The University of Utah CSTAR Program

The Collaboartive Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) Program is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS) effort to transition collaborative research between forecasters and academic instituations to operations. The University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences has served as a center of excellence for the CSTAR program for many years. Highlights of our past and ongoing efforts include:

  • MesoWest, a real-time cooperative data exchange that provides access to environmental observations throughout the nation. MesoWest is used for forecasting, research, and educational purposes by hundreds of NWS meteorologists and thousands of other users daily.

  • Applied research examining orographic and lake-effect precipitation, persistent cold-air pools, downslope windstorms, cyclones, and fronts, that has led to advances in forecast techniques used at NWS Weather Forecast Offices and Centers.

  • Education and training of NWS employees through cooperative projects, workshops, online courses, site visits, and webinars.

  • Mentoring of next-generation student forecasters and operationally relevant research scientists.

    • Principal Investigators

    Jim Steenburgh, Professor
    John Horel, Professor
    Court Strong, Associate Professor

    Publications fully or partially funded by CSTAR

    2019

    Blaylock, B., and J. Horel, 2019: Comparison of lightning forecasts from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Model to geostationary lightning mapper observations. Submitted to Wea. Forecasting

    Bohne, L., C. Strong, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2019: Climatology of orographic precipitation gradients in the western United States. Submitted to J. Hydrometeorol.

    Caron, M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2019: Evaluation of recent NCEP operational model upgrades for cool-season precipitation forecasting over the western conterminous United States. Submitted to Wea. Forecasting.

    Schultz, D. M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2019: Nonclassical evolution of a cold-frontal system across the western United States during the Intermountain Precipitation Experiment (IPEX). Submitted to Wea. Forecasting.

    Schultz, D. M., and Coauthors, 2019: Extratropical Cyclones: A Century Of Research On Meteorology's Centerpiece. Meteorological Monographs, 59, 16.1-16.56.

    2018

    Blaylock, B., J. Horel, and C. Galli, 2018: High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Model data analytics derived on the Open Science Grid to assist wildfire weather assessment. J. of Atmos. and Ocean. Tech., 35, 2213-2227.

    Gowan, T. M., W. J. Steenburgh, and C. S. Schwartz, 2018: Validation of mountain precipitation forecasts from the convection-permitting NCAR Ensemble and operational forecast systems over the western United States. Wea. Forecasting, 33, 739-765.

    McCorkle, T., J. Horel, A. Jacques, and T. Alcott, 2018: Evaluating the experimental High-Resolution Rapid Refresh-Alaska modeling system using USArray pressure observations. Wea. Forecasting, 33, 933-953.

    2017

    Jacques, A. A., J. D. Horel, E. T. Crosman, and F. L. Vernon, 2017: Tracking mesoscale pressure perturbations using the USArray transportable array. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 3119-3142.

    Lewis, W. R., W. J. Steenburgh, T. I. Alcott, and J. J. Rutz, 2017: GEFS precipitation forecasts and the implications of statistical downscaling over the western United States. Wea. Forecasting, 32, 1007-1028.

    2016

    Jacques, A. A., J. D. Horel, E. T. Crosman, F. Vernon, and J. Tytell, 2016: The Earthscope US transportable array 1 Hz surface pressure dataset. Geosci. Data J., 3, 29-36.

    Nauslar, N. J., T. J. Brown, and J. D. Horel, 2016: Verification of National Weather Service spot forecasts using atmospheric sounding observations. J. Operational Meteor., 4, 46-57.

    2015

    Jacques, A. A., J. D. Horel, E. T. Crosman, and F. L. Vernon, 2015: Central and eastern U.S. surface pressure variations derived from the USArray Network. Mon. Wea. Rev., 143, 1472-1493.

    Lawson, J., and J. Horel, 2015: Analysis of the 1 December 2011 Wasatch downslope windstorm. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 115-135.

    Lawson, J., and J. Horel, 2015: Ensemble forecast uncertainty of the 1 Deceber 2011 Wasatch windstorm. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1749-1761.

    McMillen, J. D., and W. J. Steenburgh 2015: Capabilities and limitations of convection-permitting WRF simulations of lake-effect systems over the Great Salt Lake. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 1711-1731.

    McMillen, J. D., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2015: Impact of microphysics parameterizations on simulations of the 27 October 2010 Great Salt Lake effect snowstorm. Wea. Forecasting, 30, 136-152.

    Rutz, J. J., W. J. Steenburgh, and F. M. Ralph, 2015: The inland penetration of atmospheric rivers over western North America: A Lagrangian analysis. Mon. Wea. Rev., 143, 1924-1944.

    Veals, P. G., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2015: Climatological characteristics and orographic enhancement of lake-effect precipitation east of Lake Ontario and over the Tug Hill Plateau. Mon. Wea. Rev., 143, 3591-3609.

    2014

    Lammers, M. R., and J. D. Horel, 2014: Verification of National Weather Service spot forecasts using surface observations. J. Operational Meteor., 2, 246-264.

    Rutz, J. J., W. J. Steenburgh, and F. M. Ralph, 2014: Climatological characteristics of atmospheric rivers and their inland penetration over the western United States. Mon. Wea. Rev., 142, 905-921.

    2013

    Alcott, T. I., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2013: Orographic influences on a Great Salt Lake-effect snowstorm. Mon. Wea. Rev., 141, 2432-2450.

    Tyndall, D. P., and J. D. Horel, 2013: Impacts of mesonet observations on meteorological surface analyses. Wea. Forecasting, 28, 254-269.

    2012

    Alcott, T. I., W. J. Steenburgh, and N. F. Laird, 2012: Great Salt Lake-effect precipitation: Observed frequency, characteristics, and environmental factors. Wea. Forecasting, 27, 954-971.

    Rutz, J. J., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2012: Quantifying the role of atmospheric rivers in the interior western United States. Atmos. Sci. Lett., 13, 257-261.

    2011

    de Pondeca, M. S. F. V., and Coauthors, 2011: The real-time mesoscale analysis at NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Prediction: Current status and development. Wea. Forecasting, 26, 593-612.

    West, G. L., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2011: Influences of the Sierra Nevada on Intermountain cold-front evolution. Mon. Wea. Rev., 139, 3184-3207.

    2010

    Alcott, T. I., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2010: Snow-to-liquid ratio variability and prediction at a high elevation site in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. Wea. Forecasting, 25, 323-337.

    Jeglum, M. E., W. J. Steenburgh, T. P. Lee, and L. F. Bosart, 2010: Multi-reanalysis climatology of Intermountain cyclones. Mon. Wea. Rev., 138, 4035-4053.

    West, G. L., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2010: Life cycle and mesoscale frontal structure of an Intermountain cyclone. Mon. Wea. Rev., 138, 2528-2545.

    2009

    Steenburgh, W. J., C. R. Neuman, G. L. West, and L. F. Bosart, 2009: Discrete frontal propagation over the Sierra-Cascade Mountains and Intermountain West. Mon. Wea. Rev., 137, 2000-2020.

    Other NWS relevant publications

    2018

    Veals, P. G., W. J. Steenburgh, and L. S. Campbell, 2018: Factors affecting the inland and orographic enhancement of lake-effect precipitation over the Tug Hill Plateau. Mon. Wea. Rev., 146, 1745-1762.

    2017

    Bergmaier, P. T., B. Geerts, L. S. Campbell, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2017: The OWLeS IOP2b lake-effect snowstorm: Dynamics of the secondary circulation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 2437-2459.

    Campbell, L. S., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2017: The OWLeS IOP2b lake-effect snowstorm: Mechanisms contributing to the Tug Hill Precipitation Maximum. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 2461-2478.

    Kristovich, D. A. R., R. D. Clark, J. Frame, B. Geerts, K. R. Knupp, K. A. Kosiba, N. F. Laird, N. D. Metz, J. Minder, T. D. Sikora, W. J. Steenburgh, S. M. Steiger, J. Wurman, and G. S. Young, 2017: The Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems (OWLeS) Field Campaign: Scientific and educational adventures to further our knowledge and prediction of lake-effect storms. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 98, 315-332.

    Steenburgh, W. J., and L. S. Campbell, 2017: The OWLeS IOP2b lake-effect snowstorm: Shoreline geometry, airmass boundaries, and the mesoscale forcing of precipitation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 2421-2436.

    2016

    Campbell, L. S., W. J. Steenburgh, P. G. Veals, T. W. Letcher, and J. R. Minder, 2016: Lake-effect mode and precipitation enhancement over the Tug Hill Plateau during OWLeS IOP2b. Mon. Wea. Rev., 144, 1729-1748.

    Massey, J. D., W. J. Steenburgh, J. C. Knievel, and W. Y. Y. Cheng, 2016: Regional soil-moisture biases and their influence on WRF model temeprature forecasts over the Intermountain West. Wea. Forecasting, 31, 197-216.

    Welsh, D., B. Geerts, X. Jing, P. T. Bergmaier, J. R. Minder, W. J. Steenburgh, and L. S. Campbell, 2016: Understanding heavy lake-effect snowfall: The vertical structure of radar reflectivity in a deep snowband over and downwind of Lake Ontario. Mon. Wea.Rev., 144, 4221-4244.

    2015

    Minder, J. R., T. Letcher, L. S. Campbell, P. G. Veals, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2015: The evolution of lake-effect convection during landfall and orogrpahic uplift as observed by profiling radars. Mon. Wea. Rev., 143, 4422-4442.

    2014

    Campbell, L. S., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2014: Fine-scale orographic precipitation variability and gap-filling radar potential in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Wea. Forecasting, 29, 912-935.

    Massey, J. D., W. J. Steenburgh, S. W. Hoch, and J. C. Knievel, 2014: Sensitivity of near-surface temperature forecasts to soil properties over a sparsely vegetated dryland region. J. Appl. Metor. Clim., 53, 1976-1995.

    Yeager, K. N., W. J. Steenburgh, and T. I. Alcott, 2013: Contributions of lake-effect periods to the cool-season hydroclimate of the Great Salt Lake Basin. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 52, 341-362.

    2012

    Steenburgh, W. J., J. D. Massey, and T. H. Painter, 2012: Episodic dust events of Utah's Wasatch Front and adjoining region. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 51, 1654-1669.