Rita Roberts

Casual - Sci III/IV

Information

Bio

Rita Roberts is a Project Scientist III at NCAR.

Roberts was hired by NCAR in 1982 to participate in the Joint Airport Weather Studies (JAWS) wind shear experiment. She and Ted Fujita saw their first tornado together during JAWS. She conducted multiple Doppler radar analysis of microbursts and wind shear events. The results of her research on microburst predictors formed the basis for NEXRAD microburst prediction algorithms. She was part of the team of NCAR and MIT/LL scientists whose combined research helped to get the TDWR system approved and installed at U.S. major airports. She has conducted multiple Doppler analyses on the kinematics of non-supercell tornadoes and conducted research on convection initiation, storm evolution and intensification using radar, satellite, surface station, NWP fields, and radiosonde data. She developed a novel approach for nowcasting convection initiation using satellite and radar data combined and published these results in 2003. Roberts has participated in numerous field experiments and was the principal investigator during the NSF-sponsored Colorado REFRACTT-2006 experiment that was designed to obtain high-resolution, near-surface water vapor measurements from a network of research and operational radars. She participated in the NSF-sponsored Plains Elevated Convection At Night (PECAN) experiment centered over Kansas in 2015 as one of the NCAR S-Pol radar PI's, and as a PI for nocturnal elevated convection initiation IOPs.

Rita is actively involved in NCAR's cross-divisional Short Term Explicit Prediction (STEP) program, working on research and techniques to improve very short term prediction of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and flash floods, with specific focus along the Colorado Front Range. She has been involved in the development of applications for automated nowcasting of thunderstorms, and managed projects to transfer these capabilities to the U. S. National Weather Service and to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau. Since 2000, Roberts has been actively involved in training forecasters worldwide on radar interpretation and on convective storm nowcasting and received the NCAR Education and Outreach Award in 2011 with Jim Wilson (NCAR Emeritus Scientist), in recognition of this work. She co-authored Chapter 6 on Nowcasting, in the Meteorology of Tropical West Africa; The Forecasters’ Handbook. This book is the 2017 Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Choice Awards Winner.

Rita is the Principal Investigator for UK DFID and WMO-sponsored HIGHWAY 2019 Field Campaign that is running over Lake Victoria region in East Africa. The Field Campaign is collecting an enhanced set of observations over the lake for improved scientific understanding of the processes leading to severe and life-threatening weather over Lake Victoria. The over-arching goal of the HIGHWAY program is to assist the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the East Africa in the development of a regional Early Warning System for Lake Victoria Basin.

She co-authored with Steve Nesbitt and Jeff Trapp (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) the Scientific Project Overview (SPO) and Experiment Design Overview (EDO) documents submitted in January 2016 to NSF on the proposed Argentina Remote Sensing of Electrification, Lightning, and Mesoscale/micro-scale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations (RELAMPAGO) experiment, which has been funded by NSF. She co-authored with Jim Wilson a proposal to NSF to conduct a field campaign over Lake Victoria in East Africa that was submitted to NSF in 2013, but was not awarded due to lack of international funding.

Service Activities

Rita is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (2009) and has been an active participant on several AMS committees inluding the ANC Committee (2018-2020), Member of the Fellows Nomination Committee (2015-2017), Co-Chair of the AMS Annual Meeting in 2009, Chair of the AMS Committee on Radar Meteorology (2004-2007), Member of the AMS Committee on Radar Meteorology (2002-2004), and Member of the AMS Committee on Artificial Intelligence(2001-2002).

She is currently co-chair of the WMO Nowcasting and Mesoscale Research (NMR) Working Group (2016-2020), member of the WMO Task Team for the development of guidlines on nowcasting techniques (2016-2017) and participated in the WMO/WWRP Forecast Demonstration Projects during the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. She organized the WMO "Training Workshop on Nowcasting Techniques (T-NOTE)" held in 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina for South American forecasters and scientists, and managers.

Publications

Waniha, P. F., R. D. Roberts, J. W. Wilson, A. Kijazi, and B. Katole, 2019: Dual-polarization radar observations of deep convection over Lake Victoria Basin in East Africa. Atmosphere-595084;doi:10.3390/atmos10110706.

Weckwerth, T. M., J. Hanesiak, J. W. Wilson, S. B. Trier, S. K, Degelia, W. A. Gallus, R. D. Roberts, and X. Wang, 2019: Nocturnal convection initiation during PECAN 2015. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc, early online release. DOI 10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0299.1.

Roberts, R.D., and J.W. Wilson, 2017: Chapter 6: Nowcasting. The Forecasters’ Handbook for West Africa. Wiley-Blackwell publishers. DOI: 10.1002/9781118391297.ch6

Roberts, R. D., A. R. S. Anderson, E. Nelson, B. G. Brown, M. Pocernich, J. W. Wilson, and T. Saxen, 2012: Impacts of forecaster involvement on convective storm initiation and evolution nowcasting. Wea. Forecasting, 27, 1061-1089.

Lin, P. F., P.L. Chang, P. L. Chang, B. J.-D. Jou, J. W. Wilson, and R. D. Roberts, 2012: Objective prediction of warm season afternoon thunderstorms in northern Taiwan using a fuzzy logic approach. Wea. Forecasting, 27, 1178-1197.

Tessendorf, S. A., R. T. Bruintjes, C. Weeks, J. W. Wilson, C. A. Knight, R. D. Roberts, J. R. Peter, S. Collis, P. R. Buseck, E. Freney, M. Dixon, M. Pocernich, K. Ikeda, D. Axisa, E. Nelson, P. T. May, H. Richter, S. Piketh, R. P. Burger, L. Wilson, S. T Siems, M. Manton, R. C. Stone, A Pepler, D. R. Collins, V. N. Bringi, M. Thurai, L. Turner, and D. McRae, 2012: The Queensland cloud seeing research program. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 93, 75-90.

Lin, P. F., P. L. Chang, B. J.-D. Jou, J. W. Wilson, and R. D. Roberts, 2011: Warm season afternoon thunderstorm characteristics under weak synoptic-scale forcing over Taiwan island. Wea. Forecasting, 26, 44-60.

Wilson, J. W., Y. Feng, M. Chen, and R. D. Roberts, 2010: Nowcasting challenges during the Beijing Olympics: successes, failures and implications for future nowcasting systems. Wea. Forecasting. 25, 1691-1714.

Roberts, R .D., F. Fabry, P. Kennedy, E. Nelson, J. Wilson, N. Rehak, J. Fritz, V. Chandrasekar, J. Braun, J. Sun, S. Ellis, S. Reising, T. Crum, L. Mooney, and R. Palmer, 2008: REFRACTT-2006: Real-time retrieval of high-resolution, low-level moisture fields from operational NEXRAD and research radars. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,89, 1535-1548.

Chen, F., K. W. Manning, M. A. LeMone, S. B. Trier, J. G. Alfieri, R. Roberts, M. Tewari, D. Niyogi, T. W. Horst, S. P. Oncley,J. Basara, and P.D. Blanken, 2007: Description and evaluation of the characteristics of NCAR High Resolution Land Data Assimilation System during IHOP-02. J. Appl. Meteorology and Climate, 46, 694-713.

Roberts, R.D., D. Burgess, and M. Meister, 2006: Developing tools for nowcasting storm severity. Weather and Forecasting, 21, 540-558.

Wilson J.W., and R. D. Roberts, 2006: Summary of convective storm initiation and evolution during IHOP: Observational and modeling perspective. Mon. Wea. Rev., 134, 23-47.

National Research Council, 2005: Flash flood forecasting over complex terrain; with an assessment of the Sulphur Mountain NEXRAD in southern California. National Academies Press, 191 pps. Co-authors: P. Smith (Chair), A. Barros, V. Chandrasekar, G. Forbes, E. Gruntfest, W. Krajewski, T. Potter, R. Roberts (Chap. 4 and 8), M. Steiner, and R. Wakimoto)

Sharif, H., D. Yates, R. Roberts and C. Mueller, 2005: The use of an automated nowcasting system to forecast flash floods in an urban watershed. J. of Hydrometeorology, 7, 190-202.

Wilson, J. W., E. Ebert, T. Saxen, R. Roberts, C. Mueller, M. Sleigh, C. Pierce, and A. Seed, 2004 : Sydney 2000 Forecast Demonstration Project : Convective storm nowcasting. Wea. and Forecasting, 19, 131-150.

Roberts, R.D., and S. Rutledge, 2003: Nowcasting storm initiation and growth using GOES-8 and WSR-88D data. Wea. and Forecasting, 18, 562-584.

Mueller, C., T. Saxen, R. Roberts, J. Wilson, T. Betancourt, S. Dettling, N. Oien, and J. Yee, 2003: Convective Storm Nowcasting System. Wea. and Forecasting, 18, 545-561.

Roberts, R. D., and J. W. Wilson, 1995: The genesis of three non-supercell tornadoes observed with dual-Doppler radar. Mon. Wea. Rev., 123, 3408-3436.

Roberts, R.D., and J. W. Wilson, 1989: A proposed microburst nowcasting procedure using single-Doppler radar. J. Appl. Meteor., 28, 285-303.

Hjelmfelt, M. R., H. D. Oroville, R. D. Roberts, J. P. Chen, and F. J. Kopp, 1989: Observational and numerical study of a microburst line-producing storm. J. Atmos. Sci., 46, 2731-2743.

Wilson, J. W., R. D. Roberts, C. Kessinger, and J. McCarthy, 1984: Microburst wind structure and evaluation of Doppler radar for airport wind shear detection. J. Appl. Meteor., 23, 898-915.

Publications and Presentations (37)
Title	Source	Date
Toward improved short-term forecasting for Lake Victoria Basin. Part I: A radar-based convective mode analysis	Weather and Forecasting	2023-12-01
Lake Victoria thunderstorms: Radar-observed initiation and storm evolution modes	Monthly Weather Review	2022-10-01
Taking the HIGHWAY to save lives on Lake Victoria	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2022-02-01
A storm safari in subtropical South America: Proyecto RELAMPAGO	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2021-08-01
Dual-polarization radar observations of deep convection over Lake Victoria basin in East Africa	Atmosphere	2019-11-13
Nocturnal convection initiation during PECAN 2015	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2019-11-01
Nocturnal elevated convection initiation of the PECAN 4 July hailstorm	Monthly Weather Review	2018-01-01
The great Colorado flood of September 2013	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2015-09-01
Objective prediction of warm season afternoon thunderstorms in northern Taiwan using a fuzzy logic approach	Weather and Forecasting	2012-10-01
Impacts of forecaster involvement on convective storm initiation and evolution nowcasting	Weather and Forecasting	2012-10-01
The Queensland cloud seeding research program	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2012-01-01
Warm season afternoon thunderstorm characteristics under weak synoptic-scale forcing over Taiwan Island	Weather and Forecasting	2011-02-01
Nowcasting challenges during the Beijing Olympics: Successes, failures and implications for future nowcasting systems	Weather and Forecasting	2010-12-01
A comparison of SOWMEX/TIMREX wind observations with WRF and VDRAS 3-D wind fields on 31 May 2008 [presentation]	3rd SoWMEX/TiMREX Science Workshop	2010-11-01
Overview of the Queensland cloud seeding research program	Journal of Weather Modification	2010-04-01
Southwest Monsoon Experiment/Terrain-influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment observations of non-synoptically-forced convection [poster]	34th Conference on Radar Meteorology	2009-10-08
REFRACTT 2006: Real-time retrieval of high-resolution, low-level moisture fields from operational NEXRAD and research radars	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2008-10-01
Evaluating the performance of different synoptic regime settings on the NCAR Auto-Nowcaster [presentation]	13th Conference on Aviation, Range and Aerospace Meteorology	2008-01-21
The UCAR Africa Initiative - Overview and update [presentation]	24th International Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems for Meteorology, Oceanography, and Hydrology	2008-01-21
Tackling the challenge of nowcasting elevated convection [presentation]	33rd Conference on Radar Meteorology	2007-08-06
Description and evaluation of the characteristics of the NCAR high-resolution land data assimilation system	Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology	2007-06-01
Developing tools for nowcasting storm severity	Weather and Forecasting	2006-08-01
Enhancements of NCAR Auto-Nowcast System Using NRL, ASAP, MM5 and TAMDAR Data [poster]	12th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology	2006-02-02
The use of an automated nowcasting system to forecast flash floods in an urban watershed	Journal of Hydrometeorology	2006-02-01
Summary of convective storm initiation and evolution during IHOP: Observational and modeling perspective	Monthly Weather Review	2006-01-01
Impacts of MM5 model data on the performance of the NCAR Autonowcaster system [presentation]	32nd Conference on Radar Meteorology	2005-10-26
Flash flood forecasting over complex terrain: With an assessment of the Sulphur Mountain NEXRAD in southern California	National Academies Press	2005-01-01
Sydney 2000 Forecast Demonstration Project: Convective storm nowcasting	Weather and Forecasting	2004-02-01
NCAR Auto-Nowcast System	Weather and Forecasting	2003-08-01
Nowcasting storm initiation and growth using GOES-8 and WSR-88D data	Weather and Forecasting	2003-08-01
The Sydney 2000 World Weather Research Programme Forecast Demonstration Project: Overview and current status	Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society	2003-08-01
Operational application and use of NCAR's Thunderstorm Nowcasting System [presentation]	15th International Conference on Interactive Information and Processing Systems for Meteorology, Oceanography, and Hydrology	1999-01-10
The genesis of 3 nonsupercell tornadoes observed with dual-doppler radar	Monthly Weather Review	1995-12-01
RAPS-92: The real-time analysis and prediction of Storms-1992 program [presentation]	26th International Conference on Radar Meteorology	1993-05-24
Observational and numerical study of a microburst line-producing storm	Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences	1989-09-01
A proposed microburst nowcasting procedure using single-Doppler radar	Journal of Applied Meteorology	1989-04-01
Microburst wind structure and evaluation of doppler radar for airport wind shear detection	Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology	1984-06-01

Curriculum Vitae

Rita D. Roberts

Curriculum Vitae

Professional Preparation

Colorado State University, CO U.S.A Atmospheric Science M.S. August 1998

San Jose State University, CA U.S.A Meteorology B.S. May 1982

Appointments

2008-present Project Scientist-III, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

2000-2008 Project Scientist-II, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

1993-2000 Associate Scientist-III, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

1984-1993 Associate Scientist II, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

1982-1984 Associate Scientist I, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

1979-1982 Physical Science Student Trainee, Dept. of Commerce/NOAA/Wave Propagation Lab

Professional Experience

Rita Roberts has conducted research on a variety of topics related to structure and evolution of intense convective storms and high-impact weather. From 1982-1992, she used Doppler radar to perform in depth studies on the evolution and production of wind shear and microbursts and identified key storm attributes that are precursors to microbursts. The results of her research on microburst predictors formed the basis for NEXRAD microburst prediction algorithms. She was part of the team of NCAR and MIT/LL scientists whose combined research helped to get the TDWR system approved and installed at U.S. major airports. During the 1990’s, she examined the kinematics of non-supercell tornadoes. She collaborated with NSSL scientists on the development of a short-term, severe-storm prediction technique. Recently she organized a meeting for FAA Air Traffic Managers and Colorado air safety folks to educate them on non-supercell and supercell tornadoes that can impact aviation operations in Colorado. She has spent the past 15 years conducting research and testing algorithms for the short-term prediction of high impact weather, which includes prediction of convection initiation, intense thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and flash floods. She supported the NCAR nowcasting systems demonstrated during the WMO FDPs held during the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. On behalf of the WMO, she co-authored a Scientific Project Overview document for a proposed Lake Victoria field experiment that was submitted to NSF in 2013. Recent research has been conducted on the following topics: 1) analysis of water vapor (refractivity) fields derived from radar phase information for understanding low-level moisture variability in the boundary layer, 2) examination and documentation of RUC NWP model performance in accurately predicting quantitative precipitation in the 0-6 h time frame, and 3) combining GOES satellite and WSR-88D radar data to improve the lead time and accuracy of storm initiation nowcasts. This work was nominated for the NCAR outstanding publication award in 2007 and is the benchmark study referenced by other U.S. and EUMETSAT scientists in development of satellite-based, convection initiation nowcasting algorithms.

Relevant Professional Activities

PI for the WMO-sponsored Lake Victoria HIGHWAY Field Campaign (2018-2020)
PI for the approved NSF RELAMPAGO field experiement (2017-2018)
Co-Chair, WMO Nowcasting and Mesoscale Research (NMR) Working Group (2016-2020)
Member, WMO Task Team on the Development of Guidlines for Nowcasting Techniques (TT-DGNT) (2016-2017)
PI for the (NSF) Argentina RELAMPAGO experiment (2018)
S-Pol PI for the NSF PECAN field experiment (2015)

Manager for the NCAR STEP Hydrometeorology Heavy Rainfall Prediction System (2013-2018)
Member, International Planning Committee (IPC) of the Global Energy and Water Exchanges Project (GEWEX) World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)’s Hydroclimate Project for Lake Victoria (2013-2015)
Member, Organizing Committee for the WMO workshop Training on NOwcasting TEchniques (T_NOTE) in in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2012-2013)
Member, COMET’s Safe Skies for Africa Working Group (2012-2013)
Member, International Scientific Organizing Committee for the 3^rd Int’l Symposium on Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2011-2012)
Recipient, NCAR Outstanding Achievement Award for Outreach and Training (2011)
Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (2009)
Co-Chair of the 2009 American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting (2007-2009)
PI for the NSF REFRACTT field programs in 2005 and 2006 (radar refractivity experiments in Colorado)
Chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Committee on Radar Meteorology (2004-2007)
Member, National Research Council Committee to “Assess NEXRAD Flash Flood Forecasting Capabilities at Sulphur Mt., California” (2004)
Member of the AMS Committee on Radar Meteorology (2002-2005)
PI for the NCAR Autonowcaster System installed at Washington D.C., Dallas/Ft.Worth TX, and Melborne FL, National Weather Service Offices (1997 – 2005)
Conducted extensive national and international training of students and forecasters in nowcasting and radar concepts (23 occasions).
PI, Co-PI or participant in >15 field experiments

RRoberts_CV_forWMO.doc

Education

Degree	School Name	Country	Field of Study
MS	Colorado State University	United States of America	Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
MS	Colorado State University	United States of America	Atmospheric Science
BS	San Jose State University	United States of America	Atmospheric Science/Meteorology

Links

Rita has led the development of the STEP Hydromet Heavy Rainfall Prediction System. This seamless end-to-end system for heavy rainfall, flash flood and streamflow prediction has been run over the Colorado Front Range for the past four summers, from 2014 - 2017, each year with new, updated capabilitie. For more details go to:

https://www.ral.ucar.edu/projects/step_hydromet

Rita is included in the 2019 list of notable San Jose State University Women of Meteorology. See the spotlight section at

http://www.sjsu.edu/meteorology/

Interests

My greatest passion is in conducting research on the development and evolution of thunderstorms, severe weather, and convective weather events, and the impact ofboundary layer processes on convection initiation. I particularly enjoy participating in field experiments for collection of enhanced datasets and watching the weather as it evolves. Recently I have been conducting research on nocturnal thunderstorm evoluation, prediction of heavy rainfall and flash floods, predicting the transition of winter weather from rain to snow, and conducting studies to improve ceiling and visibility analyses and forecasts over Alaska.

Specific areas of interest include radar and satellite meteorology, mesoscale meteorology, short-term nowcasting, and education and outreach.

I enjoy gardening, reading, traveling, baking, making fruit preserves, and hiking. I try to spend as much time as possible with my four grown daughters who lead very active lives.

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