Helicopter tours, balloon launchers present at weather festival

Visitors can enjoy a free, family-oriented festival filled with fun events, activities and information at the Norman campus’ weather center on November 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The National Weather Center will be hosting its 7th annual National Weather Festival on Saturday. The National Weather Festival will treat guest to activities suitable for all ages. Children will be able to watch balloons launched in the air every hour of the event alongside local television meteorologists. LEGO models and crafted robots will be on display and used as demonstration for the use of effects of weather. Professionals specializing in the field of weather and meteorology will be readily available to answer questions. Experts will set up booths throughout the weather center and deliver information on the subject of weather in Oklahoma, tornadoes and storms sheltering and prevention. The major local news stations from the Oklahoma City regional have agreed to show their helicopters at the festival. The choppers from KWTV, KOCO and KFOR will be available for touring. Guests will also be able to meet the pilots from each station and ask questions about the aircraft. The focus of the National Weather Festival is geared toward the education of weather and meteorology. The weather center displays real time forecasts of state, national and global areas by the use of mesonets, or weather monitoring stations that visually measures various climate conditions. This year, the Oklahoma Mesonet is celebrating their 20th anniversary of service at the National Weather Festival by delivering Mesonet-branded cookies and hot chocolate to patrons. The National Weather Festival netted a record-breaking 5,000 entries in 2013. Weather balloon launches and news station aircrafts were presented at the event as well as KFOR meteorologist Emily Sutton. The National Weather Center is located at the intersection of corner of Oklahoma State Highway 9 and Jenkins Avenue. Visitors will be able to turn on David L. Boren Boulevard to enter the parking lot.