classroom as well as public educational settings such as science museums/centers. There will also be a built-in Q and A session which will allow our audience to speak with individual weathercasters to better guide them in using our site and their own site to enhance quality weather education for all their viewers. Remember, weather communication is now more important than ever and revolutionizing the way we communicate weather and climate information is also more important than ever before.