Orographic Snowfall Extremes in the central Wasatch
My master's research focused on the diverse characteristics of orographic snowfall extremes in the central Wasatch, using observational datasets. Click the image above to view a preprint.
Hi! I'm Michael Wasserstein, and I'm a first-year
PhD student in the department of Atmospheric
Sciences at the University of Utah.
Welcome to my website, which contains information
about me and some of my work.
About Me
After finishing my B.A. in physics from Middlebury College in spring 2021, I began my studies at the University of Utah, conducting research on orographic precipitation extremes in Utah's Wasatch mountains. I completed my M.S. degree in May 2023, and I am now embarking on my PhD journey. My passion for weather sparked at a young age, when I was a ski racer in Connecticut. Prone to wintertime freeze-thaw cycles, Connecticut is not the best place for people who want lots of snow. This led me to constantly read weather reports, searching for any indication of snow. From there, my passion for weather grew, leading to my desire to pursue a career as a meteorologist.
Projects
Here is a sampling of some of some of my work.
LCC Dashboard
A side project to my Master's research was the development of an "LCC Dashboard" which displays real-time webcam imagery, NEXRAD radar data, Micro-rain Radar, and Parsivel disdrometer data for the Salt Lake Valley and Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC).
Math Senior Work
My math senior work derived and examined the Navier-Stokes equations in a rotating reference frame, applied those equations to the shallow water model to derive the shallow water equations, and conducted numerical simulations of the shallow water model.
Physics Senior Work
My physics senior work examined the impact of microphysics parameterizations in simulations of a 2019 Vermont winter storm, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model.
Data Science Project
For my data science final project, I wanted to qualitatively determine the best ski resort in the western United States based on individual preferences. If you scroll down to the bottom of the report, you can input your own preferences to determine the best place for you to ski.
Skills
Computer: Mac OS, Linux command line, WRF, CM1
Programming: Python (primary), R, Mathematica, LaTeX
Languages: English, Spanish
In addition to my studies and projects, I have a well-rounded background I have served as a teaching assistant for several courses, coached peers in public speaking, and I spent a semester studying in Madrid, Spain, where I gained Spanish fluency. View my CV here.
Contact
Email: michael.wasserstein@utah.edu