NSSL Video
Bite-Sized Science
NSSL's Bite-Sized Science video series focuses on specific activities and projects from the NOAA Weather Partners in Norman, OK.
- Share Your Tornado Tales!
- HWT in the Virtual World
- Studying Tornado Damage with UAS
- VORTEX Southeast
- Threats in Motion
- Exploring the Supercell
- Advanced Technology Demonstrator
- Improving Flash Flood Warnings
- Hazardous Weather Testbed 2018
- VORTEX Southeast in 2018
- Eye-Tracking for Weather Research
- Warn on Forecast
- VORTEX Southeast
- FACETs
- Hands-On Phased Array Radar
- Rotation Tracks
- The Hazardous Weather Testbed
- The mPING App
- Multi-function Phased Array Radar
- Dual Polarization Technology
Observations on the Go: NSSL Field Observation Tools
NSSL participates in research projects in the field to collect weather data that will increase our knowledge about thunderstorm behavior and thunderstorm hazards. From the 1990s to present day, mobile observation tools have allowed NSSL researchers to take to the road to measure the atmosphere. Learn about their innovative designs and how researchers use these tools to safely gather data in storms.
Weather Briefly
Weather Briefly is a short-form video series highlighting the many types of severe weather along with research being done by NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Union City Archival Video
For half a century, U.S. Weather Bureau and NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory researchers have been filming and photographing tornadoes and severe weather throughout the United States as part of their quest to understand and better predict deadly storms. On May 24, 1973, researchers filmed a devastating tornado that tore through the small town of Union City, Okla. This tornado turned out to be a significant event in the development of weather radar and the history of severe weather research and forecasting.
Three reels of 16 mm film from that day have been stored at NSSL, unusable. With the help of the National Film Preservation Foundation, those historic reels have been restored and transferred. We are pleased to share this historic footage.
NSSL 101
NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) researches ways to observe and predict severe weather to save lives and reduce economic loss. NSSL scientists and engineers work to understand the causes of severe weather and explore innovative ways to use that knowledge to improve forecasts and warnings. NSSL transfers scientific understanding, applications, and techniques to decision-makers to support a Weather-Ready Nation.
The FACETs Project
The FACETs project is a complete reinvention of the current watches and warnings the National Weather Service currently uses. FACETs is a proposed next-generation severe weather watch and warning framework that is modern, flexible, and designed to communicate clear and simple hazardous weather information to serve the public.
Highlights from the National Weather Festival
The Norman Chamber of Commerce's Weather Committee hosts the annual National Weather Festival every year at the National Weather Center in Norman. The free public event features tours, children's activities, a storm chaser car show, displays by local businesses, weather-related seminars, Science on a Sphere, and hourly weather balloon launches.
2013 Presidential Early Career Awards
In a White House ceremony on April 15, 2014, NSSL/CIMMS scientist Adam Clark received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Clark joins four other PECASE award winners from NSSL.
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. An award ceremony is planned in Washington, D.C. in the fall.
Radar Research at the NOAA National Severe Storms Lab
For the past several decades, research conducted by NOAA's National Severe Storms Lab has led to the development of a national weather radar network and progressing from having no warning of threatening weather to about a 15-minute lead-time. Current research with phased array radar promises to extend the warning lead-time much further.
NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Experiment
Each spring, the National Weather Center hosts an experiment that brings together the top weather minds in forecasting, research, and academia to test new technologies that will become part of the weather field in the future. Created with a video game theme, this video features NWS forecasters and participating researchers, interviewed in four “levels” including, “Tactical Role Playing,” “Real-Time Strategy,” “Co-Op Feedback,” and “Experience Points.”
STEM Stories: Pam Heinselman
STEM Stories, a project to highlight the lives and work of women involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) now includes a profile video on NSSL scientist Pam Heinselman. STEM Stories combines compelling personal stories and multimedia to inspire children in grades 4–8 in STEM subjects and careers.
That Weather Show: Dual Polarization Technology
NSSL's videographer James Murnan has posted a creative outreach video explaining dual-polarization radar technology. Part of the “That Weather Show” series, the video creatively spoofs popular commercials to talk about the benefits of the planned upgrade to existing National Weather Service weather radars.
Improved Flood Forecasting with CI-FLOW
The collaborative Coastal and Inland-Flooding Observation and Warning Project (CI-FLOW) released a new video demonstrating how their prototype total water level simulation system can help improve NWS flood forecasting and save lives of people residing and working in coastal watersheds.
Presidential Early Career Awards
NSSL research scientists studying improvements in tornado forecasting and new radar systems, Michael C. Coniglio and Pamela L. Heinselman, were named as recipients of the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. An award ceremony is planned in Washington, D.C. in the fall.
That Weather Show: VORTEX2
That Weather Show is a video/podcast series from the NOAA Weather Partners in Norman, OK. This first video episode was dedicated to the brave scientists whose mission is to hunt tornadoes. Hosted by Cat Taylor, 2009 Miss Oklahoma International and University of Oklahoma meteorology student.
NSSL in the Field
Learn more about NSSL's activities in field observations: the instruments, the vehicles, the history, and the next big project, VORTEX2. Ride along with NSSL scientists as they take their instruments to the storm.
Multifunction Phased Array Radar
The future of weather radar lies in phased array technology, with its advanced multi-function capabilities and performance. This video gives a brief overview of the advantages to be gained from the implementation of phased array radar technology, with emphasis on improvements in weather forecasting, transportation safety, homeland security, and the cost effectiveness of the system.
NOAA Weather Partners Spotlight
Severe weather and the tools to forecast and monitor it. This is the focus of researchers at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. This brief video, featuring NSSL Director, Dr. Jeff Kimpel, provides an overview of the research conducted at NSSL, highlighting the three main topics of weather radar, hydrometeorology, and forecast and warning improvements.