Saving Lives & Property…

NOAA’s 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.

Loading the player loading

At NSSL, our basic and applied research focuses on understanding severe weather processes, developing weather observation technology, and improving forecast tools, with emphasis on:

NSSL News

link to article

FAR AFIELD: Researchers seek out and study tornadoes and severe weather

January 31, 2024

For more than 60 years, NSSL researchers have been taking to the field to study tornadoes and severe weather.

link to article

NSSL celebrates Science and Engineering Day

September 26, 2023

The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) hosted its inaugural NSSL Science and Engineering Day recently, gathering lab staff for a full day of reflection, discussion and collaboration. With a focus on appreciating the history and achievements of the lab while also casting a vision for the future, the event gave lab staff a unique opportunity to share, collaborate and think about the future of NSSL.

link to article

NSSL offers cutting-edge support as Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in California 

September 20, 2023

As Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in California and affected the southwestern United States, researchers at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) stepped into action, using a cutting-edge tool to lend support to forecasters. 

link to article

Innovation and Collaboration: Exploring the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed

July 28, 2023

The NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed provides a conceptual framework and a physical space to foster collaboration between research and operations to test, perfect and evaluate emerging technologies and science for NWS operations.

link to article

NSSL Puts Next Generation of Weather Tools To the Test Close to Home

June 14, 2023

A severe weather system rolled through central Oklahoma on April 19, 2023, producing supercell thunderstorms that yielded at least 18 tornadoes. From observations, to modeling to post-storm damage assessment, NSSL researchers gathered comprehensive data and put their cutting edge research to the test on storms in their own backyard. 

link to article

Tornado Intercept: The Union City Twister and the Birth of Doppler Radar

May 22, 2023

Fifty years ago, on May 24, 1973, a violent F-4 tornado tore through the central Oklahoma town of Union City, killing two people and injuring at least four more. While the human impact of the storm was devastating, the Union City tornado was also historic as it marked the first time researchers were able to use radar to observe the entire lifecycle of a tornado.

NSSL Video

Threats in Motion

Loading the player loading

In nature, hazardous weather is almost always in motion. New research and technology are making it possible to provide more continuous information about the storm and its movement. Threats in Motion (TiM) is the next step in the evolution of how weather information is provided to the public. Learn more →

Advanced Technology Demonstrator

Loading the player loading

Radar research at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory has taken another step forward. The Advanced Technology Demonstrator is the first full-scale, S-band, dual-polarization phased array radar built from the ground up and designed specifically for use as a weather radar. Learn more →