Ever wonder how hailstones grow from tiny droplets of water into chunks of ice that can range from pea- to grapefruit-sized? This Animated Atmosphere video takes you and Jeff the yeti inside a thunderstorm to discover the science behind this super cool weather phenomenon! ⛈️ 🎨: FableVision Studios

Get behind the desk of a solar scientist at our NSF NCAR Mauna Loa Solar Observatory… right from the comfort of the Mesa Lab in Boulder! 😎 Our latest exhibit, Sun-Earth Connections, gives you a hands-on look at a workstation in the observatory! Take a tour w/ @ucarscied.bsky.social: bit.ly/45uNyPO

Calling all K-12 educators! 📚🌎 Want to be the first to hear about free classroom resources, upcoming teacher professional development opportunities, and spring field trips—both virtual and in-person?

Tuesday evening, members of our team were at the Telluride Library for the Pinhead Institute Punk Science: Surprising Science Superpowers of Air event!

Last month, thirteen educators from rural Colorado districts came together at the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab for the STEM Career Connections (STEMCC) Summer Institute! 🎉

Join Snacks the Dog as he learns what makes a tornado a tornado! In this Animated Atmosphere video, Snacks (and you!) will discover the definition of a tornado, where they most commonly occur in the U.S., how tornado alerts are broadcast, and where to seek shelter if a tornado is approaching.

Looking for a cool way to spend a hot summer day? ☀️ Escape the heat and explore the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab! Join one of our free public noon tours to learn about the building, atmospheric science, and the fascinating research happening at NSF NCAR.

Earlier this month, our team headed to Salt Lake City for more National Ozone Garden Network site visits!

Happy Summer Solstice! ☀️ Today marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, and we experience our greatest amount of daylight.

What makes a hurricane a hurricane? In this Animated Atmosphere video, you'll meet one of Earth's most powerful storms and learn how hurricanes form, why they can be so dangerous, and the different hazards they bring. 🎨: @FableVision Studios

What keeps ocean water moving around our planet? 🌊🌎 Beneath the waves, a vast network of currents is constantly at work. Known as thermohaline circulation, or the "great ocean conveyor belt," this system moves water around the globe based on differences in temperature and salinity. 📸: CLIVAR

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a laboratory ON a plane!✈️ 🐦‍⬛ Join us at the upcoming Explorer Series lecture to hear about recent discoveries from field projects using "labs in the sky." 🗓️: Wed., June 17 from 7-8:30 P.M. MDT 📍: NSF NCAR Mesa Lab & online Register: https://bit.ly/4vQ2inI

Today, we're celebrating the power of curiosity, exploration, and discovery through interactive learning—or simply, play!

FastEddy + drone observations = neighborhood-level wind predictions! A collaboration between NSF NCAR & @universityofky.bsky.social aims to improve low-altitude wind predictions (notoriously difficult to model) by combining weather observations from uncrewed aircraft systems with FastEddy.

Summer internship season is well underway for the 2026 intern cohort! ☀️ In late May, students from across the country arrived in Boulder to begin their summer research experiences. Throughout orientation week, students participated in training workshops and community-building activities.

What do you see when you look up at the clouds? ☁️👀 A crab? The belly of a whale? Maybe a field of mushrooms drifting across the sky? It's amazing how our brains can turn clouds into familiar shapes and scenes.

When you check the forecast, do you ever think to check the Sun? Space weather begins with the Sun—and while invisible to the naked eye, it can impact satellites, communications systems, power grids, and even astronaut safety. ☀️🚀

Have you ever noticed symbols like blue triangles or red semicircles on a weather map and wondered what they mean? 🌦️

Experience fluxART. Join us for a special Explorer Series event discovering creative insights and sharing multimedia artwork w/ Faculty Fellow Maoya Bassiouni & artists Julia Oldham & Mallery Quetawki. 🗓️: Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 – 8:30 P.M. MDT 📍: Mesa Lab and online webcast https://bit.ly/4nILVXp

Wildfires are commonly characterized by the total number of acres burned rather than the rate at which they spread. However, studying the speed of a fire adds another important dimension that can help scientists better understand, manage, and prevent fires in the future. 🔥

Museums help connect us to the world around us—and at the @ncar-ucar.bsky.social Mesa Lab Visitor Center, discovery is happening every day! ✨🔬

Join us June 9-10, 2026, for From Fossils to Forecasts, a two-day professional development workshop designed for K-12 educators interested in exploring connections between Colorado's ancient past, present, and future.

We had a great time yesterday at Operation Water Festival!💧 Hosted by the City of Boulder, this event brought local students together for a day of interactive learning all about water—from drinking water treatment and conservation to ecosystems, geology, and the science of water on Earth!

We’re stratos-fearlessly celebrating National Pun Day by talking about the layers of Earth’s atmosphere! 🌎☁️ Earth’s atmosphere is made up of several layers—the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere—with each layer having its own unique characteristics!

Last week, our team visited a new member of the National Ozone Garden Network: the Walter Anderson Museum of Art! 🌿🎨

We still have a few spots open for summer field trips this July and August!

Happy #TeacherAppreciationDay! Today we’re celebrating the educators who inspire curiosity, spark discovery, and help students connect to the world around them. 🌎 Thank you for everything you do!

Join us for the annual Earth Day, Every Day celebration hosted by the Cities of Lafayette and Louisville tomorrow, May 2, from 10 am-2 pm. Bring your friends and family to this free event, open to all ages. From food trucks to a scavenger hunt, there is something for everyone!

Last chance to join us TODAY! Don’t miss our Rising Heat professional development workshop happening this afternoon—designed to help educators explore the science of extreme heat and how it impacts our communities.

What is our perfect date? April 25th ⛅ Because it's not too hot and not too cold... all you need is a light jacket.