The Wisconsin State Climatology Office and the Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet (Wisconet) co-hosted a statewide Climate Services Summit on March 17 and 18, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin.
The purpose of the Summit was to bring together providers and users of weather and climate information to increase awareness of existing services, strengthen coordination across sectors, and identify unmet needs.
The program featured an overview of changes in Wisconsin’s climate, demonstrations of weather and climate tools, and stakeholder testimonials highlighting how weather and climate inform real-world decision making.
Working sessions were a central part of the Summit. On Day 1, participants broke into sector-based groups to discuss the decisions they make and the weather and climate information and tools that would be beneficial for decision making.
On Day 2, attendees participated in hands-on stations designed to provide applied experience with weather and climate data and tools, explore how these resources can be used in practice, and identify additional needs.
Approximately 60 attendees represented a wide range of sectors, including weather and climate service providers, government agencies, researchers, Extension Educators, the Ho-Chunk Nation, agricultural producers, insurance professionals, and many more.
Key takeaways included the need to better connect climate science to community- and place-based values, increase awareness and accessibility of available tools and services, provide translation and interpretation support for non-expert users, and expand capacity to help apply weather and climate information within specific decision contexts.
The State Climatology Office and Wisconet will use these insights to identify next steps and inform future weather and climate service development and coordination efforts.