Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth, 2nd Edition

"This is the coolest book ever! This book is made for people obsessed with snow and live for powder days. Professor Powder (Dr. Steenburgh's online alter ego) gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of the science of snow, including where to find the most snow in the world, which U.S. ski area has the fluffiest snow, and how modern meteorological tools can be used to find the deepest dendrites. This is THE book that I recommend to everyone who loves to slide on snow." - Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist and CEO, OpenSnow

"Utah, and particularly Little Cottonwood Canyon, is a deep powder mecca that calls to riders from around the world. Who better to explain why than someone who has spent his career skiing the Wasatch and studying the winter storms of Alta.” - Dave Richards, Director, Alta Ski Area Avalanche Office

"As a 40-year professional avalanche and weather forecaster, I'm constantly learning from Jim Steenburgh. I often consult this book and, of course, I'm addicted to his etnertainingly informative blog Wasatch Weather Weenies, which always gets a lot of buzz among the winter outdoor geeks." - Bruce Tremper, retired Director, Utah Avalanche Center and author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, University Press of Colorado (Imprint: Utah State University Press), Kings English, Weller Book Works, and Dollys Bookstore

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Book Chapters

Steenburgh, W. J., K. Redmond, K. E. Kunkel, N. Doesken, R. Gillies, J. Horel, M. P. Hoerling, and T. H. Painter, 2013: Present weather and climate: Average conditions. Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment. G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, Eds., Island Press, 56-73.

Liverman, D., S. Moser, P. Weiland, L. Dilling, M. Boykoff, H. E. Brown, D. E. Busch, E. Gordon, C. Greene, E. Hothaus, D. Niemeier, S. Pincetl, W. J. Steenburgh, and V. Tidwell, 2013: Climate choices for a sustainable Southwest. Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment. G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, Eds., Island Press, 405-435.

Meyers, M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2013: Mountain weather prediction: Phenomenological challenges and forecast methodology. Mountain Weather Research and Forecasting: Recent Progress and Current Challenges. T. Chow, S. de Wekker, and B. Snyder, Eds., Springer, 1-34.

Steenburgh, W. J., D. M. Schultz, B. Snyder, and M. Meyers, 2013: Bridging the gap between operations and research to improve weather prediction in mountainous regions. Mountain Weather Research and Forecasting: Recent Progress and Current Challenges. T. Chow, S. de Wekker, and B. Snyder, Eds., Springer, 693-716.

Journal Articles

Wolvin, S., C. Strong, S. Rupper, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2024: Climatology of orographic precipitation gradients over High Mountain Asia derived from dynamical downscaling. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., in review.

Pletcher, M. D., P. G. Veals, M. Wessler, D. Church, K. Harnos, J. Correia, R. Chase, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2024: Validation of cool-season snowfall forecasts at a high-elevation site in Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. Wea. Forecasting, in review.

Wasserstein, M. L., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2024: Diverse characteristics of extreme orographic snowfall events in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Mon. Wea. Rev., in press.

Steenburgh, W. J., J. A. Cunningham, P. T. Bergmaier, B. Geerts, and P. Veals, 2023: Characteristics of lake-effect precipitation over the Black River Valley and western Adirondack Mountains. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 62, 1347-1366.

Gowan, T. M., W. J. Steenburgh, and J. R. Minder, 2022: Orographic effects on landfalling lake-effect systems. Mon. Wea. Rev. 150, 2013–2031.

West, T. K., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2022: Formation, thermodynamic structure, and airflow of a Japan Sea polar-airmass convergence zone. Mon. Wea. Rev., 157-174.

Riley, C., S. Rupper, W. J. Steenburgh, C. Strong, and A. K. Kochanski, 2021: Characteristics of historical precipitaiton in High Mountain Asia based on a 16-year high resolution dynamical downscaling. Atmosphere, 12, 355, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12030355.

Gowan, T. M., W. J. Steenburgh, and J. R. Minder, 2021: Downstream evolution and coastal-to-inland transition of landfalling lake-effect systems. Mon. Wea. Rev., 149, 1023-1040.

Bohne, L., C. Strong, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2020: Climatology of orographic precipitation gradients in the contiguous western United States. J. Hydromet., 21, 1723-1740.

Veals, P. G., W. J. Steenburgh, S. Nakai, and S. Yamaguchi, 2020: Intrastorm variability of the inland and orographic enhancement of a sea-effect snowstorm in the Hokuriku Region of Japan. Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 2527-2548.

Caron, M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2020: Evaluation of recent NCEP operational model upgrades for cool-season precipitation forecasting over the western conterminous United States. Wea. Forecasting, 35, 857-877.

Schultz, D. M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2020: Nonclassic evolution of a cold-frontal system across the western United States during the Intermountain Precipitation Experiment (IPEX). Wea. Forecasting, 35, 255-271.

Steenburgh, W. J., and S. Nakai, 2020: Perspectives on sea- and lake-effect precipitation from Japan's "Gosetsu Chitai". Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 101,E58-E72.

Veals, P. G., W. J. Steenburgh, S. Nakai, and S. Yamaguchi, 2019: Factors affecting the inland and orographic enhancement of sea-effect snowfall in the Hokuriku Region of Japan. Mon. Wea. Rev., 147, 3121-3143.

West, T. K., W. J. Steenburgh, and G. G. Mace, 2019: Characteristics of sea-effect clouds and precipitation over the Sea of Japan region as observed by A-Train satellites. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 124. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029586.

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

Mayr, G. J., and Coauthors, 2018: The Community Foehn Classification Exp eriment. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 99, 2229-2235.

Campbell, L. S., W. J. Steenburgh, Y. Yamada, M. Kawashima, and Y. Fujiyoshi, 2018: Influences of orography and coastal geometry on a transverse-mode sea-effect snowstorm over Hokkaido Island, Japan. Mon. Wea. Rev., 146, 2201-2220.

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

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.

Zelasko, N., A. Wettlaufer, B. Borkhuu, M. Burkhart, L. S. Campbell, W. J. Steenburgh, and J. R. Snider, 2018: Hotplate precipitation gauge calibrations and field measurements. Atmos. Meas. Tech., 441-458.

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.

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.

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.

Massey, J. D., W. J. Steenburgh, S. W. Hoch, and D. D. Jensen, 2017: Simulated and observed surface energy balance contrasts and resulting playa breezes during the MATERHORN field campaigns. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 56, 915-935.

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.

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.

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.

Fernando, H. J. S., and Coauthors, 2015: The MATERHORN - Unraveling the intricacies of mountain weather. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 96, 1945-1967.

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.

Kochanski, A. K., E. Pardyjak, R. Stoll, A. Gowardhan, M. J. Brown, and W. J. Steenburgh, 2015: One-way coupling of the WRF-QUIC Urban Dispersion Modeling System. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 54, 2119-2139.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Steenburgh, W. J., and T. I. Alcott, 2008: Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 89, 1285-1293.

Shafer, J. C., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2008: Climatology of strong Intermountain cold fronts. Mon. Wea. Rev., 136, 784-807.

Cheng, W. Y. Y., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2007: Strengths and weaknesses of MOS, running-mean bias removal, and Kalman filter techniques for improving model forecasts over the western U. S. Wea. Forecasting, 22, 1304-1318.

Orf, L., G. Lackman, C. Herbster, A. Krueger, E. Cutrim, T. Whitaker, J. Steenburgh, and M. Voss, 2007: Models as educational tools. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 88, 1101-1104.

West, G. L., W. J. Steenburgh, and W. Y.-Y. Cheng, 2007: Spurious grid-scale precipitation in the North American Regional Reanalysis. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135, 2168-2184.

Shafer, J. C., W. J. Steenburgh, J. A. W. Cox, and J. P. Monteverdi, 2006: Terrain influences on synoptic storm structure and mesoscale precipitation distribution during IPEX IOP3. Mon. Wea. Rev., 134, 478-497.

Cheng, W. Y. Y., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2005: Evaluation of surface sensible weather forecasts by the WRF and Eta models over the western United States. Wea. Forecasting, 20, 812-821.

Colle, B. A., J. B. Wolfe, W. J. Steenburgh, D. E. Kingsmill, J. A. W. Cox, and J. C. Shafer, 2005: High resolution simulations and microphysical validation of an orographic precipitation event over the Wasatch Mountains during IPEX IOP3. Mon. Wea. Rev., 133, 2947-2971.

Hart, K. A., W. J. Steenburgh, and D. J. Onton, 2005: Model forecast improvements with decreased horizontal grid spacing over fine-scale Intermountain orography during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Wea. Forecasting, 20, 558-576.

Cox, J. A. W., W. J. Steenburgh, D. E. Kingsmill, J. C. Shafer, B. A. Colle, O. Bousquet, B. F. Smull, and H. Cai, 2005: The kinematic structure of a Wasatch Mountain winter storm during IPEX IOP3. Mon. Wea. Rev., 133, 521-542.

Pataki, D. E., B. J. Tyler, R. E. Peterson, A. P. Nair, W. J. Steenburgh, and E. R. Pardyjak, 2005: Can carbon dioxide be used as a tracer of urban atmospheric transport? J. Geophys. Res., 110, D15, D15102.

Steenburgh, W. J., 2004: THE MAP ROOM: One hundred inches in one hundred hours. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 85, 16-20.

Steenburgh, J., and E. Greene, 2004: Intermountain winter storm evolution during a 100-inch storm cycle. The Avalanche Review, 22(4), 13-16.

Hart, K. A., W. J. Steenburgh, D. J. Onton, and A. J. Siffert, 2004: An evaluation of mesoscale-model based model output statistics (MOS) during the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Wea. Forecasting, 19, 200-218.

Steenburgh, W. J., 2003: One hundred inches in one hundred hours - evolution of a Wasatch Mountain winter storm cycle. Wea. Forecasting, 18, 1018-1036.

Steenburgh, W. J., 2002: Using real-time mesoscale modeling in undergraduate education. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 1447-1451.

Horel, J., T. Potter, L. Dunn, W. J. Steenburgh, M. Eubank, M. Splitt, and D. J. Onton, 2002: Weather support for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 227-240.

Schultz, D. M., W. J. Steenburgh, R. J. Trapp, J. Horel, D. E. Kingsmill, L. B. Dunn, W. D. Rust, L. Cheng, A. Bansemer, J. Cox, J. Daugherty, D. P. Jorgensen, J. Meitin, L. Showell, B. F. Smull, K. Tarp, and M. Trainor, 2002: Understanding Utah Winter Storms: The Intermountain Precipitation Experiment. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 189-210.

Schultz, D. M., W. J. Steenburgh, R. J. Trapp, J. Horel, D. E. Kingsmill, L. B. Dunn, W. D. Rust, L. Cheng, A. Bansemer, J. Cox, J. Daugherty, D. P. Jorgensen, J. Meitin, L. Showell, B. F. Smull, K. Tarp, and M. Trainor, 2002: Supplement to Understanding Utah Winter Storms: The Intermountain Precipitation Experiment. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 210-210.

Stewart, J. Q., C. D. Whiteman, W. J. Steenburgh, and X. Bian, 2002: A climatological study of thermally driven wind systems of the U. S. Intermountain West. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83, 699-708.

Steenburgh, W. J., and T. R. Blazek, 2001: Topographic distortion of a cold front over the Snake River Plain and central Idaho Mountains. Wea. Forecasting, 16, 301-314.

Steenburgh, W. J., and D. J. Onton, 2001: Multiscale analysis of the 7 December 1998 Great Salt Lake-effect snowstorm. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 1296-1317.

Onton, D. J., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2001: Diagnostic and sensitivity studies of the 7 December 1998 Great Salt Lake-effect snowstorm. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 1318-1338.

Steenburgh, W. J., S. F. Halvorson, and D. J. Onton, 2000: Climatology of lake-effect snow-storms of the Great Salt Lake. Mon. Wea. Rev., 128, 709-727.

Mass, C. F., and W. J. Steenburgh, 2000: An observational and numerical study of an orographically trapped wind reversal along the west coast of the U.S. Mon. Wea. Rev., 128, 2363-2396.

Schultz, D. M., and W. J. Steenburgh, 1999: The formation of a forward-tilting cold front with multiple cloud bands during Superstorm 1993. Mon. Wea. Rev., 127, 1108-1124.

White, B. G., J. Paegle, W. J. Steenburgh, J. D. Horel, R. T. Swanson, L. K. Cook, D. J. Onton, and J. G. Miles, 1999: Short-term forecast validation of six models. Wea. Forecasting, 14, 84-108.

Steenburgh, W. J., D. M. Schultz, and B. A. Colle, 1998: The structure and evolution of gap outflow over the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. Mon. Wea. Rev., 126, 2673-2691.

Steenburgh, W. J., C. F. Mass, and S. A. Ferguson, 1997: The influence of terrain-induced cir-culations on wintertime temperature and snow level in the Washington Cascades. Wea. Forecasting, 12, 208-227.

Steenburgh, W. J., and C. F. Mass, 1996: Interaction of an intense extratropical cyclone with the coastal orography of western North America. Mon. Wea. Rev., 124, 1329-1352.

Steenburgh, W. J., and C. F. Mass, 1994: The structure and evolution of a simulated Rocky Mountain lee trough. Mon. Wea. Rev., 122, 2740-2761.

Steenburgh, W. J., and J. R. Holton, 1993: On the interpretation of geopotential height tendency equations. Mon. Wea. Rev., 121, 2642-2645.

Mass, C. F., W. J. Steenburgh, and D. M. Schultz, 1991: Diurnal surface pressure variations over the continental U.S. and the influence of sea level reduction. Mon. Wea. Rev., 119, 2814-2830.

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