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NSSL’s LIFT project seeks to better understand the structure of tornadoes and other severe weather hazards and how they form by gathering vital, yet difficult-to-obtain observations in close proximity to tornadoes and extreme hail.
NSSL’s three cutting-edge mobile weather radars will allow NOAA researchers to deploy research-grade technology to the front lines of tornadoes, wildfires, hail storms, flash flooding and severe wind events, significantly expanding critical insight into hazardous weather threats in real time.
From the biggest stages in the world to the smallest local gatherings and everything in between, weather safety depends on one thing: time. WoFS is giving that time back to the forecasters and decision makers who need it most.
2025 was a banner year for innovation at NSSL. Click to learn how we’re pushing the science of tornadoes and severe weather into the future.
NSSL has developed an experimental new product that provides a real-time analysis of freezing rain to identify both location and accumulation.
Uncrewed Aerial Systems are opening new avenues for researchers to study tornadoes and gather data while staying safe.
The Severe Weather Extended-Range forecasting and Verification Experiment (SWERVE) is testing our ability to forecast severe weather up to three weeks in advance.
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.
A paper summarizing the Warn-on-Forecast System was selected as a recipient of the 2025 Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Outstanding Scientific Paper Award.
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.
