The National Weather Service (NWS), a line office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has a mission to provide other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community with data and “….weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings…..for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.” As a service organization, these pro forma activities are rarely recognized as decision support tools. They are, however, products and services to help all sectors of this nation and beyond make decisions, whether it be immediate decisions when life is threatened, or longer-term decisions for seasonal or longer planning.

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), through its annual report to Congress (Our Changing Planet), defines decision support resources and activities to include operational products and services. A more general definition currently in use at CCSP describes decision support resources, systems, and activities as climate-related products or processes that directly inform or advise stakeholders to help them make decisions. NWS climate products and services clearly fit within the bounds of these definitions. The next step is identifying how to build on NWS decision support resources and activities to make them more effective for delivery of climate-related information to manage risks and opportunities. This paper explores NWS climate products and services in the context of decision support, and discusses potential avenues for developing a more integrated decision support focus.