My research is centered on the weather and climate of the western United States, data assimilation, mountain meteorology, fire weather, and Great Salt Lake studies. I participate in the Mountain Meteorology Group within the department, which conducts a broad program of research related to weather and climate processes of the western United States.
Building on a decade of applied research within the framework of  the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Regional Prediction, the Mountain Meteorology Group  has now been established as a center of excellence within the Department of Meteorology. My current research activities include further development of MesoWest, which provides access to surface weather observations for operational, research, and educational applications. MesoWest has evolved since 1996 from providing weather information at a few dozen weather stations in northern Utah to the current availability of weather conditions at thousands of stations around the nation using a state-of-the-art database and dozens of tabular and graphical displays.  The MesoWest observations also provide a foundation from which to conduct research to improve data assimilation techniques over complex terrain. I participate in a National Weather Service effort to develop a mesoscale Analysis of Record and its prototype the Real Time Mesoscale Analysis. I also am involved in research related to the Great Salt Lake, including the causes and impacts of interannual variations in the level, salinity, and temperature of the Lake.