IMAGE OF Frank Colby

Frank P. Colby

Professor, Transfer Coordinator

College
College of Sciences
Department
Environmental Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Initiative
Phone
978-934-3906
Office
Olney Hall, Room 302-C
Email
Frank_Colby@uml.edu

Expertise

Weather modeling, analysis and forecasting, boundary layer meteorology, tropical meteorology

Research Interests

Nor'easters, snow squalls, tropical storms and hurricanes, ensemble modeling, large eddy simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer, forecast model errors, back door cold fronts.

Education

  • Ph D: Meteorology, (1983), Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • MS: Meteorology, (1979), Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • BS: Mathematics and Physics, (1976), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Selected Publications

  • Colby F, Barlow M, Penny A. Steering Flow Sensitivity in Forecast Models for Hurricane Ian (2022). Weather and Forecasting. 2024 March.
  • Colby FP, Coe D, Barlow M, Brown R, Krajewski E. A Climatology of Snow Squalls in Southern New England 1994-2018. Monthly weather review. 2022 July; 150(7):1541. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-21-0082.1.
  • Coe D, Barlow M, Agel L, Colby F, Skinner C, Qian J. Clustering Analysis of Autumn Weather Regimes in the Northeast United States. Journal of Climate. 2021 August; 34(18):7587-7605.
  • Agel, L., Barlow, M., Colby, F.P., Binder, H., Catto, J.L., Hoell, A., Cohen, J. (2019). Dynamical analysis of extreme precipitation in the US northeast based on large-scale meteorological patterns. Climate Dynamics,52(3-4) 1739--1760.
  • Agel, L., Barlow, M., Qian, J., Colby, F.P., Douglas, E., Eichler, T. (2015). Climatology of Daily Precipitation and Extreme Precipitation Events in the Northeast United States. Journal of Hydrometeorology,16(6) 2537–2557.
  • Colby, F.P. (2015). Global Ensemble Forecast Tracks for Tropical Storm Debby. Weather and Forecasting, (2015).
  • William, S., Colby, F.P. (2012). The effects of warmer sea surface temperatures on nor'easters in New England. Proceedings of 25th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction. Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Montreal, CA,,29.
  • Colby, F.P. (2011). Influence of topography on the track and intensity of tropical cyclones. Proceedings of 14th Conference on Mesoscale Meteorology,. Los Angeles, CA,.
  • Agel, L., Lopez, V., Barlow, M., Colby, F.P. (2011). Regional and large-scale influences on summer ozone levels in Southern California. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology,50(4) 800-805.
  • Colby, F.P., Franklin, J.L., Pasch, R.J., Hogsett, W. (2011). The effects of model initialization on model forecasts of tropical cyclones". Proceedings of 24th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/20th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction. Seattle, WA,.
  • Colby, F.P., Barlow, M. (2009). Have New England heat waves been influenced by forest cover trends?". Proceedings of 23rd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/19th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction,. Omaha, NE,.
  • Andrew, H., Barlow, M., Colby, F.P. (2008). Tropical Influences on Southwest Asia Precipitation in a Global Atmospheric Model". Proceedings of the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society. New Orleans, LA.
  • Barlow, M., Hoell, A., Colby, F.P. (2007). Examining the wintertime response to tropical convection over the Indian Ocean by modifying convective heating in a full atmospheric model. Geophysical Research Letters,34(19).
  • Hamel, R.P., Colby, F.P. (2004). A case study of the Princeton, Massachusetts "Father's Day" tornado of June 17th, 2001.
  • Colby, F.P. (2004). Analysis of the Texas Northern: Case study. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1953-1963.
  • Colby, F.P. (2004). Simulation of the New England Sea Breeze: The effect of grid spacing. Weather and Forecasting,19(2) 277-285.
  • Colby, F.P. (1998). A preliminary investigation of temperature errors in operational forecasting models. Weather and Forecasting,13(1) 187-205.
  • Colby, F.P. (1994). A Loran-Based Rawinsonde System for Undergraduate Meteorology Programs. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,75(6).
  • Seitter, K.L., Colby, F.P. (1992). A mesobeta-scale model in boundary-layer coordinates. Monthly Weather Review,120(11) 2853-2868.
  • Seitter, K.L., Colby, F.P., Treanor, B. (1991). Dissemination of Student Forecasts through Cooperative Agreements with Commercial and Nonprofit Radio and Television Stations. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,72(9).
  • Seitter, K.L., Colby, F.P., Greenwood, A. (1988). A prototype program for improving science education by providing real-time weather data to precollege students. Bulletin - American Meteorological Society,69(4) 386-389.
  • Seitter, K.L., Colby, F.P. (1986). Forecasts for the community by students at the University of Lowell. Bulletin - American Meteorological Society,67(9) 1132-1134.

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Weather Data (2011), -
    Colby, F.P. (Principal)
  • Weather Data as Needed (2009), -
    Colby, F.P. (Principal)
  • Rain Precipitation Data FY 09 (2008), -
    Colby, F.P. (Principal)
  • Rain Precipitation Data FY 08 (2007), Grant -
    Colby, F.P. (Principal)
  • Yearly Rain Precipitation (2006), Grant -
    Colby, F.P. (Principal)