 Danger to aviation by microbursts. | |
| Date | May 15–June 30, 1978 |
|---|---|
| Location | Greater Chicago |
| Also known as | Northern Illinois Meteorological Research On Downburst |
| Participants | National Center for Atmospheric Research and University of Chicago under the direction of Ted Fujita and Ramesh Srivastava |
| Outcome | Documented downbursts, microbursts and other severe wind events with thunderstorms. |
Project NIMROD (Northern Illinois Meteorological Research On Downburst) was a meteorological field study of severe thunderstorms and their damaging winds conducted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). It took place in the Greater Chicago area from May 15 to June 30, 1978. Data collected was from single cell thunderstorms as well as mesoscale convective systems, such as bow echoes. Using Doppler weather radars and damage clues on the ground, the team studied mesocyclones, downbursts and gust fronts. NIMROD was the first time that microbursts, very localized strong downdrafts under thunderstorms, were detected; this helped improve airport and public safety by the development of systems like the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar and the Low-level windshear alert system.