Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms

Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms
Name	Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms
Established	1980
Type	Research Laboratory
Affiliation	University of Oklahoma
Location	Norman, Oklahoma, United States
Director	David Stensrud

Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms. The Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) is a multidisciplinary atmospheric research center located near Norman, Oklahoma and affiliated with the University of Oklahoma. CAPS conducts advanced numerical modeling, data assimilation, and field observations aimed at improving prediction of severe convective storms, tropical cyclones, and mesoscale meteorological phenomena. The center partners with federal agencies, academic institutions, and international programs to translate research into operational forecasting improvements and societal applications.

History

CAPS was founded in 1980 as part of a broader expansion of mesoscale research activities associated with the National Severe Storms Laboratory and the University of Oklahoma. Early work at CAPS grew from collaborations with researchers linked to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Weather Service, and the Air Force Weather Agency. During the 1980s and 1990s CAPS contributed to studies connected to the VORTEX projects and collaborated with participants from the NOAA community and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Through the 2000s CAPS played a role in international field programs such as Tropical Cyclone Structure Experiment and engaged with initiatives led by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. Leadership transitions at CAPS have included directors with prior ties to Penn State University, Colorado State University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reinforcing cross-institutional networks with centers such as the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies.

Mission and Research Focus

CAPS pursues a mission to advance understanding and prediction of severe weather through development of high-resolution numerical models, innovative data assimilation techniques, and integration of diverse observations. Research themes connect to work on convective initiation studied alongside teams from Texas A&M University, Iowa State University, and University of Wisconsin–Madison; on hurricane structure coordinated with University of Miami and National Hurricane Center scientists; and on ensemble forecasting informed by methodologies from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and Goddard Space Flight Center. CAPS activities span theoretical studies linked to researchers at Princeton University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as applied projects with the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Homeland Security. Emphasis on rapid-update cycling and probabilistic guidance draws on collaborations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laboratories and the Met Office.

Organizational Structure and Partnerships

CAPS is organized into research groups focused on numerical modeling, data assimilation, observational analysis, and forecast applications. The center maintains academic appointments through the School of Meteorology (University of Oklahoma) and holds cooperative agreements with federal laboratories including the National Severe Storms Laboratory and the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. CAPS partners with international institutions such as University of Reading, ETH Zurich, and University of Tokyo for collaborative projects. Funding and programmatic links include awards from the National Science Foundation, programmatic support from NOAA, and targeted efforts with the Office of Science and Technology Policy. CAPS faculty and staff have joint affiliations with research consortia like the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and data-sharing arrangements with observatories such as AERONET and ARM Climate Research Facility.

Facilities and Observational Assets

CAPS operates high-performance computing clusters and maintains software suites for community models including the Weather Research and Forecasting model and variational/data-assimilation systems used by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Observational capabilities linked to CAPS research include access to the Doppler on Wheels radars, collaborations using the NEXRAD network, and deployments of mobile sounding systems employed in field campaigns such as VORTEX2. CAPS researchers leverage satellite data from platforms like GOES-R series, NOAA-20, and MetOp and ingest aircraft observations from programs such as Hurricane Field Program and Global Hawk missions conducted by NASA. Laboratory facilities at University of Oklahoma include visualization centers and testbeds for forecast decision-support tools used by partners such as the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center.

Major Projects and Contributions

CAPS has contributed to advances in convection-allowing modeling, ensemble-based prediction, and storm-scale data assimilation that have influenced operational forecasting at the National Weather Service and guided protocols at the Storm Prediction Center. CAPS scientists played prominent roles in the VORTEX and VORTEX2 field campaigns, in the Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment and in international projects such as THORPEX-related studies. Research outputs include improvements to radar-assimilating four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) systems used by Met Office and NOAA modeling centers, and demonstration projects transitioning techniques to the Environmental Modeling Center. CAPS publications inform best practices at the American Meteorological Society meetings and underpin training materials used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Education, Outreach, and Training

CAPS integrates graduate education through the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology offering doctoral and master's research opportunities supervised by faculty affiliated with CAPS. The center conducts workshops and short courses in partnership with the National Weather Service and hosts visiting scientists from institutions like University of Cambridge, University of Colorado Boulder, and Imperial College London. Outreach includes public briefings during field campaigns coordinated with the Oklahoma Mesonet and collaborations with regional media and emergency management agencies including Oklahoma Emergency Management. CAPS alumni hold positions across academia, including appointments at Pennsylvania State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and federal agencies such as NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Category:Atmospheric sciences research institutes