State climate offices providing stakeholder-driven climate services at the local level

State climate offices (SCOs) provide extensive climate services to meet the local needs of citizens and decision makers. As a multi-tiered, integrative national climate services program continues to evolve, SCOs remain well positioned to both benefit from and contribute to the increasing importance associated with such critical stakeholder needs that often extend down to county and municipal levels. Activities of the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist (ONJSC) are used to demonstrate how these needs are being met as we fulfill our mission of: 1) gathering, archiving and disseminating NJ weather and climate observations, 2) conducting and fostering research associated with NJ's weather and climate, and 3) providing critical climate outreach to those seeking assistance. The ONJSC attempts to meet the needs of organizations and individuals throughout the state who seek weather and climate data, assessments of weather and climate impacts, and a better understanding of climate variability and change. The stakeholder-driven ONJSC program embodies and visibly demonstrates the mission and spirit of our state university, including its Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension. It is these sorts of local climate services provided by SCOs that make for a rich, rewarding and ever expanding role of these offices in ensuring the health, safety and prosperity of all sectors of our populations.