South Carolina State Climatology Office

The South Carolina State Climatology Office (SCO) was established through legislation in 1986 to provide climatological services to the people of South Carolina. The SCO is housed within the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. SCO's mission is to archive, process, and disseminate South Carolina weather and climate data; to represent South Carolina in all climatological and meteorological matters within and outside the State, to educate the people of South Carolina on current and emerging climate issues; to assist State and Federal agencies in data acquisition and forecast interpretation before, during, and after periods of severe weather; and to conduct research related to weather and climate issues.

State Climate Offices are an integral component of the National Climate Service Partnership, which also includes NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and six Regional Climate Centers (RCCs). State climate offices recognized by the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC) work closely with one another, and with the regional and national counterparts, to provide climate data and services at the local level. Specifically, AASC recognized state climate offices (or ARSCOs) provide one or more of the following services:

1) Coordinate and collect weather observations for the purpose of climate monitoring; 2) Summarize and disseminate weather and climate information to the user community; 3) Demonstrate to the user community the value of climate information in the decision making process; 4) Perform climate impact assessments and weather event evaluations; 5) Conduct climate research, diagnosis, and projections.

The South Carolina State Climatology Office is recognized by the AASC.

Phone: (803) 734-9091

Related Organizations:

• National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
• American Association of State Climatologists (AASC)
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources