CONTACT: Patricia Viets FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301) 457-5005 4/24/95
John Hughes, NCDC
(704) 271-4475
Climate information provided to manufacturers by the National Climatic Data Center may have an effect on choices you make every day -- even down to the type of car you drive and the soda you drink.
"Climate data are part of this country's infrastructure," said Kenneth Hadeen, director of the National Climatic Data Center, part of the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in Asheville, N.C. "These data play a major role in decisions that businesses make every day; they are vital to our economy."
The climate center receives thousands of requests for data each year. Recently, a Japanese autombile manufacturer ordered climatic data to support the design and test plan for a 1996 convertible. The company's objective was to design the convertible's top to withstand long durations of heavy rainfall without leaking.
Another major automobile manufacturer recently requested data that would be important in the design of a car for the tough North American climate. The center provided data that will be used to replicate the wide range of conditions a car may experience throughout its lifetime.
As weather plays an important role in refreshment sales, a soft-drink manufacturer recently contacted the climate center for daily temperature and precipitation data for more than 100 major markets in the United States. The company is studying weekly sales of its products in these markets.
"These are just a few recent examples of ways in which businesses use climate data in their decisions," Hadeen said. "Businesses that overlook climate data might not succeed."
The legal community is a major customer, representing about 30 percent of the center's users. The insurance, engineering and business communities also represent a large segment of users. The largest non-commercial users include scientists from government agencies and foreign customers who rely on NCDC data obtained from many sources.
For more information about NCDC, or to request climate data, call 704-271-4800.