Water is critical for life. And yet, more isn't always better.

Accurate predictions of the timing and amount of precipitation — from flash floods to months-long droughts to large-scale shifts in storm tracks over the next century — can save money and lives and help water managers, cities, and farmers better plan for the future.

At NCAR, scientists are working to make the first nationwide water model better, improving tools for forecasting streamflow and flooding, studying the increase in precipitation variability as the climate warms, and much more.