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Inside Tornado Alley 

July 2019

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  All Eyes on the Sky 

NOAA’s Norman, Oklahoma facility lies within Tornado Alley, one of the world’s most tornado-prone areas. In the glass-walled corridors of this state-of-the-art building, all eyes are on the sky. 

Many of the world's severe weather experts work in Norman. Some focus on research and keep our nation's radars running. Others forecast severe thunderstorms and tornadoes for the lower 48 states. NOAA forecasters in Alaska and Hawaii provide forecasts for their own regions. 

For Norman staff, work is both a personal and a professional passion. They know how life-changing severe weather can be. As this story map was being developed, eye-witnesses reported over 825 tornadoes tearing through the Great Plains. Using advanced radar and other leading-edge tools, forecasters identified risks days in advance and delivered more precise warnings that helped spare lives during this year's unprecedented stretch of tornado activity.

What is Severe Weather?

    Making a Severe Weather Forecast 

            A Watch means Be Prepared!

Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center monitor conditions 24/7, delivering accurate and timely watches and forecasts for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, wildfires, and winter weather, communicating risks up to eight days in advance.

Watches highlight areas at specific risk two to eight hours in advance and typically cover about 25,000 square miles.

             A Warning means Take Action!

When danger to people and property is imminent, the National Weather Service issues a warning. Norman's Weather Forecast Office provides warnings for regions in Oklahoma and Texas.

Here's how a forecast is made:

 

The Doppler Effect


In Tornado Alley, warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico lies beneath cold dry air from the Rocky Mountains, creating an ideal environment for tornadoes to be born within thunderstorms. 

In 1973, National Severe Storms Laboratory researchers intercepted a storm in Union City, Oklahoma being scanned by experimental Doppler radar. By documenting the tornado's life cycle on film, they were able to compare filmed images with Doppler data, leading to the landmark discovery that the tornado was forming within the thunderstorm even before it showed up on film. This pattern was named the Tornado Vortex Signature

In time, NOAA deployed a national network of Doppler radars, which have since been credited with saving an untold number of lives by detecting hazardous weather and triggering tornado alerts and other warnings.  

Milestones in Forecasting

Mysterious Twisters

Continuing Quest for Better Forecasts

Communicating Risk

For Weather Geeks

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