Thomas Galarneau is a Research Physical Scientist and federal lead for the Forecast Applications and Social Science Team in the Forecast Research and Development Division at the NOAA/OAR National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. He has broad research interests in multi-scale dynamic meteorology with expertise ranging from planetary to storm scales, and with particular emphasis on phenomenological and process studies of severe convective storms, extreme rainstorms, tropical cyclones, and midlatitude bomb cyclones. His work uses a combination of observations and numerical models to advance understanding and update conceptual models with the overarching goal to contribute to improvements in the forecasting of these phenomena.
Prior to joining NSSL as a federal scientist in May 2022, Thomas was affiliated with NSSL as a Research Scientist III and team lead for the Observations and Processes Team at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) from 2019-2022. He was also the science lead for the uncrewed aircraft system program at CIWRO. Earlier in his career, Thomas was a Project Scientist in the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Laboratory at NCAR from 2011-2015 and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona from 2015-2019. Thomas is a two-time recipient of the University of Arizona’s Award for Excellence at the Student Interface (2016 and 2018). He also received the American Meteorological Society Editor’s Award for Monthly Weather Review (2016) and the NCAR Recognition Award for Outstanding Publication (2013). Thomas served as the chair of the AMS Committee on Mesoscale Processes from 2016-2019 and has served on the editorial board for Monthly Weather Review since 2012.
His journal articles and C.V. are available here and here.
Research foci:
- analysis, evaluation, and development of the NSSL Warn-on-Forecast modeling system
- multiscale dynamic and process studies of severe convective storms
- dynamics and prediction of post-landfall tropical cyclone evolution and hazards
- life cycle of tropical and extratropical cyclones
Education:
- Ph.D., Atmospheric Science, University at Albany, 2010
- M.S., Atmospheric Science, University at Albany, 2007
- M.S., Basic Classroom Teaching-Earth Science, University at Albany, 2003
- B.S., Atmospheric Science, University at Albany, 2001
Professional Activities:
- Federal Team Lead, Forecast Applications and Social Science Team, NSSL
- Editor, Monthly Weather Review
- Co-Chair of the NOAA/OAR Severe Weather Weeks 2-4 Tiger Team
- VORTEX-USA Working Group member
- NSSL Fire Weather Research Team member
- CIWRO Fellow, University of Oklahoma
- Designated Campus Colleague, University of Arizona
Professional Memberships:
- American Meteorological Society
Honors and Awards:
- 2018: Award for Excellence at the Student Interface, University of Arizona
- 2016: Award for Excellence at the Student Interface, University of Arizona
- 2016: American Meteorological Society Editors’ Award for Monthly Weather Review
- 2013: NCAR Recognition Award for Outstanding Publication
- 2011: Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, University at Albany
- 2011: Narayan R. Gokhale Distinguished Research Scholarship Award, University at Albany
- 2008: Bernard Vonnegut Award for Excellence in Teaching, University at Albany
Contact Thomas by email: thomas.galarneau “at” noaa.gov