Research Interests

Severe convective storms and their interaction with mesoscale features in their environments, tornadogenesis, radar observations of tornadic thunderstorms, convective initiation, and numerical modeling.

Dr. Richardson's research focuses on understanding the formation and evolution of severe storms through both numerical modeling and observations. In particular, her numerical modeling studies investigate the influence of temporal and spatial variations in environmental shear and/or convective available potential energy on storm strength, rotational properties, and longevity. Her observational work has focused on understanding storm rotation, in particular tornado genesis and maintenance, using mobile radars to collect fine-scale observations of thunderstorms and tornadoes. Dr. Richardson was a principal investigator in the International H20 Project (IHOP) in Spring, 2002 with a focus on convection initiation and boundary layer processes using mobile radar data combined with other remote and in-situ measurements.  She served as a steering committee member and a principal investigator for the second phase of the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) in 2009 and 2010.  Recently, she and Dr. Markowski have collaborated on the deployment of pseudo-Lagrangian balloon-borne sensors into supercell and tornadic storms.

Teaching Interests

Atmospheric dynamics, mesoscale processes in the atmosphere, atmospheric convection, thermodynamics, radar meteorology, survey of atmospheric science, first-year seminar.

Selected Publications

Murdzek, S. S., Y. P. Richardson, P. M. Markowski, 2023: The sensitivity of supercell cold pools to the lifting condensation level and the predicted particle properties microphysics parameterization.  Mon. Wea. Rev., in review.

Murdzek, S. S., Y. P. Richardson, P. M. Markowski, and M. R. Kumjian, 2022: How the environmental lifting condensation level affects the sensitivity of simulated convective storm cold pools to the microphysics parameterization.  Mon. Wea. Rev., 150, 2527-2552.  https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-21-0258.1

Bartos, E. A., P. M. Markowski, and Y. P. Richardson, 2022: Three-Dimensional Thermodynamic Observations in Supercell Thunderstorms from Swarms of Balloon-Borne Sondes.  Mon. Wea. Rev., 150, 1689-1723. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-21-0122.1

Murdzek, S. S., P. M. Markowski, Y. P. Richardson, and M. R. Kumjian, 2021: Should reversible convective inhibition be used when determining the inflow layer of a storm? J. Atmos. Sci., 78, 3047-3067.

Murdzek, S. S., P. M. Markowski, Y. P. Richardson, 2020: Simultaneous dual-Doppler and mobile mesonet observations of streamwise vorticity currents in three supercells.  Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 4859-4874.

Murdzek, S. S., P. M. Markowski, Y. P. Richardson, and R. L. Tanamachi, 2020: Processes preventing the development of a significant tornado in a Colorado supercell on 26 May 2010.  Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 1753-1778.

Anderson-Frey, A., Y. Richardson, A. Dean, R. Thompson, and B. Smith, 2019: Characteristics of tornado events and warnings in the southeastern United States. Wea. Forecasting., 34, 1017-1034.

Colbert, M., D. J. Stensrud, P. M. Markowski, and Y. P. Richardson, 2019: Processes associated with convection initiation in the North American Mesoscale Forecast System – Version 3 (NAMMv3). Wea. Forecasting, 34, 683-700.

Anderson-Frey, A., Y. P. Richardson, A. R. Dean, R. L. Thompson, and B. T. Smith, 2018: Near-storm environments of outbreak and isolated tornadoes.  Weather and Forecasting, 33, 1397-1412.

Markowski, P.M., T. Hatlee, and Y. P. Richardson, 2018: Tornadogenesis in the 12 May 2010 supercell thunderstorm intercepted by VORTEX2 near Clinton, Oklahoma  Monthly Weather Review, 146, 3623–3650.

Kumjian, M., Y. P. Richardson, T. Meyer, K. A. Kosiba, and J. Wurman, 2018: Resonance scattering effects in wet hail observed with a dual-X-band-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler on Wheels radar. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 57, 2713–2731.

Anderson-Frey, A., Y. P. Richardson, A. R. Dean, R. L. Thompson, and B. T. Smith, 2018: Corrigendum.  Monthly Weather Review, 33, 609-611.

Markowski, P. M., Y. P. Richardson, S. J. Richardson, and A. Petersson, 2018: Aboveground thermodynamic observations in convective storms from balloonborne probes acting as pseudo-Lagrangian drifters. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99, 711-724.

Anderson-Frey, A., Y. P. Richardson, A. R. Dean, R. L. Thompson, and B. T. Smith, 2017: Self-organizing maps for the investigation of tornadic near-storm environments.  Weather and Forecasting, 32, 1467-1475.

Markowski, P. M., and Y. P. Richardson, 2017: Large sensitivity of near-surface vertical vorticity development to heat sink location in idealized simulations of supercell-like storms. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 74, 1095-1104.

Anderson-Frey, A. Y. P. Richardson, A. R. Dean, R. L. Thompson, and B. T. Smith, 2016: Investigation of near-storm environments for tornado events and warnings. Weather and Forecasting, 31, 1771-1790. 

Marquis, J., Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, J. Wurman, and K. Kosiba, 2016: An investigation of the Goshen County, Wyoming tornadic supercell of 5 June 2009 using EnKF assimilation of mobile mesonet and radar observations collected uring VORTEX2. Part II: Mesocyclone-scale processes affecting tornado formation, maintenance, and decay. Monthly Weather Review, 144, 3441-3463.

Klees, A. M., Y. P. Richardson, P. M. Markowski, C. Weiss, J. M. Wurman, K. K. Kosiba, 2016: Comparison of the tornadic and nontornadic supercells intercepted by VORTEX2 on 10 June 2010. Monthly Weather Review, 144, 3201-3231.

Hastings, R. and Y. Richardson, 2016: Long-term morphological changes in simulated supercells following mergers with nascent supercells in directionally varying shear. Monthly Weather Review, 144, 471-499.

Weiss, C., D. C. Dowell, J. L. Schroeder, P. S. Skinner, A. E. Reinhart, P. M. Markowski, and Y. P. Richardson, 2015: A comparison of near-surface buoyancy and baroclinity across three VORTEX2 supercell intercepts. Monthly Weather Review, 143, 2736-2753.

Markowski, P., Y. Richardson, M. Kumjian, A. Anderson-Frey, G. Jimenez, B. Katona, A. Klees, R. Schrom, and D. Tobin, 2015: Comments on “Observations of Wall Cloud Formation in Supercell Thunderstorms during VORTEX2.” Monthly Weather Review, 143, 4278-4281

Nowotarski, C.N., P.M. Markowski, Y.P. Richardson, G.H. Bryan, 2015: Supercell low-level mesocyclones in simulations with a sheared convective boundary layer. Monthly Weather Review, 143, 272-297.

Bluestein, J.B., R.M. Rauber, D.W. Burgess, B. Albrecht, S.M. Ellis, Y.P. Richardson, D.P. Jorgensen, S.J. Frasier, P. Chilson, R.D. Palmer, S.E. Yuter, W.C. Lee, D.C. Dowell, P.L. Smith, P.M. Markowski, K. Friedrich, and T.M. Weckwerth, 2014: Summary of the 2012 National Science Foundation Community Workshop on Radar Technologies. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 95, 1850-1861.

Schultz, D. M., Y. P. Richardson, P. Markowski, C. Doswell III, 2014: Tornadoes in the central United States and the “Clash of the Air Masses.”  Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 95, 1704-1712.

Nowotarski, C.N., P.M. Markowski, Y.P. Richardson, G.H. Bryan, 2014: Properties of a simulated convective boundary layer in an idealized supercell thunderstorm environment.  Monthly Weather Review, 142, 3955-3976.

Markowski, P., Y. Richardson, G. Bryan, 2014: The origins of vortex sheets in a simulated supercell thunderstorm.  Monthly Weather Review, 142, 3944-3954.

Skinner; P.S., C. C. Weiss, M. M. French, H. B. Bluestein, P. M. Markowsk,; Y. P. Richardson, 2014. VORTEX2 observations of a low-level mesocyclone with multiple internal rear-flank downdraft momentum surges in the 18 May 2010, Dumas, Texas supercell.  Mon. Wea. Rev., 142, 2935-2960.

*Marquis, J.M., Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, D. Dowell, J. Wurman, K. Kosiba, and P. Robinson, 2014: An investigation of the Goshen County, Wyoming, tornadic supercell of 5 June 2009 using EnKF assimilation of mobile mesonet and radar observations collected during VORTEX2.  Part I: Experiment design and verification of the EnKF analyses. Monthly Weather Review, 142, 530-554.

Markowski, P.M., and Y.P. Richardson, 2014:  The influence of environmental low-level shear and cold pools on tornadogenesis: Insights from idealized simulations.  J. Atmos. Sci, 71, 243-275.

Yuter, S.E., M.A. Miller, M.D. Parker, P.M. Markowski, Y. Richardson, H. Brooks, and J.M. Straka, 2013: Comment on “Why do tornadoes and hailstorms rest on weekends?” J. Geophys. Res., 118, 7332-7338.

Kosiba, K., J. Wurman, Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, P. Robinson, and J. Marquis, 2013: Genesis of the Goshen County, Wyoming tornado on 05 June 2009 during VORTEX2.  Monthly Weather Review, 141. 1157-1181.

Buban, M., C. Ziegler, E. Mansell, and Y. Richardson, 2012: Simulation of dryline misovortex dynamics and cumulus formation.  Monthly Weather Review, 11, 3525-3551.

*Marquis, J., Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, D. Dowell, and J. Wurman, 2012: Tornado maintenance investigated with high-resolution dual-Doppler and EnKF analysis.  Monthly Weather Review, 140, 3-27.

Markowski, P.M., Y.P. Richardson, J. Marquis, J. Wurman, K. Kosiba, P. Robinson, D. Dowell, E. Rasmussen, and R. Davies-Jones, 2012: The pretornadic phase of the Goshen County, Wyoming, supercell of 5 June 2009 intercepted by VORTEX2. Part I: Evolution of kinematic and surface thermodynamic fields.  Monthly Weather Review, 140, 2887-2915.

Markowski, P.M., Y.P. Richardson, J. Marquis, R. Davies-Jones J. Wurman, K. Kosiba, P. Robinson, E. Rasmussen, and D. Dowell, 2012: The pretornadic phase of the Goshen County, Wyoming, supercell of 5 June 2009 intercepted by VORTEX2. Part II: Intensification of low-level rotation.  Monthly Weather Review, 140, 2916-2938.

Wurman, J., D. Dowell, Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, E. Rasmussen, D. Burgess, L. Wicker, and H. Bluestein, 2012: The Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment:VORTEX2.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, 1147-1170.