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.

Teaching Interests

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

Selected Publications

Anderson-Frey, A. Y. P. Richardson, A. R. Dean, R. L. Thompson, and B. T. Smith, 2016: Investigation of tornado warning skill by environment. Weather and Forecasting, accepted pending revisions. 

Marquis, J., Y. Richardson, P. Markowski, J. Wurman, and K. Kosiba, 2016: Analysis of the 5 June 2009 Goshen County, Wyoming tornadic supercell through EnKF assimilation of mobile mesonet and radar observations. Part II: Mesocyclone-scale processes affecting tornado formation, maintenance, and decay. Monthly Weather Review, in press.

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, in press.

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.

Nowotarski, C., P. Markowski, Y. Richardson, 2011: The characteristics of numerically simulated supercell storms situated over statically stable boundary layers.  Monthly Weather Review, 139, 3139-3162.

Markowski, P.M., Majcen, M., Richardson, Y.P., J.Wurman, 2011:  Characteristics of the wind field in a trio of nontornadic low-level mesocyclones observed by the Doppler On Wheels radars.  Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology, 6 (3), 1–48.

Wurman, J., K. Kosiba, P. Markowski, Y. Richardson, D. Dowell, and P. Robinson, 2010: Finescale single- and dual-Doppler analysis of tornado intensification, maintenance, and dissipation in the Orleans, Nebraska, tornadic supercell. Monthly Weather Review, 138, 4439-4455.

Bennett, L.J., T.M. Weckwerth, A.M. Blyth, B. Geerts, Q. Miao, and Y.P. Richardson, 2010: Observations of the evolution of the nocturnal and convective boundary layers and the structure of open-celled convection on 14 June 2002.  Monthly Weather Review, 138, 2589-2607.

Markowski, P.M., and Y.P. Richardson, 2009: Tornadogenesis: Our current understanding, forecasting, considerations, and questions to guide future research.  Atmospheric Research, 93, 3-10.

Byko, Z., P. Markowski, Y. Richardson, J. Wurman, and E. Adlerman, 2009: Descending reflectivity cores in supercell thunderstorms observed by mobile radars and in a high-resolution numerical simulation.  Weather and Forecasting, 24, 155-186.

Frame, J., P. Markowski, Y. Richardson, J. Straka, and J. Wurman, 2009: Polarimetric and dual-Doppler radar observations of the Lipscomb County, Texas, supercell thunderstorm on 23 May 2002.  Monthly Weather Review, 137, 544-561.

Richardson, Y.P., P.M. Markowski, J. Verlinde, and J. Wurman, 2008: Integrating classroom learning and research:  The Pennsylvania Area Mobile Radar Experiment (PAMREX).  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89, 1097-1101.

Marquis, J.N., Y.P. RIchardson, J.M. Wurman, and P.M. Markowski, 2008: Single and dual-Doppler analysis of a tornadic vortex and surrounding storm-scale flow in the Crowell, TX, supercell of 30 April 2000.  Monthly Weather Review, 136, 5017-5043.

Majcen, M., P. Markowski, Y. RIchardson, D. Dowell, and J. Wurman, 2008:  Multi-pass objective analyses of radar data.  Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 25, 1845-1858.

Markowski, P.M., E. Rasmussen, J. Straka, R.P. Davies-Jones, Y.P. Richardson, and R.J. Trapp, 2008:  Vortex lines within low-level mesocyclones obtained from pseudo-dual-Doppler radar observations.  Monthly Weather Review, 136, 3513-3535.

Buban, M., C. Ziegler, E.N. Rasmussen, and Y.P. Richardson, 2007: The dryline on 22 May 2002 during IHOP: Ground-radar and in-situ data analyses of the dryline and boundary layer evolution. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 2473-2505.

Markowski, P.M., and Y.P. Richardson, 2007: Observations of vertical wind shear heterogeneity in convective boundary layers.Monthly Weather Review, 135, 843—861.

Marquis, J.N., Y.P. Richardson, and J.M. Wurman, 2007: Kinematic observations of misocyclones along boundaries during IHOP.Monthly Weather Review , 135, 1749-1768.

Richardson, Y.P., K.K. Droegemeier, and R.P. Davies-Jones, 2007: The Influence of Horizontal Environmental Variability on Numerically-Simulated Convective Storms. Part I: Variations in Vertical Shear. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 3429-3455.

Wurman, J.M., Y.P. Richardson, C. Alexander, S. Weygandt, and P. Zhang, 2007: Dual-Doppler and Single-Doppler Analysis of a Tornadic Storm Undergoing Mergers and Repeated Tornadogenesis. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 736–758.

Wurman, J.M., Y.P. Richardson, C. Alexander, S. Weygandt, and P. Zhang, 2007: High Resolution 3D Dual-Doppler Windfields in and near a tornado. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 2392-2405.

Wurman, J.M., C. Alexander, P. Robinson, and Y.P. RIchardson, 2007: Low-level winds in tornadoes and potential catastrophic tornado impacts in urban areas.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 88, 31-46.

Ziegler, C. E.N. Rasmussen, M.S. Buban, Y.P. RIchardson, L.J. Miller, and R.M. Rabin, 2007:  The "Triple Point" on 24 May 2002 during IHOP.  Part II: Ground-radar and in-situ boundary layer analysis of cumulus development and convection initiation.  Monthly Weather Review, 135, 2443-2472.

Arnott, N.R., Y.P. Richardson, E.M. Rasmussen, and J.M. Wurman, 2006: Relationship between a weakening cold front, misocyclones, and cloud development on 10 June 2002 during IHOP. Monthly Weather Review, 134, 311-335.

Markowski, P.M., and Y.P. Richardson, 2006: On the classification of vertical wind shear as directional shear versus speed shear. Weather and Forecasting, 21, 244-249.