Justin Crouch
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Douglas Miller, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
This research is aimed at a better understanding of orographically driven snowfall, commonly referred to as Northwest flow snowfall, in Western North Carolina. The diverse terrain found in region allows several areas to be affected by locally heavily snowfall when northwesterly winds are prevalent and low level moisture is available. These events present a significant problem for operational forecasters because snowfall is often sporadic with an apparent chaotic distribution. The Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) will be used to further examine several classic Northwest flow snowfall events. A better understanding of how to forecast these events will allow local and state government officials to make more informed decisions concerning public safety in a winter weather scenario.
