Program Overview

The U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is a network of climate stations now being developed as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiative. Its primary goal is to provide future long-term homogeneous observations of temperature and precipitation that can be coupled to long-term historical observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate change. Data from the USCRN will be used in operational climate monitoring activities and for placing current climate anomalies into an historical perspective. The USCRN will also provide the United States with a reference network that meets the requirements of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). If fully implemented, the network will consist of about 110 stations nationwide. Implementation of the USCRN is contingent on the availability of funding.

The USCRN Program Executive Director is Thomas Karl, Director of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The program is managed and coordinated by the NCDC, a component of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).

Performance Measures
Climate Monitoring Principles (National Research Council 1999)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents