-Contributed by Cecilia Bitz and Marylin Raphael
The theme Leaders and Chairs of the Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (PCPI) met 9-11 September 2015, at the University of Reading in the UK. They discussed PCPI activities that have taken place since their previously meeting in April 2014. They heard about numerous journal articles (both published and in preparation) that arose from PCPI activities, two successful workshops, and several sessions at major Conferences (AGU, EGU, IUGG). They also brainstormed about future activities and ways that PCPI can contribute to joint activities with other international groups, such as the Polar Prediction Project (PPP) and CliC. Four attendees involved in organizing the joint WWRP/WCRP/Bolin Centre School on Polar Prediction sought input about the agenda and design of lab activities. The PCPI Leaders and Chairs discussed the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), and in particular they realized that they could help encourage measurement campaigns already planned (especially those in the Antarctic) to contribute to YOPP. They explored ways that PCPI could expand their network of scientists, especially by involving early career scientists in their leadership team and in activities. They would like to create PCPI fellows, modeled after the CliC fellows.