McKenna Stanford

About Me

I am an atmospheric and climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. My work focuses on using high-quality remote sensing and in situ observational platforms to improve cloud process representation in numerical weather prediction and climate models across a range of spatiotemporal scales spanning those of an individual ice crystal up to the climate system. Specific research foci include cloud microphysics, deep convective processes, physics parameterization development, and aerosol-cloud interactions.

Contact: mckenna.stanford@pnnl.gov

Publications

Submitted / In Review

Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, A. Ackerman, B. van Diedenhoven, Q. Xiao, J. Wang, T. Matsui, D. Hernandez-Deckers, and P. Lawson, 2024: Warm-phase microphysical evolution in large eddy simulations of tropical cumulus congestus: Evaluating drop size distribution evolution using polarimetery retrievals, in situ measurements, and a thermal-based framework. Atmos. Chem. Phys., in review.

2024

Stanford, M. W., A. C. Varble, and H. Morrison, 2024: Evaluation of a stochastic mixing scheme in the deep convective gray zone using a tropical oceanic deep convection case study. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 16, e2023MS003748, doi:10.1029/2023MS003748.

2023

Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, I. Silber, A. Ackerman, G. Cesana, J. Mülmenstädt, A. Protat, S. Alexander, and A. McDonald, 2023: Earth-system-model evaluation of cloud and precipitation occurrence for supercooled and warm clouds over the Southern Ocean’s Macquarie Island. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9037-9069, doi:10.5194/acp-23-9037-2023.

2020

Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, and A. Varble, 2020: Impacts of Stochastic Mixing in Idealized Convection-Permitting Simulations of Squall Lines. Mon. Wea. Rev., 148, 4971–4994, doi:10.1175/MWR-D-20-0135.1.

2019

Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, A. Varble, J. Berner, W. Wu, G. McFarquhar, & J. Milbrandt, 2019: Sensitivity of simulated deep convection to a stochastic ice microphysics framework. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 11, 3362–3389, doi:10.1029/2019MS001730.

2017

Stanford, M. W., A. Varble, E. Zipser, J. W. Strapp, D. Leroy, A. Schwarzenboeck, R. Potts, and A. Protat, 2017: A ubiquitous ice size bias in simulations of tropical deep convection. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9599–9621, doi:10.5194/acp-17-9599-2017.

Education

• Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2020. Dissertation title: “Stochastic parameterization in kilometer-scale simulations of deep convection”
• M.S., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2016. Thesis title: “Evaluation of simulated tropical convective updraft hydrometeor properties using aircraft observations”
• B.S., Meteorology (Major), Mathematics (Minor), University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, 2014.

Professional Experience

• 2024 - Present: Earth Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• 2020 - 2024: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University
• 2014 - 2020: Graduate Research Assistant, University of Utah

Upcoming Meetings

• 3-6 March 2025, Washington, D.C.: DOE 2025 Joint ARM User Facility and ASR PI Meeting
  • Presenting a poster on my recent work that evaluates microphysical sources for aggressive precipitation formation in deep convection simulations

Awards/Honors

• 1st place recipient of Best Student Poster at AMS 100th Annual Meeting, Wayne Schubert Symposium, 2020
• 2nd place recipient of Best Student Poster at AMS 18th Conference on Mesoscale Processes, 2019
• Participant, Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s Summer Training and Science Applications Event, 2018
• Dr. Norihiko Fukuta Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Publication, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 2017
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholar, 2012-2014
• Academic Excellence Award (graduating senior with highest overall GPA and exceptional record in meteorology), University of South Alabama, 2014
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Grant Scholar, 2013
• American Meteorological Society (AMS) Saraswati Bahethi Scholarship, 2013
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Student Science & Education Symposium Honorable Mention, 2013
• Dr. Bill Williams Endowment Scholarship (junior-level student achievement of high overall GPA and an exceptional record in meteorology), University of South Alabama, 2013

Selected Conference Presentations and Proceedings

• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, A. Ackerman, B. van Diedenhoven, Q. Xiao, J. Wang, T. Matsui, D. Hernandez-Deckers, and P. Lawson: Novel Airborne Polarimetry Retrievals as Constraints on Drop Size Distributions in Aerosol-Aware Large-Eddy Simulations and a Foundational Framework for Use of Space-based Retrievals to Evaluate Earth System Models, U.S. CLIVAR Micro2Macro Workshop, Laramie, Wyoming, 28-30 October, 2024 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, A. Ackerman, Qian Xiao, Jian Wang, Toshihisa Matsui, and Bastiaan van Diedenhoven: Evaluating Aerosol-constrained Bulk- and Bin-simulated Drop Size Distributions against Aircraft Observations of Tropical Cumulus Congestus, 2024 Annual AMS Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 31 January 2024 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, I. Silber, A. Ackerman, G. Cesana, J. Mülmenstädt, A. Protat, S. Alexander, and A. McDonald: Evaluating Precipitation and Cloud Occurrence in the GISS-ModelE3 ESM against MICRE Observations, 2023 DOE Joint ARM User Facility and ASR PI Meeting, Rockville, MD, 8 August 2023 (invited talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, I. Silber, A.Ackerman, G. Cesana, J. Mülmenstädt, A. Protat, S. Alexander, and A. McDonald: Constraining Southern Ocean Precipitation in GISS-ModelE3 using Ground-based Observations, Seminar at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe, Germany, 26 April 2023 (invited talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, I.Silber, A. Ackerman, G. Cesana, J. Mülmenstädt, A. Protat, S. Alexander, and A. McDonald: Constraining Southern Ocean Precipitation in GISS-ModelE3 using Ground-based Observations, Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences “Topics in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (TAOS)” Seminar Series, Stony Brook, NY, 8 February 2023 (invited talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, T. Matsui, J. Wang, Q. Xiao, and B. van Diedenhoven, 2022: Evaluating Simulated Microphysical Evolution of Tropical Cumulus Congestus with Observationally Constrained Aerosol Input, AMS 16th Conference on Cloud Physics/16th Conference on Atmospheric Radiation, Collective Madison Meeting, Madison, WI, 8-12 August 2022 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., G. Cesana, A. Fridlind, I. Silber, A. Ackerman, and M. Kelley, 2022: Adapting the Space-Based CASCCAD Cumulus-Stratocumulus Discrimination Algorithm for Ground-Based Instrumentation over Macquarie Island, 2022 Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Meeting on Clouds, Precipitation, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity, Seattle, WA, 19-22 July 2022 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., I. Silber, A. Fridlind, G. Cesana, A. Ackerman, and M. Kelley, 2022: Combining Ground-based Instrumentation with a Global Climate Model Instrument Simulator to Constrain Precipitation Processes over the Southern Ocean, 2022 Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Meeting on Clouds, Precipitation, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity, Seattle, WA, 19-22 July 2022 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, Q. Xiao, J. Wang, T. Matsui, and B. van Diedenhoven, 2022: Evaluating Bimodal DSDs in Observationally Constrained NU-WRF Simulations of Cumulus Congestus during RF14, NASA CAMP2Ex Science Team Meeting, Pasadena, CA, 12-15 July 2022 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Fridlind, A. Keinert, T. Leisner, A. Kiselev, D. Hernandez-Deckers, T. Matsui, and A. Ackerman, 2022: Ice Multiplication by Drop Shattering: Parcel Model Results Based on Guidance from Recent Laboratory Measurements, 3rd Pan-GASS Meeting on Understanding and Modeling Atmospheric Processes, Monterey, CA, 25-29 July 2022 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., I. Silber, A. Fridlind, J. Mülmenstädt, S. Truong, Y. Huang, and A. Protat, 2021: Precipitation Occurrence Frequency, Intensity, and Synoptic Regime Projection over Macquarie Island, AGU Fall 2021 Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 13-17 December 2021 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., G. Cesana, A. Fridlind, I. Silber, and A. Ackerman, 2021: Adapting the Space-Based CASCCAD Cumulus-Stratocumulus Discrimination Algorithm for Ground-Based Instrumentation over Macquarie Island, AGU Fall 2021 Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 13-17 December 2021 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Varble, and H. Morrison, 2021: Impacts of a Stochastic Mixing Scheme on Simulated Deep Convection, International Conference on Clouds and Precipitation, Pune, India, 2-6 August 2021 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., I. Silber, A. Fridlind, and A. Protat, 2021: Precipitation Occurrence Frequency over the Mid-Latitude Southern Ocean, DOE Joint ARM User Facility and ASR PI Meeting, 21-24 June, 2021 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, and A. Varble, 2020: Impacts of a Stochastic Subgrid-scale Mixing Scheme in Deep Convection Simulations for Application to the Convective Grey Zone, 100th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (Wayne Schubert Symposium), Boston, MA, January 12-16, 2020 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, and A. Varble, 2019: Development and Evaluation of a Stochastic Subgrid-scale Mixing Scheme for Application to the Convective Grey Zone, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) Division Seminar Series, Boulder, CO, August 15, 2019 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, and A. Varble, 2019: Development of a Stochastic Subgrid-scale Mixing Scheme in Kilometer-scale Deep Convection Simulations, AMS 18th Conference on Mesoscale Processes, Savannah, GA, July 29 – August 1, 2019 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., H. Morrison, A. Varble, J. Berner, W. Wu, G. McFarquhar, J. Finlon, and J. Milbrandt, 2019: Evaluating a Stochastic Ice Microphysics Parameterization Scheme in Simulations of Deep Convection, DOE Joint ARM User Facility and ASR PI Meeting, Rockville, Maryland, June 10-13, 2019 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Varble, H. Morrison, W. Grabowski, G. McFarquhar, and W. Wu, 2018: Impacts of Stochastic Ice Microphysical Parameters on Mesoscale Convective System Ensemble Simulations, DOE Joint ARM User Facility and ASR PI Meeting, Tysons, Virginia, March 19-23, 2017 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Varble, H. Morrison, W. Grabowski, G. M. McFarquhar, and W. Wu, 2017: Impacts of a Stochastic Ice Mass-Size Relationship on Squall Line Ensemble Simulations, Abstract A13E-2121, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, December 11-15, 2017 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., A. Varble, E. J. Zipser, J. W. Strapp, D. Leroy, A. Schwarzenboeck, A. Korolev, and R. Potts, 2016: Evaluating Simulated Tropical Convective Cores using HAIC-HIWC Microphysics and Dynamics Observations, Abstract A43F-0304, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 12-16, 2016 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., and A. C. Varble, 2016: Evaluation of Simulated Tropical Convective Updraft Properties using HAIC-HIWC Aircraft Observations, Abstract 6, 32nd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, Amer. Meteor. Soc., San Juan, PR, April 17-22, 2016 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., J. S. Schaumann, and J. P. Gagan, 2014: A Three-Ingredients Approach to Anticipating Mesovortex Genesis, Abstract S124, 13th Annual AMS Student Conference, Atlanta, GA, February 1-2, 2014 (poster)
• Stanford, M. W., J. S. Schaumann, and J. P. Gagan, 2013: Utility of 0-3 km Bulk Shear Vectors as Predictors for Quasi-Linear Convective System Tornadoes, NOAA Student Science & Education Symposium, Silver Spring, MD, July 30 – August 1, 2013 (talk)
• Stanford, M. W., and C. M. Shafer, 2013: Sensitivities of practically perfect probabilities of severe weather, 10th Southeastern Coastal and Atmospheric Processes Symposium, Mobile, AL, February 22-23, 2013 (poster)