Oklahoma weather technology plays role in Heart's tour

Although Heart's Catoosa appearance will be an indoor concert, the band frequently plays outdoor shows, which can be threatened by adverse weather conditions. So the band has contracted with the Norman-based Weather Decisions Technologies Inc. (WDT) to use WeatherOps, a meteorological data analysis service that provides crucial information on weather conditions up to seven days in advance of concert dates.

“Outdoor events are a staple of the concert industry during the summer season and of Heart's business specifically,” said Bill Cracknell, Heart's tour manager, in a statement. “Safety has always been a priority to us and we're excited to be in a position to work with the professionals at WDT on the critical production elements of weather preparedness and action planning.”

In recent years, outdoor concerts in Oklahoma have either been cut short or canceled due to high winds, including a 2010 Yes/Peter Frampton concert at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho and a 2011 concert by the Flaming Lips in downtown Tulsa. In August 2011, a stage collapsed at Indiana State Fair prior to a scheduled Sugarland concert, killing seven people and injuring several others.