The Certified Consulting Meteorologist Program

The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) routinely supplies certified copies of meteorological data for a given weather station on a given date. The NCDC is frequently asked by the public if it can supply professional meteorologists who can testify in court and render an expert opinion regarding the weather at a given location and time. However, providing expert opinions is outside the scope of NCDC's governmental responsibilities, and violates longstanding U.S. Government policy prohibiting competition with private enterprise and most importantly, is prohibited in almost all cases by Federal regulations.

For many years, private sector organizations have provided lists of consulting meteorologists who can supply the needed expert testimony. The more prominent organizations compiling such lists are the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists (NCIM), and the National Weather Association (NWA).

A list of CCMs (CCMs), and additional materials concerning the certification process can be found on the AMS web site at: (additional materials). The most recent edition of the CCM Directory (CCM Directory) is sorted by state, so that those requiring the services of a CCM in a local area can quickly locate individuals with the proper specialization.

Some additional links to CCMs are:
- Meteorologists by Organization
- U.S. Directory of Private Weather Services
- Commercial Weather Vendor Websites