Better weather forecasts save lives and protect livelihoods.

From tornadoes and hurricanes to hail and damaging winds, improved severe weather prediction capabilities are critically important for public safety, economic growth, and national security. Beyond providing more lead time before severe weather events to allow people to get out of harm's way, improvements in short-term and longer-term forecasting can benefit society in numerous ways. Better forecasts are needed to improve agricultural yields, reduce aircraft delays (and the operational costs that go with them), ship goods to market more efficiently, and more.

At NSF NCAR, our scientists collaborate with the research community to improve severe weather forecasts. We’re involved in every aspect of weather science, from gathering unique observations to creating more sophisticated models to tackling some of the field's persistent mysteries. Our innovative research provides the foundation for others working to improve operational forecasts. As well, it serves the needs of a variety of stakeholders in education, research, and industry.