Purdue High Impact Weather Laboratory

The High Impact Weather Lab at Purdue University is focused on gaining a more complete understanding of high-impact meteorological phenomena.  These events can have a wide range of effects including
  • Loss of human life
  • Damage to property
  • Economic hardship
  • Greater societal impacts
By analyzing observational data and numerical weather prediction simulations using a range of data analysis techniques, we are currently working on the following tasks:
  • Objectively identifying frontal zones using thermodynamic and kinematic techniques
  • Improving numerical model simulation initialization through the assimilation of observed radar reflectivity 
  • Evaluating weather system tracks within simulations and observations using computer image processing methods
  • Examining changes to simulated severe weather events under anthropogenic climate change through the dynamic downscaling of climate simulations
Our research group produces daily numerical weather predictions using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model.  These forecasts can be found at:

Our daily forecasts for the local area that are broadcast by WBAA (Purdue's public radio station) can be found at: extremeweathermakers.com/home/WBAA-forecast

The movie below presents a month-long loop of the daily WRF model predictions during the April 2011 period.  This month set the U.S. record for most tornadoes reported in a single month. The white shaded regions indicate predicted precipitation intensity, red shaded regions indicate potentially hazardous weather associated with the predicted thunderstorms.

WRF output for April 2011


Current Members:
Past Members:
  • Dr. Jacob R. Carley
  • Erin E. Jones
  • Monica E. Laureano
  • Benjamin R. J. Schwedler
  • Dr. Kimberly A. Hoogewind
  • Derrick W. Snyder
  • Bradley J. Fehnel
  • Dr. Logan Dawson
  • Dr. Adam Stepanek