Cirrus clouds—thin strands or sheets usually composed of ice crystals—form high in the atmosphere. A new study led by NCAR scientist Steve Massie employs satellite technology to observe the clouds in greater detail than before.

The sirens sound when the skies turn black and violent supercell thunderstorms roar through.

The year 2010 brought a difficult and sometimes tragic few months of weather events—first the snowstorms and record cold that battered much of the Northern Hemisphere, then tornadoes and floods in the United States.

After a very unusual tornado caused extensive damage along a 34-mile (55-kilometer) swath of northern Colorado in 2008, a team of scientists from NCAR and Colorado State University undertook a multidisciplinary study integrating meteorology, climatology, and social science.

The collaborative international project, involving scientists from NCAR and other organizations, may ultimately improve tornado forecasting.