David Reynolds

Meet David Reynolds

David Reynolds, a meteorologist recently hired by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, retired from the federal government in December 2011 after 32 years of service.

Reynolds will be supporting activities related to the HMT in his new position, including developing decision support tools to aid weather forecasting and water management concerns.

Prior to retiring, Reynolds spent 9½ years as Meteorologist in Charge (MIC) of the National Weather Service (NWS) San Francisco Bay Area Forecast Office. During his tenure as MIC, he played a key role testing and evaluating HMT observations, models, and prototype tools. Reynolds had set up a fully functional frost prediction system before retiring, which will be tailored for use in an HMT proof-of-concept project funded by the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA). The study will determine the utility of high spatial and temporal temperature forecasts in a critical wine-growing region of Sonoma County. These forecasts would be provided during the spring when the grape buds are susceptible to frost damage. Accurate prediction of location and number of hours the buds would be at risk from freezing could help reduce the number of hours that water is drawn from the nearby Russian River. The overall aim is to help mitigate flow reductions that could harm the migrating salmon population.

More About Dave...
Before becoming MIC in 2002, Reynolds was Chief of Operations of the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, one of the service centers of the National Centers of Environmental Prediction in Washington DC. Before joining the NWS as the Science and Operations Officer at Monterey in 1994, Dave directed the Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project from 1982 until 1994. This was a comprehensive field program studying the potential for snowfall augmentation in the Sierra Nevada. His primary interest is in Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (QPF) and in climate change impacts in California. From 1998 through 2000 he served on the NWS Process Assessment and Implementation Team that completely reorganized how QPF is delivered in the NWS. For his efforts he was awarded the NOAA Bronze Medal. He has served as a member of the USWRP Working Groups on both Warm and Cool Season QPF, on the Advisory Board of HMT. In 2010 he was named a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). In 2009 he received the AMS Editors Award from the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology for his "excellent, fair, and thorough reviews of papers in the fields of water resources and weather modification." His publications include over thirty referred journal articles and over fifty scientific publications and reports covering topics from QPF, weather satellite applications and weather modification. HMT is fortunate to have Dave Reynolds as part of the team.