The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) was established on February 16, 1961 by the Board of Trustees of the tate University of New York, as a university wide center to advance programs in basic and applied sciences especially as they relate to the atmospheric environment. ASRC is an integral component of the State University of New York at Albany's Weather Enterprise, including the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, The New York State Mesonet, and the Center of Excellence in Weather Analytics.

The atmosphere plays an essential role in maintaining and sustaining plant, animal, and human life. Therefore, the mission of scientists, students, engineers, and technologists at ASRC is excellence in research and education to promote understanding and stewardship of our fragile atmosphere.

Through careful and detailed study of the chemical and physical nature of the atmosphere and its interaction with other Earth systems, especially the impact of human activity, we are committed to the development of intelligent systems designed to enhance the scientific capacity nd resiliency of New York State and beyond.

By continually engaging and forging partnerships with schools, communities, businesses, and government officials we foster public awareness and education of the importance of our work and aid in their understanding and adaptation to short-term severe weather phenomenon as well as long term climate change.

ASRC's Whiteface Mountain Field Station, located in New York State's Adirondack Mountains, is a permanent and unique atmospheric science research and education facility. ASRC has managed and operated the field station since 1961 with the mission to conduct collaborative research to study the interaction of chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes impacting our environment.

In addition, using the knowledge gained from that research, our goal is to provide quality outreach and educational opportunities for K‐12 students to spark their interest in atmospheric science, and provide a pathway for them to pursue an education in the STEM disciplines. To sustain our mission, the Whiteface Mountain Field Station consists of two primary facilities, a main lodge and summit observatory.

The lodge is located on the shoulder of Whiteface massif at an elevation of 604m and provides a large lecture hall as well as office and research laboratory space. The New York State Mesonet also operates a meteorological monitoring station adjacent to the lodge facility.

The summit observatory is located atop Whiteface mountain at 1483m and is ideally situated for in‐cloud measurements, as well as clear‐air meteorological and chemical measurements at approximately the 850mb level. Completed in 1970, the summit observatory has provided ASRC, and others, with a ground‐based probe of the atmosphere unparalleled in Eastern North America. Both facilities offer easily accessible and unique opportunities to research, explore, and learn about Earth's fragile atmospheric environment.