Neil Lareau

Neil Lareau is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno. His research focuses on high-impact weather phenomena in the western U.S., particularly wildfire plume dynamics, fire weather, and complex terrain meteorology. He holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University and advanced degrees in Atmospheric Science from the University of Utah. Prior to his current role, he was faculty at San Jose State University and a postdoctoral scholar at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, University of Utah (2014)
• M.S. in Atmospheric Science, University of Utah (2010)
• BFA in Fine Art, Carnegie Mellon University (2002)

Research Interests:

• Fire weather and wildfire plume dynamics
• Complex terrain boundary layers
• Cumulus convection and orographic precipitation
• Synoptic-scale weather systems

His work integrates radar observations and numerical simulations to study coupled fire-atmosphere interactions, with recent focus on pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCb) events and their climatic impacts. Key projects include the California Fire Dynamics Experiment (CalFiDE) and the INSPYRE experiment.

Recent Contributions:

• Developed methods to track wildfires using weather radar data
• Investigated fire-generated tornadic vortices (e.g., Carr Fire vortex)
• Advanced understanding of extreme pyroconvective updrafts in megafires

Teaching: Courses include Airflow and Weather Dynamics (ATMS 410/610) and Introduction to Synoptic Meteorology (ATMS 413/613).

Labs/Teams: Active in collaborative projects like RaDFIRE (Rapid Deployments to Wildfires) and the Desert Research Institute partnerships.