Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Washington
Research

Mapping temperature in complex terrain

Spatial patterns of snow-fed streamflow

Rain vs. Snow

How meadow ecology relates to snow and climate

Can mesoscale climate models help hydroclimate forecasts?

Silviculture to maximize snow retention

Fire, lightning, and summer rain

Summer precipitation, lightning strikes, and fires:

Lundquist et al. (2009) demonstrated how distributed stream pressure sensors can be used to identify highly-localized areas of precipitation during summer thunderstorms. Lundquist and Roche (2009) pointed out that these same summer thunderstorms are crucial for determining late-summer soil moisture and streamflow and can mean the difference between water rationing and a passable dry year. We are currently working with Jan van Wagtendonk and Jim Lutz to analyze how spatial patterns of summer rain relate to spatial patterns of lightning strikes and fires in Yosemite National Park.