Uncrewed Aerial Systems are opening new avenues for researchers to study tornadoes and gather data while staying safe.
NSSL Advances Tornado Research with Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
Author: Wes Moody
SWERVE: Predicting severe weather weeks in advance
The Severe Weather Extended-Range forecasting and Verification Experiment (SWERVE) is testing our ability to forecast severe weather up to three weeks in advance.
Tornado Tales: Real Stories, Real Impact
When severe weather threatens, accurate forecasts are only part of the equation. How people respond to tornado forecasts and warnings is ultimately what makes the difference between safety and disaster. That’s why researchers at NOAA’s…
RADAR CLUES: New Technique To Help Forecasters Predict Downbursts
NSSL is testing a radar-based technique that spots areas of cold, dense air inside thunderstorms — a key signal for potential downbursts. These bursts of strong, damaging wind can happen fast, especially during summer storms in the Southeast and Southern Plains.
Warn-on-Forecast Honored with 2025 OAR Outstanding Scientific Paper Award
A paper summarizing the Warn-on-Forecast System was selected as a recipient of the 2025 Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Outstanding Scientific Paper Award.
NSSL CAPTURES STUNNING DATA ON EF-3 TORNADO
On May 18, 2025 a tornado touched down near the town of Arnett, Oklahoma. Researchers with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) were in place to intercept the storm and capture stunning data of the EF3-rated tornado from beginning to end.
Revolutionizing Hail Forecasts — One Falling Stone at a Time
New high-speed camera captures hail in free fall to improve public safety
VORTEX USA Tornado Project Paper Chosen as Highlight by AMS
A new paper on the PERiLS (Propagation, Evolution, and Rotation in Linear Storms) project was selected by the American Meteorological Society and the editors of Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) to be featured…
Using lightning to monitor the extreme impacts of landfalling hurricanes
A new paper on data collection during Hurricane Ian discusses the deployment of and data collected by a suite of instruments during the landfall of the Category 5 hurricane in Florida in 2022.
The Tornado That Didn’t Surprise: A Story of Preparedness and Partnership
The Warn-on-Forecast System, a revolutionary new forecasting tool being developed by NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, seeks to equip forecasters with critical information between watches and warnings to allow them to offer longer lead times…