National Weather Center
Encyclopedia
The National Weather Center (NWC), located on the campus of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, is a confederation of federal, state, and academic organizations that work together in partnership to improve understanding of events occurring in Earth's atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
over a wide range of time and space scales. The NWC partners give equal attention to applying that understanding to the development of improved observation, analysis, assimilation, display, and prediction systems. The National Weather Center also has expertise in local and regional climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, numerical modeling
Numerical weather prediction
Numerical weather prediction uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic...
, hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, and weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
. Members of the NWC work with a wide range of federal, state, and local government agencies to help reduce loss of life and property to hazardous weather, ensure wise use of water resources, and enhance agricultural production. They also work with private sector partners to develop new applications of weather and regional climate information that provide competitive advantage in the marketplace.
National Weather Center Partners
National Weather ServiceNational Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
- Norman Weather Forecast Office
- Storm Prediction CenterStorm Prediction CenterThe Storm Prediction Center , located in Norman, Oklahoma, is tasked with forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the contiguous United States. The agency issues convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and watches as a part of this process...
- Radar Operations Center
- Warning Decision Training BranchWarning Decision Training BranchThe Warning Decision Training Branch is one of three training organizations in the NWS Training Division which also includes the Forecast Decision Training Branch and the NWS Training Center...
College of Atmospheric & Geographic SciencesUniversity of Oklahoma College of Atmospheric and Geographic SciencesThe College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma consists of the School of Meteorology and Department of Geography...
School of Meteorology
- Atmospheric Radar Research CenterAtmospheric Radar Research CenterThe Atmospheric Radar Research Center is an interdisciplinary research center of the University of Oklahoma located at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma...
- Center for Analysis and Prediction of StormsCenter for Analysis and Prediction of StormsThe Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms was established at the University of Oklahoma in 1989 as one of the first eleven National Science Foundation Science and Technology Centers...
- Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological StudiesCooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological StudiesThe Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies provides a mechanism to link the scientific and technical resources of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the University of Oklahoma to create a center of research...
Department of Geography
- Center for Spatial Analysis
- Environmental Verification and Analysis Center
Information Technology
- Integrated Robust Assured Data Services (IRADS)
- OU Supercomputing Center for Education & Research
Other (public and private)
- International Center for Natural Hazards and Disaster Research
- Norman Economic Development Coalition
- Sasaki Applied Meteorology Research Institute
- Weathernews Americas
External links
- National Weather Center
- Atmospheric Radar Research Center
- Center for Spatial Analysis
- OU College of Atmospheric & Geographic Sciences
- Oklahoma Mesonet
- Environmental Verification and Analysis Center
- Natural Hazards and Disaster Research
- Integrated Radar Data Services
- Oklahoma City/Norman National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
- Oklahoma Climatological Survey
- OU Supercomputing Center for Education & Research
- Radar Operations Center
- Warning Decision Training Branch
- Sasaki Institute
- The Weather Sphere