The Physical Sciences Division conducts weather and climate research to observe and understand Earth's physical environment, and to improve weather and climate predictions on global-to-local scales

Science Highlights

Interpreting Climate Conditions
Explaining evolving climate conditions and assessing their impacts, particularly at regional or local levels
AR animation Atmospheric Rivers
Narrow corridors of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere that can produce dangerous storms when striking land
arctic Arctic Climate Observations
Understanding the mechanisms that control the changing Arctic climate through detailed observations
hurricane Improving Hurricane Intensity Forecasts
Atmospheric observations, laboratory experiments & computer modeling studies to improve measurements of air-sea processes under hurricane conditions
dustbowl 20th Century Reanalysis
A global atmospheric dataset spanning 1871 to 2010 to place current atmospheric patterns into a historical perspective
radar Improving Hydrologic Forecasts & Warnings
NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT): Regional experiments to help determine the most useful new tools for improving precipitation & runoff forecasting methods