USMA Severe Weather AIAD: Day 13

We started off the day in Temple, TX and drove to Norman, OK for a 1300 tour of the National Weather Center. The National Weather Center is part of a sprawling complex that houses numerous research offices, and the building itself houses the Storm Prediction Center, the local National Weather Service Forecast Office, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, and the University of Oklahoma Meteorology Department. Among other things, we went to an observation deck that overlooked the town of Norman and learned about the center’s plans for expansion. Our tour guide also showed us vehicles used by NWS for severe weather research including radar trucks. We were also able to visit the Storm Prediction Center stationed inside the building and immediately noticed how few meteorologists there were in the center, especially considering they are responsible for issuing all severe weather watches across the entire country. The local NWS Forecast Office, who is responsible for weather forecasts and warnings for the city and surrounding counties, was slightly larger. The tour of the Weather Center was led by a "real life meteorologist", who seemed to take great pride in his profession. Maj. Nixon, also a "real life meteorologist", seemed unimpressed.

After the tour, we traveled to Tinker Air Force Base where we talked to their weather team. They explained daily operations and what they do in case of an emergency. They told us a few stories about the base’s interactions with tornadoes in the past, and also demonstrated how they transfer command when a shift is over. We ended the day in Guthrie, OK, just in case we decided to observe storms the next day, although the long drive and early flight times on Sunday make this unlikely.