Public invited to participate in hail observation projectThe National Severe Storms Laboratory serves the nation by working to improve the leadtime and accuracy of severe weather warnings and forecasts in order to save lives and reduce property damage. NSSL scientists are committed to their mission to understand the causes of severe weather and explore new ways to use weather information to assist National Weather Service forecasters and federal, university, and private sector partners.
At NSSL, our basic and applied research focuses on understanding severe weather processes, developing weather observation technology, and improving forecast tools, with emphasis on
VORTEX2: A FIELD EXPERIMENT TO STUDY TORNADOES FROM ALL ANGLES
VORTEX2 is the largest tornado research project in history to explore how, when and why tornadoes form. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are supporting more than 100 scientists and students and staff from around the world to collect weather measurements around and under a supercell thunderstorm. VORTEX2 teams are using a fleet of 10 mobile radars, and 70 other instruments all equipped with cutting-edge communication and computer technologies. Much about tornadoes remains a mystery, and researchers hope this data will help them better understand tornadoes and lead to further improvements in tornado warning skill.
Learn more :: VORTEX2 Image Gallery
New! Join Sean Waugh on a video tour of the NSSL vehicle bay as he explains What's New For 2010 »
NOAA HAZARDOUS WEATHER TESTBED
2010 SPRING EXPERIMENTS—Improving weather forecasts and warnings is the goal of NOAA's Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT). The cornerstone of the testbed is the annual NOAA HWT Spring Experiment that attracts 50-60 researchers and forecasters to Norman each year. Forecasters are provided with a first-hand look at the latest research concepts and products, while research scientists are immersed in the challenges and needs of front-line forecasters. The close collaboration between research scientists and operational weather forecasters advances forecasts and warnings for hazardous weather events throughout the United States.
Hazardous Weather Testbed :: Experimental Warning Program
Experimental Forecast Program :: 2008 Spring Experiment Photo Gallery
OAR SPOTLIGHT: SEVERE WEATHER COMES TO NSSL'S BACKYARD FOR STUDY
Nature’s laboratory — featuring an historic ice storm, a tornado outbreak, a billion-dollar hailstorm and record breaking flooding— has enabled scientists at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma, to study up close some of the wildest weather in the world.
NSSL scientists often take observation equipment out into the field to study severe storms. This year, however, a surplus of real-life weather phenomena arrived unbidden at their doorstep in central Oklahoma, enabling a first-hand look for scientists and affecting nearly everyone in the laboratory
