Contact: Keli Tarp
(405) -366-0451
Cell (405) 203-4839
Keli.Tarp@nssl.noaa.gov

NOAA WEATHER PARTNERS HOST OPEN HOUSE

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Partners in Norman – the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Storm Prediction Center, NEXRAD Operational Support Facility and National Weather Service Forecast Office – will host a free public Open House from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 30) at their facilities in the University Research Park located northwest of Robinson Street and Berry Road.

Demonstrations of weather forecasting operations, radar technology, future forecasting tools and research equipment will be featured during the Open House. Information about the May 3rd tornado outbreak, tornado safety and tornado safe rooms will be available, as well as an explanation of the National Weather Service's preparations for Y2K. Weather balloons will be launched at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon.

"A lot of people are curious about our facilities and what we do, especially following the May 3rd tornado outbreak," said Dennis McCarthy, meteorologist-in-charge of the Norman Forecast Office. "We invite them to come and tour our facilities to find out about the technology we use, how we issue warnings, and how all four of the NOAA organizations in Norman work together."

The National Weather Service Norman Forecast Office prepares and disseminates public weather forecasts and warnings for severe weather events such as floods, tornadoes and winter storms for 48 counties in central, western and southern Oklahoma and eight counties in north Texas. The office is part of the Southern Region of the National Weather Service. Meteorologists are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Out of the approximate 30,000 tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for individual counties issued by the NWS annually, about 1,200 come from the Norman office alone.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC), part of the National Weather Service's National Centers for Environmental Prediction, issues forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States. The SPC also monitors heavy rain, heavy snow and fire weather events across the U.S. and issues specific products for those hazards. SPC meteorologists are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), one of NOAA's internationally known environmental research laboratories, conducts research on all aspects of severe weather to improve warnings and forecasts. NSSL was awarded a Gold Medal from the Department of Commerce for development of the NEXRAD Doppler Radar system currently in use by National Weather Service offices throughout the U.S.

The NEXRAD Operational Support Facility provides centralized radar meteorological, computer software, maintenance, and engineering support for all 158 NEXRAD (WSR-88D) radar systems deployed worldwide. In addition, the OSF is responsible for developing operator training for all the NWS forecasters and other radar operators from the Departments of Defense and Transportation. The facility also houses a 24 hour, 7 days a week help desk that assists radar sites with technical support more than 12,000 times each year. This group has been recognized by the federal government for its excellence in service.

Directions and more information are available online at: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/openhouse or by calling (405) 360-5928 or (405) 360-3620. Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by calling in advance to (405) 366-0451.