I'll be looking for sources as well. If this is even half-true (and I can't imagine it is, given the sheer number of sources of climate data) it holds major, major implications. The apparent loss of even one amalgamation of data is worrisome.
Not having much luck obtaining anything "substantive" thus far, just a lot of articles like this one
http://blogs.nature.com/climatefeedb...climate_1.html