National Center for Atmospheric Research and UCAR050

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) manages both the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the UCAR Office of Programs. The UCAR mission is to support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the university community, nationally and internationally; to understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related systems and the global environment; and to foster the transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth.

A research organization, established in 1960, UCAR seeks to better understand our atmosphere and how weather and climate affect the Earth.

At the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, over 120 Ph.D. researchers and hundreds of visiting scientists conduct interdisciplinary research with state of the art research tools. They have discovered much about the Earth system including how the Sun influences the Earth, how climate change can be predicted, and how we can better forecast the weather. NCAR researchers also study how weather and climate change affects people and environments around the globe.

The facility hosts community, science-oriented events throughout the year and invites the public to visit the complex seven days a week; the building and the adjacent weather trail are both wheelchair-accessible. NCAR's laboratory offers hands-on educational exhibits that visitors are welcome to explore on their own, on a tour, or with an audio tour.