Timely and reliable climate information is critical to improving our ability to more effectively manage climate variability. The faculty and staff of the Applied Climate Science (ACS) group of SNR are actively involved in research on climate indices, the development of triggers for early warning, the use of remotely sensed information for drought monitoring, climate forecasting, the application of climate information to decision making, and the dissemination of data and information to a diverse set of end users. Much of this research takes place through the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). The HPRCC also maintains a network of 176 automated weather stations in the north central region, with 60 stations in Nebraska. The archived data forms the basis of a comprehensive climate data base that is available to users via the World Wide Web. The HPRCC network and database are featured at www.hprcc.unl.edu. The NDMC works with federal agencies on development of the weekly National Drought Monitor map (drought.unl.edu/monitor) that is widely used to track drought conditions across the country. National maps of the Standardized Precipitation Index are also posted monthly on the NDMC website (drought.unl.edu). This website serves as an educational resource on a wide range of drought topics, including information on drought concepts, drought monitoring and early warning, and drought planning and mitigation tools and techniques.