Doppler Radar Revolutionizes Weather Forecasting.

Centrally located on the North American continent between the Arctic and the Tropics and between two large oceanic basins, the United States, perhaps more than any other nation, routinely experiences severe weather. During the second half of the twentieth century, American scientists significantly improved electronic systems to monitor severe weather and thus enable the protection of life and property. In 1964, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) to study and improve the forecasting of severe thunderstorms in order to mitigate the hazards to people, animals, and physical structures created by flash floods, hail, winds, and tornadoes.