Collaborating across federal agencies in the Rocky Mountains and Upper Missouri Basin: Challenges overcome and lessons learned in producing useful information for adapting to climate change

NOAA has a history dating back to 1957 of conducting formal service assessments to improve its weather forecast and warning program for weather phenomena including tornadoes, floods, storms, and hurricanes. Despite drought being the most costly natural disaster in the US, there has not been a similar assessment of NOAA services to support decision makers impacted by drought. NOAA is now conducting its first ever services assessment focused on the ongoing drought in California. This assessment will describe decisions impacted by drought in the water resources, agriculture, fisheries, and municipal governance sectors and identify recommendations for NOAA to improve the science based services it provides to those sectors.