The Weather Forecast Research Team
Exceptional people. Novel ideas. Bold vision.
Photo: Aug 2019
Photo: Aug 2019
Photo: Aug 2019
Photo: Aug 2019
I am a Professor of Atmospheric Science. As director of the Weather Forecast Research Team (WFRT), my goal is to improve numerical weather prediction and apply it to the benefit of society. I also have extensive experience in atmospheric boundary layers, turbulence, dispersion, and air quality. I am a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, and fellow of both the Canadian Meteorological & Oceanographic Society (CMOS) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
Our 20-member team focuses on making high-resolution, real-time daily, operational ensemble numerical weather forecasts (NWP) for all of Canada, with emphasis on the complex terrain of western Canada. We use both dedicated in house computer clusters and remote cloud computing for our forecasts. This work is sponsored by a wide range of agencies and clients, including the Canadian federal government, provincial and territorial governments, regional and local governments, national and regional nonprofit organizations, energy industries, transportation industries, a wide range of consulting companies.
In addition to operational daily NWP, we do extensive research, including field work utilizing suites of specialized sensors including new instruments we have devised (rocketsonde buoy system, expendable smoke and weather sensors), theoretical work on atmospheric behavior and smoke dispersion, development of machine learning algorithms for big data analysis, and research on ensemble NWP. Our productivity can be seen in our roughly 120 journal publications and extensive participation in technical conferences.
As a professor, I also have fun teaching courses at all levels. Our newest course ATSC 313 is on Renewable Energy Meteorology. I also led the development of ATSC 113 Weather for Sailing, Flying, and Snow Sports. Each year I teach ATSC 201 Meteorology of Storms, and I help teach EOSC 114 Natural Disasters. In the past I’ve taught ATSC 303 on weather instruments, and ATSC 212 on Computer Programming for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences. On alternating years I teach grad courses ATSC 507 Numerical Weather Prediction Meteorology, and ATSC 595D Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling. I am also the author of two textbooks: “Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science” which is free online, and “An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology.”
But I am most proud of my research team. See their bios below.
Awards & Achievements
I have been with the WFRT since January 2006. I moved here from England to do my PhD, with an MSc in Meteorology from the University of Reading. Now, as Associate Director, I contribute to research and development strategies and help to keep the team operating, supervising our students’ projects and goals across the board. I thrive on variety, and over the years I have worked on many different research projects spanning very different scales. These range from synoptic-scale research on the effects of the Tibetan Plateau on the global circulation, microscale snow research for the 2010 Vancouver winter olympics, Canada-wide wildfire smoke modelling, mesoscale numerical weather forecasts for Western Canada, to short-term forecasting and climatological analyses of heavy precipitation and flooding in the Rocky Mountains; to name a few. I also have expertise in weather instrumentation, contributing to many of our team’s field projects. Outside of work, I love to spend time in the mountains, trail running and snowboarding. I also enjoy travelling, gardening, and cooking.
Awards & Achievements
I have been with WFRT since the beginning. I started as a PhD student doing research in turbulence modelling and, after completing my PhD in 2004, I stayed with the team as Research Associate. I have been interested in modelling aspects of atmospheric physics from the very beginning of my research journey. First in modelling of air-pollution transport and expanding to broader aspects of numerical weather prediction with focus on turbulence models. Over the years my duties moved from research towards end-user application aspects of weather forecasting. Currently, I work part-time for the team and I am mostly involved in special projects for users of our forecasts as well as in maintaining our real-time forecast operations.
I became a member of the WFRT in May 2020. My expertise lies in extreme weather events, wind-tree interactions and electrical grid damage caused by windstorms. I am also an expert in practices for managing wind hazard in forest stands. Specific areas of interest include the climatology and meteorology of coastal windstorms, atmospheric rivers and snowstorms, and forecasting these and other events. I am an instructor in physical geography, teaching courses in weather & climate and natural hazards. I sometimes work as a consultant on extreme storms.
I joined the WFRT in September 2021 as a PhD student. I am from Edmonton, AB where I completed my BSc (Hon.) in Atmospheric Science from the University of Alberta and completed an undergraduate thesis focused on shoaling internal solitary waves. I then went on to complete a MSc where I studied sea ice model sensitivities in the Canadian Arctic. I have had a passion for weather from a young age and have enjoyed following and predicting severe weather on the prairies. My interest in weather prediction grew when I obtained an undergraduate position with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Here, I assisted in tracking and gathering reports of severe weather across the prairies to be used for weather warnings and bulletins. During this time, I grew my love for numerical weather prediction and boundary layer processes. My research interests are primarily focused on mountain meteorology, boundary layer parameterizations, as well as turbulent orographic form drag and physically based stochastic parameterizations. In my free time I love to run, hike, and read novels; I am also growing my mountaineering skills for future trips to the mountains.
I am a visiting PhD student from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University starting in March 2023. I have been in the field of energy for years, from conventional thermal energy to renewables. My research is focused on solar forecasting and resource assessment for the integration of solar energy. Solar resource assessment is to support the optimal system design of solar energy projects, while solar forecasting is to provide information for system operation and management. I am also interested in machine learning, remote sensing, and numerical weather prediction, which are also applied in solar meteorology. In my visiting at WFRT, I hope to learn more on numerical weather prediction and its application for renewable energy. Contact: shanlin.chen@connect.polyu.hk
I am a PhD candidate in Atmospheric Science, working under Prof. Stull as a researcher specializing in numerical weather prediction (NWP). Much like many of the other researchers on this team, my interest in weather started from a young age. However, my focus started narrowing towards NWP when I first worked under Roland as an undergraduate research assistant in 2014. After having graduated with a BSc. (Hon.) in Atmospheric Science at UBC, I joined the team full-time as a graduate student. My research is on improving multi-scale weather prediction on unstructured meshes, specifically on spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations (SCVT). I have expertise with installing and running the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), and leveraging cloud-computing technologies such as the Google Cloud Platform to run such models within a high-performance computing (HPC) context. I also serve as an assistant sys admin on the team, and have experience working with a variety of weather- and air-quality-related software. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, reading, and video games (though, unlike what most people would expect, I have not played Heavy Rain).
Awards & Achievements
I am a PhD student in Atmospheric Science and joined this research team at UBC in September 2016. I am originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where I graduated with an Honours BSc in Atmospheric Science from McGill University. My research interests include cloud and precipitation microphysics, numerical weather prediction (NWP), mesoscale meteorology and applied remote sensing. In particular, my thesis will explore the optimization of microphysics schemes in NWP models with high-quality data retrievals from ground-based polarimetric radar. I am an enthusiast and practitioner of inclusive teaching and learning, and completed a Certificate in Advanced Teaching and Learning (CATL) at UBC in 2018. Outside the PhD life, I love biking, reading, creative writing, trying to be funny, and enjoying the company of friends and family.
Awards & Achievements
I joined the WFRT in July 2022 as a master’s student in Atmospheric Science. In 2020 I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with two Bachelors of Science in Aviation Meteorology and Aeronautical Science and a minor in Unmanned Aerial Systems. During my time as an undergrad I also received my multi-engine Commercial Pilot Certificate as well as an instrument rating and conducted research in anomalies of turbulence forecasts and observations. Shortly after graduating, I was given the opportunity to work as a Post-Bachelor Research Assistant for the Information Systems and Modeling Group (A-1) in Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). During my time at LANL I worked onseveral projects involving the Quick Urban and Industrial Complex (QUIC) Dispersionmodel, the Higher Order Turbulence Model for Atmospheric Circulation (HOTMAC) transport modeling system, and the development of a low-order diffusive wake model for wind energy power forecasts. I am fascinated by mountain flows and the effect they have in both large- and small-scale dynamics. During my time at UBC, I look forward to exploring flows in complex terrain through the improvement of my scientific programming abilities, utilization of my meteorological knowledge, and collaboration with the rest of the team. During my free time I am a computer building enthusiast and love to build, upgrade, and push the limits of personal computer systems. I am also an amateur photographer, enjoy hiking, camping, and snowboarding.
I am a visiting PhD student from Germany and joined the lab in March 2023. My background is in Computer Science – I have a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Informatics and a Master’s in Computer Science. As part of the Cluster of Excellence - Machine learning for Science at the University of Tübingen, my group in Germany addresses different research questions regarding sustainable energy systems using machine learning, visit our website for more details on our research. My research interests include dynamical systems, time series forecasting and probabilistic machine learning. In my PhD I develop and apply probabilistic machine learning techniques to forecast wind power taking into account that weather conditions are changing due to climate change. The aim of my project is to generate physically consistent site-specific forecasts for already existing wind turbines and possible future sites.
Before joining WFRT in 2021, I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in climate science. During my undergrad career, I conducted space weather research in Hermanus, South Africa and severe weather fieldwork in Tornado Alley, as well as designed and built wind turbines for local elementary schools. Between U-M and UBC, I worked at a NOAA regional center (GLISA) that helps vulnerable communities manage climate change risks in the Great Lakes region, where my projects involved verifying climate models based on their lake physics as well developing a methodology for identifying lake-effect precipitation in model output. For my current research, I dynamically downscaled the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) model using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to create high resolution (3km) atmospheric climate projections for the Salish Sea region. In addition to analyzing changing atmospheric conditions and extreme events, this model is being used as input to a high-resolution (500m) ocean model at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to investigate changes in temperature, oxygen, and ocean acidification. Outside of research, I am working with the Pacific Museum of the Earth (PME) to design a video game to educate children about actions we can take toward managing climate change (launching Summer 2023!). Outside of academia, I enjoy anything involving lakes, as well as painting, gardening, fishkeeping, and baking for my teammates!
Awards & Achievements
I am working on my PhD as part of the WFRT, with a focus on improving numerical weather prediction (NWP) forecasts for damaging wind events in British Columbia. I also am interested in wind power and help maintain a system that makes forecasts for wind farm operators across BC. I have lived in many places across Canada, but grew up mostly in Calgary, AB. Academically, my background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Calgary (2007) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Calgary (2015). My undergraduate honours project focused on studying the chemical and isotopic composition of aerosols in precipitation in Calgary. I subsequently came to the University of British Columbia to do a Diploma in Meteorology, and after finishing this program in the spring of 2017 I joined Dr. Stull’s group as a Master’s student. I moved from the Master’s program to the PhD program in September 2018. Outside of work I enjoy travelling and exploring new places, as well as getting to know my new home of Vancouver better. And although I didn’t pursue it for a career, I still enjoy reading and studying history as well.
Awards & Achievements
I am a PhD student in Atmospheric Science and joined the WFRT at UBC in September 2021. I am originally from New Zealand where I completed my BSc in Earth Science and Agribusiness from The University of Waikato and my MSc in Hydrology from Massey University. Alongside my academic career, I have worked as a consultant hydrologist. I have worked many projects that utilise rainfall-runoff modelling to predict future river flows and flood levels. The large influence weather predictions have on the validity of model outputs spurred my interest in atmospheric science and prompted me to pursue my PhD in this area. My current research aims to develop an improved methodology for estimating probable maximum precipitation and probable maximum flood with regard to climate change, using a coupled atmospheric hydrological model, statistical post-processing and machine learning. Outside of work and study, you will likely find me with a paddle in my hand. I love kayaking, including canoe sprint, surf ski and canoe polo disciplines and enjoy exploring the outdoors.
Awards & Achievements
In May of 2021 I joined the research team as a master’s student. Prior to this, I studied environmental engineering at the University of Waterloo where I had numerous research opportunities through the coop program. This included copious amounts of field work across Northern Alberta, Ontario and the Northwest Territories in wetland hydrology, gas exchange, hydrometeorology and remediation. I also had the opportunity to work as a research and development assistant to a start-up wind turbine company geared towards northern communities. It was in this position that I found a passion for weather research. At UBC I will be putting my field work skills and engineering background to use studying wildfires and aiding in the enhancement of models. In my spare time you can find me in the fresh air running, backpacking, skiing, climbing, paddling or trying to get a crossword PR.
I joined the WFRT as a Visiting Research Student in March 2023, while pursuing my master’s degree in computer science at my home university. In 2021, I earned my bachelor’s degree in physics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, working on a case study assessment of expected wave power on the coast, utilizing a finite difference model. My passion for numerical modeling, fluid dynamics and renewable energies led me to continue that research using my newfound knowledge in coding to train a neural network that can work as a surrogate for the numerical model. My goal is to achieve faster, more generalizable, and highly accurate prediction of wave heights. During the 5 years prior to 2023 I worked as a professor’s assistant, teaching linear algebra at undergrad level, and developed a deep passion for teaching and science communication. During my free time, I enjoy watching movies, hiking, reading and dabbling in various arts and crafts. Contact: sofi.mich@ciencias.unam.mx
I joined the WFRT as a master’s student in July 2022. Prior to this, I completed my undergraduate degree in astrophysics at Western University. My undergraduate thesis was focused on using models of hygroscopic growth of particulates to calibrate an air quality sensor. During my undergrad, I completed a 12-month internship at the Canadian Space Agency where I programmed scheduling algorithms for one of Canada’s satellites, NEOSSat. I also worked as a summer research assistant on various physics and astronomy projects. I decided to pursue a master’s in atmospheric science because I love that meteorology and atmospheric dynamics are large-scale, visible examples of the physics that govern our world. For my master’s thesis, I am applying my passion for coding and physics to a machine learning project with the goal of improving longe-range wind forecasts for wind farms. I enjoy skiing, hiking, and playing the piano in my free time.
I am a Ph.D. Student in Atmospheric Science and have been part of the UBC Weather Forecast Research (WFR) Team since May of 2019. Originally from Colorado, I obtained a BA in Physical Geography and a BS in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder. During that time, I also received a certificate in weather forecasting from Penn State University. My research focus is on coupled atmosphere-wildland fire behavior modeling, forest fuel moisture forecasts, wildfire smoke forecasting, and field observations of controlled burns. I am currently developing low-cost, in situ instruments to observe/profile the vertical concentration of PM2.5 in wildfire smoke plumes. I am also working on a Numerical Weather Prediction derived Fire Weather Forecast Model to assess the moisture content within varied layers of the forest fuels (vegetation). My outside interests include snowboarding, climbing, backpacking, and biking.
Awards & Achievements
In May 2021 I had the pleasure of joining UBC’s Atmospheric Science master’s program. As of December 2020, I received a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. During my undergraduate studies, I focused on dynamic, mesoscale, and synoptic meteorology, along with minors in geographic information science and geography. Within this time I discovered my passion and curiosity for severe weather, specifically extreme precipitation and tornadic events. During the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to experience such severe weather firsthand, as I participated in the Virginia Tech Great Plains Storm Chase. This experience led me to pursue a semester-long study on synoptic-scale and mesoscale characteristics that take part in focusing and intensifying precipitation during flash flood events. At UBC I hope to learn and apply machine learning techniques to identify environmental conditions most conducive to severe weather in complex terrain such as in British Columbia. Outside of my studies, you will typically find me exploring nature, painting, or baking.
WFRT Member of the Season - Winter 2023
Recognized for her consistent work, dedication, and excellence in curating, coordinating, and leading our team seminars with such a highly professional and uplifting manner.
I joined the WFRT in May 2022 after my third year as an undergraduate at UBC, where I am majoring in Atmospheric Science and Computer Science. Growing up in Portland Oregon, I loved following the local weather and this hobby led me to study atmospheric science. Although I do not yet have a focused area of study, I am interested in using computers to help the public and answer questions in the world of atmospheric science. For instance, my honours thesis involves using machine learning to forecast snow-to-liquid ratio and my work for the WFRT includes setting up an online tool, BlueSky-Pipeline, for forecasting wildfire smoke. With the WFRT, I hope to learn about techniques used in the field and narrow the focus of my studies. Some of my other interests include skiing, golfing, and cooking.
In May of 2021 I had the pleasure of joining the research team as an undergraduate student majoring in Atmospheric Science. I grew up on Vancouver Island and have been interested in weather from a young age. My current research interests include optimizing wet deposition parameters in wildfire smoke forecasts, mesoscale meteorology, and renewable energy weather. With the WFRT, I hope to further develop my skills in programming, modelling and data analysis, and apply these skills to meaningful research projects in atmospheric science. Some of my outside interests include skiing, hiking, swimming, and astronomy.
I am an undergraduate student in Atmospheric Science at UBC, and I am grateful to be a part of the WFRT since the summer of 2022. I am originally from Saskatchewan, where I first gained interest in weather from watching prairie thunderstorms every summer, and blizzards every winter. I am interested in atmospheric circulation, instrumentation, and climate change. One of my current projects consists of installing weather stations across Metro Vancouver. In my free time, I like rock climbing, baking and playing violin.
I joined the WFRT in 2012 with an engineering degree and experience working in pulp and paper and online services. During those years I gradually pivotted from machine design and manufacturing through quality management and into system administration and software development. Since joining the WFRT I have had the challenging and rewarding responsibility of being part of a small group that enables the team to conduct innovative research while also delivering reliable, high-quality operational forecast products and services. In addition to system administration, I’m responsible for development and operations of the BlueSky Canada wildfire smoke forecasting system at firesmoke.ca.
Dr. Greg West is a meteorologist at BC Hydro (the province’s primary electrical utility) and an Adjunct Professor at UBC, and has been working with the Weather Forecast Research Team (WFRT) at UBC since 2010. He has a background in synoptic and mountain meteorology and WRF modeling, and since joining the WFRT, has developed expertise in a range of areas. These include hydrometeorology, wind energy, probabilistic forecasting, verification, post-processing (including machine-learning-based methods), and others. UBC and BC Hydro have developed a very fruitful working relationship over the years, where the WFRT develops and builds forecast tools, methods, and products for BC Hydro. West serves as a liaison between the two groups.
I am an instructor for ATSC 113 (Weather for Sailing, Flying & Snow Sports). This is a first-year course in Applied Meteorology for any UBC student since there are no prerequisites. Over 10,000 students have taken this course since 2018. I am an instructor for ATSC 313 (Renewable Energy Meteorology), a course about weather and hydro, wind, and solar power. Prior to being a UBC instructor I was the manager of Meteorology Services for BC Hydro, western Canada’s largest utility. In this role I worked closely with the WFRT to develop custom weather analysis and forecast products for BC Hydro. Earlier I was a senior meteorologist with Environment Canada, providing operational weather forecasts for public, aviation, marine, and commercial clients.
Awards & Achievements
