The National Weather Museum and Science Center is at risk of closing due to a lack of funding.
The National Weather Museum and Science Center, a nonprofit started in the early 2000s, is the only museum in the country dedicated to weather. It’s a project that was first brought up in Norman’s Weather Committee, according to Director Ross Forsyth, who said his father was part of the committee.
kAmu@CDJE9 D2:5 E96 >FD6F> 5@6D ?@E C646:G6 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 2?5 C6=:6D @? 5@?2E:@?D[ 8C2?ED 2?5 A2CE?6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 r=6G6=2?5 r@F?EJ t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E r@2=:E:@?[ H9:49 C646?E=J 2??@F?465 :E H@F=5 92=E 7F?5:?8 E@ E96 >FD6F> 2?5 @E96C }@C>2? ?@?AC@7:ED]k^Am
kAm“ %96J’G6 366? 2 8C62E A2CE?6C] %96J’G6 96=A65 FD ?2G:82E6 FAD 2?5 5@H?D W2?5X C:56 @FE D@>6 @7 E96 DECF88=6D @7 2 ?@?AC@7:E[” 96 D2:5] “%96 W}@C>2?X r:EJ r@F?4:= ?@E C6?6H:?8 E96:C 562=D H:E9 E9@D6 A2CE?6CD 92D C62==J 9FCE FD 3642FD6 WrrtsrX 5@6D?’E 92G6 E96 7F?5:?8 ?@H E92E E96J 6IA64E65 2?5 ?66565 E@ >2<6 4FED]”k^Am
kAm%96 }@C>2? r:EJ r@F?4:= 2?5 E96 rrtsr 92G6 366? 😕 4@?EC24E ?68@E:2E:@?D @G6C E96 A2DE 76H >@?E9D[ H:E9 E96 4@2=:E:@? 2D<:?8 E96 4:EJ E@ 2==@42E6 S`b_[___ E@ E96 @C82?:K2E:@?] %96 4:EJ AC6G:@FD=J 925 2 4@?EC24E H:E9 }@C>2? t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E r@2=:E:@?[ H9:49 EC2?D:E:@?65 E@ E96 rrtsr 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmx? A2DE >66E:?8D[ 4@F?4:= >6>36CD H6C6 4@?46C?65 23@FE 7:D42= EC2?DA2C6?4J 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ C682C5:?8 E96 4@?EC24E] %96 4@?EC24E H2D @C:8:?2==J =:DE65 2D 2? 24E:@? :E6> @? E96 s64] `e }@C>2? r:EJ r@F?4:= 286?52[ 3FE H2D C6>@G65 7C@> E96 286?52 s64] `d] %96 4:EJ 2?5 rrtsr 92G6 J6E E@ D:8? 2 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAmrrtsr !C6D:56?E {2HC6?46 |4z:??6J D2:5 :E’D F?7@CEF?2E6 E96 DFAA@CE AC@G:565 E@ E96 4:EJ 2?5 @E96C 4:G:4 @C82?:K2E:@?D H:== 4@>6 E@ 2? 6?5] |4z:??6J D2:5 E96 4@2=:E:@? AC@G:565 Sd[___ 2??F2==J E@ DFAA@CE >FD6F> @A6C2E:@? 4@DED @G6C E96 A2DE E9C66 J62CD[ H:E9 E96 2?E:4:A2E:@? E92E 7F?5:?8 7@C 2 ?6H >FD6F> H@F=5 92G6 EC24E:@? 7C@> E96 4:EJ[ DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= =6G6=D]k^Am
kAm%96 }(|$r[ `a__ (] #@4< rC66< #@25[ 92D 366? 😕 :ED 4FCC6?E =@42E:@?[ H9:49 u@CDJE9 42==65 2 “E6>A@C2CJ 9@>6[” D:?46 a_`e[ 2D :E ?2G:82E6D E96 AC@46DD @7 3F:=5:?8 2 ?6H >FD6F>] xE 2=D@ 762EFC6D 2 D>2==6C[ EC2G6=:?8 G6CD:@? @7 E96 >FD6F> E92E 42? 36 EC2?DA@CE65 E@ D49@@=D 2?5 @E96C =@42E:@?D 7@C 65F42E:@?2= FD6]k^Am
kAm%96 >FD6F> 762EFC6D H62E96C 2CE:724ED[ :?4=F5:?8 }@C>2?’D 7:CDE s@AA=6C #252C[ 2?5 E62496D E96 D4:6?46 2?5 56G6=@A>6?ED E92E @44FC 5FC:?8 H62E96C 6G6?ED[ 2D H6== 2D H62E96C D276EJ 2?5 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 H62E96C] xE 2=D@ 9@FD6D 2 C63F:=E %\ag 2:C4C27E[ E96 @?=J 2:C4C27E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ 7=J E9C@F89 2 E9F?56CDE@C>[ 2?5 2 52>2865 42C 7C@> E96 |2J a_ab E@C?25@] u@CDJE9 D2:5 :E D66D G:D:E@CD 7C@> 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 DE2E6 3FE E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 G:D:E@CD 2C6 7C@> @FED:56 @7 ~<=29@>2]k^Am
kAm“ (6 4FC2E6 E96 2CE:724ED 2?5 E96D6 2C6 @?6\@7\2\<:?5[ 42?’E 36 7@F?5 2?JH96C6 W6=D6X 2?5 H6’C6 :?DECF>6?E2= 😕 D@CE @7 A2G:?8 E96 H2J 7@C E96 7@C642DE H6 86E E@52J[” u@CDJE9 D2:5] “%96? H6 4@>3:?6 E92E H:E9 E96 ?6H E649?@=@8J… 2?5 E96? H6’C6 2 d_`WrXWbX ?@?AC@7:E 7@C 65F42E:@?]”k^Am
kAmu@CDJE9 D2:5 E96 >FD6F>’D @A6C2E:@?2= 4@DED 2C6 =@H] w6 D2:5 >@DE @7 E96 A6@A=6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 >FD6F> 5@ D@ @? 2 G@=F?E66C 32D:D 3FE :E 5@6D 6>A=@J 5@46?ED 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 ~<=29@>2 E@ 8:G6 E@FCD] |2:? 4@DED 7@C E96 >FD6F> :?4=F56 C6?E 2?5 FE:=:E:6D[ H9:49 u@CDJE9 6DE:>2E6D 2C6 2C@F?5 Sd_[___ 2??F2==J]k^Am
kAm“ (6 766= =:<6 H6’G6 =@DE … 2 >2;@C D@FC46 @7 @FC 7F?5:?8] (6’G6 2=D@ =@DE 2 A2CE?6C E92E E96J 42?’E … E96C6’D ?@ 562= 36EH66? E96 W4:EJ 2?5 rrtsrX[ D@ E96? H6 5@?’E 766= =:<6 H6 92G6 >F49 DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 4@F?4:= :ED6=7] $@ :E’D 92C5 E@ D2J H96C6 H6 8@ 7C@> 96C6]”k^Am
kAmu@CDJE9 D2:5 E96 =24< @7 DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 4:EJ 92D 366? “D@ 5:D2AA@:?E:?8[” 6DA64:2==J 2D :E DFAA@CED @E96C ?@?AC@7:ED 😕 E96 4:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 |@@C6\{:?5D2J w:DE@C:42= w@FD6 |FD6F>]k^Am
kAm}@C>2? |2J@C $E6A96? %J=6C w@=>2? D2:5 E96 4:EJ @H?D E96 |@@C6\{:?5D2J w:DE@C:42= w@FD6 |FD6F>[ 2D H6== 2D E96 u:C69@FD6 pCE r6?E6C[ %96 s6A@E 2?5 $@@?6C %962EC6[ H9:49 😀 H9J E9@D6 @C82?:K2E:@?D C646:G6 7F?5:?8 7C@> E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm~E96C ?@?AC@7:ED 😕 E96 2C62 42? C646:G6 7F?5:?8 7C@> E96 4:EJ 3J DF3>:EE:?8 2 C6BF6DE 7@C E96 D@4:2= 2?5 G@=F?E2CJ D6CG:46D 3F586E] %9:D A2DE yF?6[ E92E 3F586E 925 Sad_[___ E92E 4@F=5 36 2==@42E65 E@ D6CG:46\@C:6?E65 ?@?AC@7:E @C82?:K2E:@?D[ w@=>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“ p?J ?@?AC@7:E 😕 }@C>2? 42? C6BF6DE 7F?5:?8 7C@> E92E 3F586E[” 96 D2:5] “%96 >2I:>F> 2>@F?E E92E 6249 42? 86E[ x E9:?<[ 😀 S`_[___] $@ W%96X $2=G2E:@? pC>J 86ED S`_[___[ u@@5 2?5 $96=E6C 7@C uC:6?5D 86ED S`_[___[ q6E96D52 86ED S`_[___[ 6E 46E6C2[ 6E 46E6C2] {2DE J62C[ x E9:?< H6 8@E Sbd_[___ 😕 C6BF6DED 7C@> E96 ?@?AC@7:ED 2?5 E96 3F586E[ 282:?[ E96 2AAC@G65 3F586E H2D Sad_[___]”k^Am
kAmw@=>2?[ H9@ 92D D6CG65 @? E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:= D:?46 a_`b[ D2:5 96 5@6D ?@E C642== D66:?8 2 C6BF6DE 7@C 7F?5:?8 7C@> E96 >FD6F> 5FC:?8 9:D E:>6 @? E96 4@F?4:=[ 255:?8 E92E :7 E96 >FD6F> 92D DF3>:EE65 2 C6BF6DE[ :E 5:5 ?@E >2<6 :E E@ E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:=]k^Am
kAmw6 25565 E92E :E’D F?7@CEF?2E6 E92E E96 rrtsr H@F=5 AF== 7F?5:?8 7C@> E96 >FD6F> 5F6 E@ 2 =24< @7 28C66>6?E 36EH66? E96 4@2=:E:@? 2?5 E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm“ WxE’DX H6:C5 E@ >6[ x 8F6DD[ E92E E96 7F?5:?8 7@C 2 >FD6F> E92E D6CG6D E96 H9@=6 4@F?EJ 2?5 C62==J E96 H9@=6 DE2E6[ 2?5 x 8F6DD E96 H9@=6 4@F?ECJ D:?46 :E’D 2 }2E:@?2= (62E96C |FD6F> … (9J E92E H@F=5 36 :>A24E65 3J 2 =24< @7 2? 28C66>6?E 36EH66? E96 4@F?EJ 4@2=:E:@? 2?5 E96 4:EJ @7 }@C>2?[” w@=>2? D2:5[ “xE 5@6D?’E C62==J >2<6 D6?D6 E@ >6] ]]] x H@F=5 6?4@FC286 E96 t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E r@2=:E:@? E@ C64@?D:56C AF==:?8 E96:C 7F?5:?8 7C@> E92E @C82?:K2E:@? D:?46 E96J 5@ D6CG6 E96 H9@=6 4@F?EJ 2?5 WE96 >FD6F>X 😀 2? 2EEC24E:@? E92E 42? 96=A D6CG6 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 😕 r=6G6=2?5 r@F?EJ]”k^Am
kAm|4z:??6J 4@?7:C>65 E@ %96 %C2?D4C:AE E92E E96 rrtsr 92D 2 4@?EC24E H:E9 r=6G6=2?5 r@F?EJ[ H9:49 AC@G:56D S` A6C 42A:E2 32D65 @? E96 =2E6DE A@AF=2E:@? ?F>36CD] w6 D2:5 E96 =2E6DE ?F>36CD H6C6 7C@> a_ab 2?5 C6DF=E65 😕 E96 4@F?EJ 2==@42E:?8 Sb_b[___ E@ E96 4@2=:E:@?] w@H6G6C[ |4z:??6J D2:5[ H:E9@FE 4:EJ DFAA@CE[ DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= DFAA@CE 7@C E96 >FD6F> H:== ?@E 4@>6 E@ 7CF:E:@?]k^Am
kAm“ (6’C6 E96 @?=J H62E96C >FD6F> 😕 E96 4@F?ECJ … 2?5 H6’G6 8@E DF49 2 F?:BF6 @776C:?8[” u@CDJE9 D2:5] “}@C>2? 😀 E96 H62E96C 42A:E2= @7 E96 4@F?ECJ[ :7 ?@E E96 H@C=5] (6 E9@F89E H6’5 86E >@C6 DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 2E 2 C62= 4C@DDC@25D :7 H6 42? 4@?E:?F6 😕 }@C>2?[” 96 25565]k^Am
kAm%@ 5@?2E6 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= (62E96C |FD6F> 2?5 $4:6?46 r6?E6C[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?2E:@?2=H62E96C>FD6F>]4@>Qm?2E:@?2=H62E96C>FD6F>]4@>k^2m] pD @7 s64] b_[ E96 >FD6F> 92D C2:D65 gcT @7 E96 S`b[a__ ?66565 E@ <66A E96 >FD6F> @A6? E9C@F89 DAC:?8]k^Am