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HOME > Who We Are > Welcome
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Patterns of extreme weather events
such as the 1997/98 winter storms, the droughts in 1998 and 1999, active and inactive hurricane seasons, and
warm and cold winters are not entirely random events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) along with its academic and international partners are making great strides
in linking some of these events to climate variability such as El Niņo and La Niņa, and
other modes of natural climate varability. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), working with national and
international partners, is at the forefront of turning this new understanding into
practical tools and useful products for predicting such events and their impacts months to
seasons in advance to reduce vulnerability and exploit opportunities for beneficial
impacts.
Better predictions of extreme climate episodes like floods and droughts could save the
United States billions of dollars in damage costs. Water, energy and transportation
managers as well as farmers would be able to plan and avoid or mitigate these losses. For
example, the CPC's seasonal climate forecast based on the 1997/98 El Nino saved Californians
$500 million to $1 billion for they were able to take mitigation measures six months in
advance of heavy rains.
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www.nws.noaa.gov 
