Hot Items 2004Glimpses of Our Past part of NSSL's 40th Anniversary Celebration
The National Severe Storms Laboratory is highlighting important events in its history as part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration October 15 and 16.
Two stories on the NSSL Web site provide glimpses of NSSL's past.
The first story highlights the tremendous impact on the development of weather radar by a tornado that tore through the small town of Union City, Okla., on May 24, 1973. Researchers from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory now look back on that day as a significant event in the history of severe weather research and forecasting.
The second story highlights NSSL's involvement in the movie "Twister," which was written about research conducted by the Lab.
Michael Crichton and his wife, Anne-Marie Martin, wrote a screenplay about the lab's activity with the University of Oklahoma in the early 1980's on TOTO, a 55 gallon drum researchers attempted to place in the path of a tornado to collect measurements. Their screenplay turned into the movie "Twister" starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, and NSSL staff had an opportunity to provide input to the script, production and even the direction the movie took.
During the Lab's Anniversary Celebration, the public is invited to attend talks highlighting the organization's history, research accomplishments and current activities from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., followed by a reservation only celebration dinner, also at the museum.
The NOAA Weather Partners in Norman will join NSSL in hosting a free, public Open House on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This includes the NOAA Storm Prediction Center and NSSL at 1313 Halley Circle, along with the NOAA National Weather Service Norman Forecast Office and the Radar Operations Center at 1200 Westheimer Dr.
Established in 1964, the National Severe Storms Laboratory leads the way in investigations of all aspects of severe and hazardous weather. NSSL is part of NOAA Research and the only federally-supported laboratory focused on severe weather. The Lab’s scientists and staff explore new ways to improve understanding of the causes of severe weather and ways to use weather information to assist National Weather Service forecasters, as well as federal, university and private sector partners.
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/stories/
10/04/2004