Never before have Californians had more climate information at their fingertips: Planes soar above the Sierra measuring snowpack with lasers ; cameras enhanced with artificial intelligence scan the landscape for wildfire ; and satellites swirl overhead collecting detailed images of real-time conditions.
But even with all these tools, the Golden State lacks a centralized database where researchers, policymakers, emergency responders and members of the public can easily tap into this bounty of information.
A project dubbed the California Climate Information System, or CalCIS , sought to change that, but has instead become a casualty of the state budget crisis…