Two mobile 5-cm Doppler radars based at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla., known as SMART-Radars (Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radars), have been deployed to North Carolina to gather data about the storm’s winds as Hurricane Isabel comes ashore Thursday. Researchers are using the radars, along with portable meteorological towers from Texas Tech University, to study the severe winds and turbulence associated with hurricanes.

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Don Burgess, chief of the Warning Research and Development Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Okla., will retire this month, completing 30 years of distinguished federal service. NOAA is an agency of the Commerce Department.

Burgess was involved in the early development of Doppler weather radar technology, and has been recognized for his contributions to research, development, user training and operational implementation of the NEXRAD Doppler weather radar.

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New state-of-the-art radar technology designed to help future forecasters provide earlier warnings for tornadoes and other types of severe and hazardous weather was unveiled recently at the NOAA National Severe Storm Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Okla. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an agency of the Commerce Department.

The new National Weather Radar Testbed provides the meteorological research community with the first full-time phased array radar facility. It will also allow NSSL and other meteorologists to determine if phased array radar will become the next significant technology advancement to improve our nation’s weather services. Researchers have begun the work of adapting the technology currently used to protect Navy battle groups from missile threats for the new purpose of weather detection.

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When severe weather threatens this spring, nine Norman schools and the Washington (Okla.) School District will be better prepared as a result of donations made by local employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Today (March 6) and tomorrow, representatives of the National Severe Storms Laboratory/Storm Prediction Center Employees Association (NSEA) will present NOAA weather radios to the schools, to coincide with Severe Weather Awareness Week in Oklahoma.

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Radar technology currently used to protect Navy battle groups from missile threats will soon be adapted for a new purpose – weather detection. State-of-the-art phased array radar may help forecasters of the future provide earlier warnings for tornadoes and other types of severe and hazardous weather.

This spring, a National Weather Radar Testbed will be established at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Okla., providing the meteorological research community with the first phased array radar facility available on a full-time basis. NOAA is an agency of the Commerce Department.

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NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla., recently received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Excellence in Aviation Award for 2002. The NSSL was cited for its contribution to the FAA’s Aviation Weather Research Program, which was organized to generate more accurate and accessible aviation weather bservations, warnings and forecasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the Commerce Department.

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The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded its Silver Medal to Harold Brooks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla. for developing the first ever, highly accurate and accessible estimates of long-term threats from tornadoes, thunderstorms winds and large hail on any day anywhere in the contiguous United States.

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Using state-of-the-art equipment, including a radar collaboratively built by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, research scientists captured Hurricane Lili Thursday morning as she came onshore along the southern Louisiana coast.

Three mobile Doppler radars, as well several instrumented towers, were strategically placed near Lafayette, La., in order to study the structure of the rainfall and wind flow around the storm. The data collected may help scientists develop better estimates of rainfall amounts, which could lead to more accurate and timely forecasts of inland flooding in the future.

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Executives from WeatherNews, Inc., the largest and most diversified privately owned weather and environmental information company in the world, met recently with two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration organizations in Norman, Okla. during a weeklong visit to the state.

Jeff Kimpel, Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory and Russell Schneider, Science Support Branch Chief for the Storm Prediction Center, met with WNI founder and global CEO Hiro Ishibashi to explore possible collaboration with NOAA, the University of Oklahoma and private sector weather groups in Norman.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded its Bronze Medal to Kevin Kelleher, deputy director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla. The Bronze Medal is the highest honorary award given by NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is granted by the administrator for a significant contribution to NOAA or the department.

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