Peter Brechner

Graduate Research Assistant

Peter.A.Brechner-1@ou.edu
National Weather Center 3225

Education

MS, Meteorology, University of Oklahoma
BS, Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington

About

Peter is a Ph.D. candidate studying cloud physics with Dr. Greg McFarquhar. He works with the Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS), analyzing observed ice crystal particle size distributions (PSDs) and comparing them to those in weather models. As part of my master's thesis, I developed an algorithm for automatically fitting a sum of up to three gamma distributions to an observed PSD.

Research Focus

Cloud physics
Particle size distributions (PSDs) of ice crystals
Weather observations
Cloud microphysics in weather models

CIWRO Research Themes

Weather Radar and Observations
Mesoscale and Stormscale Modeling R&D

Publications

Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, A, Schwarzenboeck, and A. Korolev (2023). “Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Vicinity of Darwin, Australia: Results from the HAIC/HIWC Campaign.” J. Atmos. Sci., 80, 9, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-22-0209.1 Sep 2023

Conference presentations

Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, P. Yeh, B. Colle, D. Delene, C. Nairy, K.L. Thornhill, J. Finlon, D. Toohey, D. Noone, A. Heymsfield, A. Bansemer, B. Rauber, E. Jarvinen, and M. Schnaiter (2024). “On the Stochastic Accuracy of Models in Predicting the Size Distributions of Ice Crystals in Winter Storms: Results from IMPACTS.” Int. Conf. on Clouds and Precip. 2024, Jeju, South Korea, International Commission on Clouds and Precipitation Jul 2024
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, J. Schima, D. Delene, C. Nairy, K.L. Thornhill, J. Finlon, D. Toohey, D. Noone, A. Heymsfield, A. Bansemer, B. Rauber, E. Jarvinen, and M. Schnaiter (2024). “Multimodal Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Atlantic Coast Snowstorms: Results from IMPACTS.” AMS Annual Meeting 2024, Baltimore, Maryland, American Meteorological Society Jan 2024
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, J. Schima, D. Delene, C. Nairy, K.L. Thornhill, J. Finlon, D. Toohey, D. Noone, A. Heymsfield, A. Bansemer, B. Rauber, E. Jarvinen, and M. Schnaiter (2023). “Multimodal Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Atlantic Coast Snowstorms: Results from IMPACTS.” WAF/NWP/Mesoscale, Madison, Wisconsin, American Meteorological Society Jul 2023
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, J. Schima, D. Delene, C. Nairy, K.L. Thornhill, J. Finlon, D. Toohey, D. Noone, A. Heymsfield, A. Bansemer, B. Rauber, E. Jarvinen, and M. Schnaiter (2022). “Multimodal Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Atlantic Coast Snowstorms: Results from IMPACTS.” AGU Fall Meeting 2022, Chicago, Illinois, American Geophysical Union Dec 2022
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, A, Schwarzenboeck, A. Korolev, and J.W. Strapp (2022). “Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Vicinity of Darwin, Australia: Results from the HAIC/HIWC Campaign.” Collective Madison Meeting, Madison, Wisconsin, American Meteorological Society Aug 2022
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, A, Schwarzenboeck, A. Korolev, and J.W. Strapp (2022). “Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Vicinity of Darwin, Australia: Results from the HAIC/HIWC Campaign.” AMS Annual Meeting 2022, Houston, Texas, American Meteorological Society Jan 2022
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, A, Schwarzenboeck, A. Korolev, and J.W. Strapp (2021). “Ice Crystal Size Distributions in Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Vicinity of Darwin, Australia: Results from the HAIC/HIWC Campaign.” AGU Fall Meeting 2021, New Orleans, Louisiana, American Geophysical Union Dec 2021
Brechner, P., G.M. McFarquhar, A. Schwarzenboeck, A.V. Korolev, and J.W. Strapp (2021). “Controls on the Ice Crystal Size Distributions and Bulk Properties in High Ice Water Content (HIWC) Regions: Results from Darwin.” Int. Conf. on Clouds and Precip. 2021, Pune, India, International Commission on Clouds and Precipitation Aug 2021