Clairy Reiher

Ph.D. Candidate (she/her)

Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

University of Colorado, Boulder

I research jet streams and mid-latitude cyclones using meteorological datasets and numerical models of the atmosphere.

Email: clairisse.reiher@colorado.edu

Github: https://github.com/careiher

I am currently a member of the Synoptic Meteorology Group led by Dr. Andrew Winters. See the group's website here.

Click here to see my CV!

My research topics:

(1) Near-Freezing Precipitation Events: these events, which produce freezing rain and sleet, are notoriously difficult to forecast. I have investigated the physical processes taking place in the atmosphere that influenced our ability to predict one of these events 5 days prior to its occurrence. I also helped launch atmospheric soundsings to observe this event during February 2022 as part of the WINTRE-MIX field campaign.

Figure caption: Sea level pressure, 1000-500 hPa thickness, and 250-hPa wind speed from the ERA5 Reanalysis at during intensive observation period #4 of the WINTRE-MIX Field Campaign. Ground operations for the campaign were conducted in the green box.

Figure caption: Upper-level wind speed (black contours) and jets (shading) detected using our jet detection algorithm. A jet superposition event is occurring over the Eastern U.S. at this time. From the ERA5 Reanalysis valid at 12:00 UTC 20 Dec 2009.

(2) Polar-Subtropical Jet Superpositions: the polar and subtropical jets, while typically separate, can sometimes merge to form a single, "superposed" jet with the capability to induce high winds and heavy precipitation at the surface.

Previously, I investigated how often these superposed jets induce high-impact weather, and what environments accompany superposed jets that do lead to high-impact weather versus those that do not.

Currently, I am investigating how we expect characteristics of these superposed jets to change in a future, warmer climate.

My general interests include meteorological/climate data analysis, model development, and machine learning.

I am a co-lead of the graduate application mentorship program for my graduate department, which helps prospective students learn how to apply to our program, and learn about graduate school in general. See our website here.

Outside of work, I love to read novels, listen to music/go to concerts, hang out with animals, cook, and eat baked goods (that other people, not I, have baked).