The North Central Drought & Climate Monthly Webinar Series: Participation & Impacts

Since 2011, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Central Regional Climate Services Director, American Association of State Climatologists, U.S. Department of Agriculture Climate Hubs and Office of the Chief Economist, National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), and National Integrated Drought Information System have partnered to provide monthly climate and drought updates to stakeholders who live, work, or have interests in the North Central U.S.

The North Central Drought and Climate Webinar series distills information about climate trends and extremes, drought, crop status, hydrology, monthly and seasonal climatological outlooks, and more into a 45-minute presentation followed by a question and answer session. The monthly webinar has grown over the course of the past decade as more users have tuned in to learn about the latest conditions from the Rockies to the Great Lakes. Average webinar attendance has nearly doubled, from 79 in 2011 to 151 people in 2020.

In 2021, NDMC partnered with the webinar organizers to evaluate the reach and impact of the webinar series, using registration data, a survey of participants (n=410, 28% response rate), and two case studies. This report summarizes the webinar’s audience, perceived usability, and use and impact.