NSSL Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide a brief overview of NSSL and some of the laboratory's research activities.
- NSSL Overview
- NSSL serves the nation by working to improve the lead time and accuracy of severe weather warnings and forecasts in order to save lives and reduce property damage. [.pdf, 160 kB]
Forecast and warning research
- Forecast and Warning Improvements
- NSSL studies thunderstorms from many different points of view. [.pdf, 434 kB]
- Warn on Forecast
- Forecasting severe weather before the threat is ever detected. [.pdf, 950 kB]
- NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed
- The NOAA HWT targets developing, testing and evaluating severe weather forecast and warning techniques throughout the U.S. [.pdf, 209 kB]
- Field Research Projects
- NSSL researchers know the best way to learn about the nature of severe storms and their hazards is to observe them when and where they happen. [.pdf, 180 kB]
- Field Research Equipment
- NSSL has been a pioneer in designing innovative field research equipment used for taking measurements of hazardous weather. [.pdf, 168 kB]
- VORTEX2
- NSSL was a part of the largest and most ambition attempt to explain tornadoes—their origins, structure and evolution. [.pdf, 262 kB]
Weather Radar Research and Improvements
- Weather Radar Research
- For more than 40 years, NSSL has led the nation with ingenuity and creativity to push radar technology to the edge. [.pdf, 172 kB]
- Multi-Function Phased Array Radar (MPAR)
- Multi-function phased array radar can quickly scan the weather while detecting and tracking aircraft. [.pdf, 750 kB]
- Phased Array Radar
- Radar is one of the most valuable tools available to a forecaster, and NSSL is leading the development of the future generation of weather radars. [.pdf, 258 kB]
- Dual-Polarization Technology
- A major upgrade to existing radars giving forecasters more precise information to accurately diagnose severe weather. [.pdf, 1.2 MB]
Hydrometeorology
- Hydrometeorology Research
- Our nation's health, economy and security depend on the monitoring and prediction of fresh water resources. [.pdf, 156 kB]
- CI-FLOW
- The Coastal and Inland FLooding Observation and Warning (CI-FLOW) project is a multi-agency research project to provide total water level forecasts in coastal areas. [.pdf, 918 kB]
NSSL Outreach
- Outreach and Communications
- NSSL conducts, develops, supports, promotes and coordinates formal and informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of severe weather and severe weather research. [.pdf, 156 kB]
- Twister Science
- How NSSL's research provided inspiration for the movie, Twister. [.pdf, 319 kB]
Additional Related Topics
- CIMMS Overview
- Information about the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, a NOAA/University of Oklahoma joint research institute. [.pdf, 344 kB]
- NOAA Weather Partners
- Information about the consortium of five NOAA agencies located in Norman, Oklahoma [.pdf, 254 kB]
- National Weather Center Fact Sheet
- Home to the National Severe Storms Laboratories, the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, and several other federal and state agencies. [.pdf, 258 kB]
- NOAA Backgrounders