Advanced Topics in Atmospheric Dynamics: Cool-Season Precipitation Processes and Prediction
Summer Semester 2026
Course Description
A graduate survey of cool-season precipitation processes, impacts, and prediction including precipitation measurement, microphyiscal processes, winter storms, atmospheric rivers, orographic and lake-effect precipitation, climate-change trends and projections, and related topics.
My Assumptions
This course is for graduate students in the atmospheric, cryospheric, and related environmental sciences. Students should have taken calculus and calculus-based physics courses and possess a basic (not advanced) understanding of meteorology and climate. I encourage and will take advantage of the diverse student backgrounds from outside the atmospheric sciences.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to: (1) characterize and explain the global and regional distributions of precipitation and snowfall, including spatial variations in complex terrain, (2) diagnose the dynamic, thermodynamic, and microphyiscal processes affecting cool-season precipitation and winter storms in a variety of synoptic, mesoscale, and orographic settings, (3) apply and understand the capabilities and limitations of numerical and machine-learned forecast models for predicting precipitation, snowfall, and snowfall characteristics in mountainous regions and (4) begin to apply this knowledge for research in the atmospheric, cryospheric, and related environmental sciences.
Format
Class meets on Mondays from 12.45-14.00 and Thursdays from 08.45–10.00 in Bruno-Sander-Haus, 8th floor, room no. 819 and involves pre-class readings, lectures, and practical exercises that include student presentations, group discussions, and active-learning exercises.
Course Materials
Readings and other course materials come primarily from the peer reviewed literature and textbooks that should be freely available from University of Innsbruck IP addresses. Assigned readings should be completed before each class.
Grading
This is a course for self-motivated and engaged graduate students. I expect students to read assigned materials prior to class, to actively participate in class and group learning activities, and to give high-quality presentations.
Students must miss no more than 3 classes to receive a grade.
Grading is based on class participation (20%), two presentations (20% each), a group forecasting project (20%), and a final exam (20%).
Rubrics for the participation and oral presentation grades are available in the left-hand navigation bar.
Final grades will be assigned as follows:
- 90 or higher = 1
- 80-89 = 2
- 70-79 = 3
- 60-69 = 4
- Below 60 = 5
Student Presentations
Each student will give two oral presentations, which allows students to explore select topics in greater depth and allows the class to see a broader range of perspectives. Each presentation should be 12 minutes in legnth plus 3 minutes for questions and can be a traditional conference-style presentation (e.g., intro, data and methods, results, conclusions), a summary of case studies or literature reviews, or a discussion of recent advances or unsolved problems or paradoxes in the topic area.
The first presentation should be related to precipitation systems and microphysical processes; global precipitation characteristics; precipitation measurement; winter storm fundamentals; atmospheric rivers; or fronts and cold-air damming. The second should be related to orographic precpitation; lake- and sea-effect precipitation; or climate change, snow, and skiing.
Schedule and Readings
March 2: Course overview
March 5: Class project orientation
March 9: Precipitation systems and microphysical processes
March 12: Global precipitation characteristics and precipitaiton measurement
March 16: Winter storm fundamentals I
March 19: Winter storm fundamentals II
March 23: Atmospheric rivers
March 26: Fronts and cold-air damming
March 30: Easter holidays!
April 2: Easter holidays!
April 6: Easter holidays!
April 9: Easter holidays!
April 13: Student presentations (4-5)
April 16: Student presentations (4-5)
April 20: Student presentations (4-5)
April 23: Student presentations (4-5)
April 27: Orographic precipitation I
April 30: Orographic precipitation II
May 4: Lake- and sea-effect precipitation I
May 7: Lake- and sea-effect precipitation II
May 11: Climate change, snow, and skiing
May 14: Ascension day holiday!
May 18: Student presentations (4-5_
May 21: Student presentations (4-5)
May 25: Whit Monday holiday!
May 28: Student presentations (4-5)
June 1: Student presentations (4-5)
June 4: Corpus Christi holiday!
June 8: Forecasting Applications
June 11: Group presentations
June 15: Group presentations
June 18: No class
June 22: Final exam
June 25: No class
Powerpoints
Coming soon
