Office of the State Climatologist for Ohio

The Office of the State Climatologist for Ohio (OSCO) is housed within the Department of Geography and the Atmospheric Sciences Program
in Columbus at The Ohio State University. Professor Jeffrey C. Rogers is the state climatologist and is a member of the American Association of State Climatologists.

A key function of the Ohio state climatologist is to collect, archive, disseminate, and interpret climate data for government, public, and private users around the state and regionally. Collection of climate data has historically been done by paper documents and there are many old data publications archived in the OSCO containing details of Ohio’s climate since the 19th century. Since the late 1990s however, data are available electronically to any citizen of Ohio from numerous websites listed below and data are instead archived at the sites of origin. At this time the OSCO does not operate or maintain any statewide weather or climate monitoring networks such as is, for example, already done through the National Weather Service, CoCoRaHS, or the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Dissemination of climate data, particularly harder to access or older paper data, can be done by contacting the state climatologist by phone or e-mail. Interpretation of weather and climate data is performed by the state climatologist, typically free to educators and to everyone if the job of interpretation is perceived to be under a half hour of work, as is typically the case. Such interpretation in the form or discussion and explanation of the data, or simple data analysis, is typically done over the phone or by e-mail.

The office of state climatologist provides education and expertise to the citizens of Ohio on issues pertaining to weather and climate. One educational outlet has been a set of recent presentations made to private groups and government agencies. Recent news media interviews have provided information on potential climate change in Ohio. Expertise has provided for reports on climate disasters. Another outlet is through specialized climate papers such as this overview of Ohio’s climate. Expertise can also be provided in litigation cases as in the 1988 Midwestern drought insurance settlement; in assessing climate impacts on egg farm pollution runoff; and for cases involving weather-related accidents. The State Climatologist is a member of the Ohio State University Climate Change Team that has been active in presenting regional webinars on topics related to climate change, one of which can be access here. The Ohio Climatologist is a member of the Governor’s drought task force and is state co-coordinator for CoCoRaHS the citizen volunteer precipitation measuring network (Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network).

The State Climatologist for Ohio also conducts research, through his academic professional career pertaining to the climate of Ohio on such topics as Ohio and eastern U.S. climate reconstruction from weather data records, the cause and water resource impacts of drought in Ohio, and the role of the oceans and atmospheric circulation changes on Ohio climate. Published professional research papers relevant to Ohio by the climatologist can be accessed here.

The state climate office of Ohio interacts frequently with the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) in Champaign, Illinois. Data for Ohio and the Midwest are available for purchase on a county by county basis in Ohio through the MRCC. These can include daily, monthly, or long-term averages, of precipitation and daily temperature, information on heating or cooling degree days, snowfall, and snow cover. More elaborate climate statistics are also available for specific stations, climate divisions or even statewide averages. Look for the “MACS” (MRCC Applied Climate System) tab on the MRCC website, a menu-driven system providing climate summaries and daily data for nine midwestern states in a digital format. The MRCC also provides this website with the Midwest Regional Climate Center (MRCC) 7, 30 and 90 day climate maps for Ohio.

Please Click on any of the following 14 categories to obtain a selection of individual websites providing climate and weather conditions, including water resources and drought information, climate policy and severe weather event reports, or even the latest breaking climate news.