Skip to main content
US Flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home » Staff Profiles
Eric James
GSL Staff Profiles
Email
eric.james@noaa.gov
Phone
720-340-1167
Address
DSRC
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80305-3328
Affiliation
Federal
Awards

Profile

Senior Associate Scientist


I joined GSL (then GSD) within the Assimilation and Verification Innovation Division (AVID; formerly the Assimilation and Modeling Branch AMB) in 2010.  Since that time, my research interests have revolved around the use of observations in numerical weather prediction, applications of high-resolution model guidance in complex terrain, and data mining.  I have played a key role in maintaining real-time experimental model forecasts from the hourly Rapid Refresh (RAP) and High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), and have carried out numerous retrospective experiments for the purpose of various aspects of data assimilation or model physics improvements.  I have been involved with many projects and outreach efforts associated with new capabilities developed in the HRRR system, including especially the HRRR-smoke system for prediction of wildfire smoke plumes.  Outside of work, I am currently pursuing a PhD in Atmospheric Science; in my very limited free time, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, and trail running.


Research Interests

  • Observing System Experiments (OSEs) for quantification of observation impacts upon model forecast skill
  • Use of commercial aircraft weather observations within rapidly-updating numerical weather prediction systems
  • Short-range prediction of excessive rainfall based on convection-allowing model guidance
  • Anticipation of extreme fire weather based on convection-allowing model guidance
  • Incorporating simple representations of aerosol tracers (i.e., smoke and dust) in rapidly-updating numerical weather prediction systems

Education

  • BS in Meteorology, University of Utah, 2006
  • BS in Geography, University of Utah, 2006
  • MS in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2009

Experience

  • Lab Aide at the University of Utah MesoWest program, 2005-06, under Dr. John Horel
  • Graduate Research Assistant at Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science, 2006-09, under Dr. Richard Johnson
  • Research Associate at Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science, 2009-10, under Dr. Richard Johnson
  • Associate Scientist at Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, within the Global Systems Laboratory Assimilation and Verification Innovation Division, 2010-present, under Dr. Curtis Alexander

Professional Activities

  • Hazardous Weather Testbed Experimental Forest Program, NOAA National Severe Storms Lab / Storm Prediction Center, Norman, OK, 2011-2013, 2015-2018, 2020
  • Front Range Computer Research Consortium Symposium, Fort Collins, CO, 2012
  • Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation Tutorial, Boulder, CO, 2012
  • WRF Workshop, Boulder, CO, 2013
  • Winter Experiment, NOAA Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO, 2016
  • Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management Workshop, San Jose, CA, 2016
  • Utility Variable Integration Group Forecasting Workshop, Denver, CO, 2016
  • Workshop on Opportunities to Apply Remote Sensing in Boreal / Arctic Wildfire Management and Science, Fairbanks, AK, 2017
  • Invited Seminar Speaker at USFS Fire Science Laboratory, Missoula, MT, 2017
  • Membership Chair, CIRES Members Council, 2017-2020
  • Presenter at Stakeholder Workshop for Scoping and Development of New Forecast Products Using AMDAR Data, Naivasha, Kenya, 2018
  • Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall Experiment, NOAA Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD, 2018-2020
  • Presenter at Incident Meteorologist Training, National Interagency Fire Center, Boise, ID, 2018-2019
  • Led training with the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation on the HRRR-Caribbean modeling system, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 2020
  • Led NOAA National Weather Service training on upcoming RAPv5 / HRRRv4, 2020

Honors and Awards

  • International Baccalaureate Diploma, May 2002
  • Research Employee of the Year Team Award, CU/CIRES, 2012
  • Gold Medal Award, CU/CIRES, 2016
  • Technology Transfer Award, NOAA/GSD, 2017
  • Achievement Award, UVIG, 2017

Publications

James, E. P., S. G. Benjamin, and B. D. Jamison, 2020: Commercial aircraft-based observations for NWP: Global coverage, data impacts, and COVID-19. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., in press. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-20-0010.1.

Fujisaki-Manome, A., G. E. Mann, E. J. Anderson, P. Y. Chu, L. E. Fitzpatrick, S. G. Benjamin, E. P. James, T. G. Smirnova, C. R. Alexander, and D. M. Wright, 2020: Improvements to lake-effect snow forecasts using a one-way air-lake model coupling approach. J. Hydrometeor., in press. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-20-0079.1.

Albers, S., S. M. Saleeby, S. Kreidenweis, Q. Bian, P. Xian, Z. Toth, R. Ahmadov, E. James, and S. D. Miller, 2020: A fast visible-wavelength 3D radiative transfer model for numerical weather prediction visualization and forward modeling. Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3235-3261. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3235-2020.

Back, A., R. Ahmadov, E. P. James, G. Grell, G. Pereira, S. R. Freitas, I. A. Csiszar, M. Tsidulko, S. Kondragunta, 2020: Use of VIIRS aerosol optical depth information at NOAA GSL to improve smoke, visibility, and weather forecasts in the Experimental High Resolution Rapid Refresh. JCSDA Quarterly, 67, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.25923/4pt1-wx36.

Beck, J., J. Brown, J. Dudhia, D. Gill, T. Hertneky, J. Klemp, W. Wang, C. Williams, M. Hu, E. James, J. Kenyon, T. Smirnova, J.-H. Kim, 2020: An evaluation of a hybrid, terrain-following vertical coordinate in the WRF-based RAP and HRRR models. Wea. Forecasting, 35, 1081-1096. https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-19-0146.1.

Benjamin, S. G., E. P. James, J. M. Brown, E. J. Szoke, J. S. Kenyon, and R. Ahmadov, 2020: Diagnostic fields developed for hourly updated NOAA models. NOAA Tech. Memo. OAR GSL-66. https://doi.org/10.25923/98fy-xx71.

Hung, W.-T., C.-S. Lu, B. Shrestha, H.-C. Lin, C.-A. Lin, D. Grogan, J. Hong, R. Ahmadov, E. James, and E. Joseph, 2020: The impacts of transported wildfire smoke aerosols on surface air quality in New York State: A case study in summer 2018. Atmos. Environment, 227, 117415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117415.

Banta, R. M., Y. L. Pichugina, W. A. Brewer, E. P. James, J. B. Olson, S. G. Benjamin, J. R. Carley, L. Bianco, I. V. Djalalova, J. M. Wilczak, R. M. Hardesty, J. Cline, and M. C. Marquis, 2018: Evaluating and improving NWP forecast models for the future: How the needs of offshore wind energy can point the way. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 99, 1155-1176. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0310.1.

Ahmadov, R., G. Grell, E. James, I. Csiszar, M. Tsidulko, B. Pierce, S. McKeen, S. Benjamin, C. Alexander, G. Pereira, S. Freitas, and M. Goldberg, 2017: Using VIIRS fire radiative power data to simulate biomass burning emissions, plume rise and smoke transport in a real-time air quality modeling system. Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2806-2808. https://doi.org/10.1109/IGARSS.2017.8127581.

James, E. P., S. G. Benjamin, and M. Marquis, 2017: Offshore wind speed estimates from a high-resolution rapidly updating numerical weather prediction model forecast dataset. Wind Energy, 21, 264-284. https://doi.org/10.1002/we.2161.

James, E. P., S. G. Benjamin, and M. Marquis, 2017: A unified high-resolution wind and solar dataset from a rapidly updating numerical weather prediction model. Renewable Energy, 102, 390-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.10.059.

Pichugina, Y. L., R. M. Banta, J. B. Olson, J. R. Carley, M. C. Marquis, W. A. Brewer, J. M. Wilczak, I. Djalalova, L. Bianco, E. P. James, S. G. Benjamin, and J. Cline, 2017: Assessment of NWP forecast models in simulating offshore winds through the lower boundary layer by measurements from a ship-based scanning Doppler lidar. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 4277-4301. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-16-0442.1.

James, E. P., and S. G. Benjamin, 2017: Observation system experiments with the hourly updating Rapid Refresh model using GSI hybrid ensemble-variational data assimilation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 2897-2918. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-16-0398.1.

Benjamin, S. G., S. S. Weygandt, J. M. Brown, M. Hu, C. R. Alexander, T. G. Smirnova, J. B. Olson, E. P. James, D. C. Dowell, G. A. Grell, H. Lin, S. E. Peckham, T. L. Smith, W. R. Moninger, J. S. Kenyon, and G. S. Manikin, 2016: A North American hourly assimilation and model forecast cycle: The Rapid Refresh. Mon. Wea. Rev., 144, 1669-1694. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-15-0242.1.

James, E. P., and R. H. Johnson, 2010: A climatology of midlatitude mesoscale convective vortices in the Rapid Update Cycle. Mon. Wea. Rev., 138, 1940-1956. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009MWR3208.1.

James, E. P., and R. H. Johnson, 2010: Patterns of precipitation and mesolow evolution in midlatitude mesoscale convective vortices. Mon. Wea. Rev., 138, 909-931. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009MWR3076.1.