Earlier Severe Weather Warnings

(Inside Science TV) -- Early warning is key in any severe weather forecast. Meteorologists at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology have developed the Collaborative Lower Atmosphere Mobile Profiling System (CLAMPS).  CLAMPS is a trailer full of instruments that measure air temperature, humidity, and the wind.

According to David Turner, a meteorologist with the NSSL, the goal is to create rapid forecasts that can tell scientists and the public what the weather conditions will be like in the next 30 minutes to one hour.  "We'd like to be able to issue a warning based on a forecast that would lengthen our ability to give warnings by 10-20 minutes that could be extremely beneficial in saving lives.