Jim Steenburgh, Ph.D.

 

Professor, Atmospheric Sciences 

Atmospheric Sciences
University of Utah
135 S 1460 East Rm 819 (WBB)
Salt Lake City, Ut 84112-0110

Office: 819 WBB
Office Phone: (801) 581-8727
Email: jim.steenburgh@utah.edu
>> Curriculum Vitae

Degrees:
1995 Ph.D. Atmospheric Sciences University of Washington
1989 B.S. Meteorology The Pennsylvania State University

 

Selected Publications:

Bridging the gap between operations and research to improve weather prediction in mountainous regions  (Book Section), 2012
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Mountain weather prediction: Phenomenological challenges and forecast methodology  (Book Section), 2012
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Episodic dust events of Utah's Wasatch Front and adjoining region  (Journal Article), 2012
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Great Salt Lake-effect precipitation: Observed frequency, characteristics, and associated environmental factors  (Journal Article), 2012
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Quantifying the role of atmospheric rivers in the interior western United States  (Journal Article), 2012
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Influences of the Sierra Nevada on Intermountain cold-front evolution  (Journal Article), 2011
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Life cycle and mesoscale frontal structure of an Intermountain cyclone  (Journal Article), 2010
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Multi-reanalysis climatology of Intermountain Cyclones  (Journal Article), 2010
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Snow-to-liquid ratio variability and prediction at a high elevation site in Utah's Wasatch Mountains  (Journal Article), 2010
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Discrete frontal propagation over the Sierra-Cascade Mountains and Intermountain West  (Journal Article), 2009
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Climatology of strong Intermountain cold fronts  (Journal Article), 2008
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Secrets of the "Greatest Snow on Earth"  (Journal Article), 2008
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Models as educational tools  (Journal Article), 2007
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Spurious grid-scale precipitation in the North American Regional Reanalysis  (Journal Article), 2007
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Strengths and weaknesses of MOS, running-mean bias removal, and Kalman filter techniques for improving model forecasts over the western U.S.  (Journal Article), 2007
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Terrain influences on synoptic storm structure and mesoscale precipitation distribution during IPEX IOP3  (Journal Article), 2006
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Can carbon dioxide be used as a tracer of urban atmospheric transport?  (Journal Article), 2005
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Evaluation of surface sensible weather forecasts by the WRF and Eta models over the western United States  (Journal Article), 2005
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High resolution simulations and microphysical validation of an orographic precipitation event over the Wasatch Mountains during IPEX IOP3  (Journal Article), 2005
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Model forecast improvements with decreased horizontal grid spacing over fine-scale Intermountain orography during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games  (Journal Article), 2005
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The kinematic structure of a Wasatch Mountain winter storm during IPEX IOP3  (Journal Article), 2005
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An evaluation of mesoscale-model-based model output statistics (MOS) during the 2002 Ollympic and Paralympic Winter Games  (Journal Article), 2004
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Intermountain winter storm evolution during a 100-inch storm cycle  (Journal Article), 2004
[citation] 

One hundred inches in one hundred hours: The complex evolution of an Intermountain winter storm cycle  (Journal Article), 2004
[citation]  [text]

One hundred inches in one hundred hours: Evolution of a Wasatch Mountain Winter Storm Cycle  (Journal Article), 2003
[citation]  [abstract]  [text]

A climatological study of thermally driven wind systems of the U.S. Intermountain West  (Journal Article), 2002
[citation]  [abstract]  [text]

Understanding Utah winter storms: The Intermountain Precipitation Experiment  (Journal Article), 2002
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Using real-time mesoscale modeling in undergraduate education  (Journal Article), 2002
[citation] 

Weather support for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games  (Journal Article), 2002
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Diagnostic and sensitivity studies of the 7 December 1998 Great Salt Lake-effect snowstorm  (Journal Article), 2001
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Multiscale analysis of the 7 December 1998 Great Salt Lake-effect snowstorm  (Journal Article), 2001
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Topograhic distortion of a cold front over the Snake River Plain and central Idaho Mountains  (Journal Article), 2001
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An observational and numerical study of an orographically trapped wind reversal along the west coast of the U.S.  (Journal Article), 2000
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Climatology of lake-effect snowstorms of the Great Salt Lake  (Journal Article), 2000
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Short-term forecast validation of six models  (Journal Article), 1999
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The formation of a forward-tilting cold front with multiple cloud bands during Superstorm 1993  (Journal Article), 1999
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The structure and evolution of gap outflow over the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico  (Journal Article), 1998
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The influence of terrain-induced circulations on wintertime temperature and snow level in the Washington Cascades  (Journal Article), 1997
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Interaction of an intense extratropical cyclone with coastal orography  (Journal Article), 1996
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The structure and evolution of a simulated Rocky Mountain lee trough  (Journal Article), 1994
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On the interpretation of geopotential height tendency equations  (Journal Article), 1993
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Diurnal surface-pressure variations over the continental United States and the influence of sea level reduction  (Journal Article), 1991
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Research Statement

My research group examines the weather and climate of the western United States and other mountainous regions of the world, with emphasis on orographic and lake-effect precipitation, front-mountain interactions, and weather analysis and forecasting. The overarching goal of our work, which is supported by the National Science Foundation and NOAA/National Weather Service, is to improve weather and climate prediction over areas of complex terrain.

Research Keywords, Regions of Interest and Languages:

Keywords: Weather Analysis and Forecasting; Mountain Weather and Climate (4)

Courses I Teach

ATMOS 3010 Weather ForecastingATMOS 5010 Weather ForecastingATMOS 5110 Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology I
ATMOS 5210 Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology II
ATMOS 5120 Weather Discussion
ATMOS 6110 Synoptic Meteorology I
ATMOS 6120 Synoptic Meteorology II
ATMOS 6210 Weather Discussion

Awards

2002 Outstanding Service Award - National Weather Service
( for outstand ing service to the weather support group for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games )

2001 Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award - College of Mines and Earth Sciences

Favorite Quote:
"Did you ever wonder what would happen if it started snowing and never stopped?" - Steve Casimiro