Michael K. Tippett

He has developed, implemented, and assessed seasonal climate forecast systems and his work connects climate with the risks from extreme weather, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. 

Tippett’s research provided the first evidence for skillful prediction of monthly tornado activity. For his work, he has been sought out as a collaborator with the national weather and climate forecasters and the insurance industry.

Tippett’s climate research ranges from the detection and attribution of climate change in models and observations on centennial time-scales, to decadal prediction of Atlantic sea surface temperatures, to forecasts of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) a year in advance, as well as seasonal outlooks for temperature and precipitation for coming months. On shorter weather time scales, Tippett investigates how severe thunderstorms (those resulting in tornadoes, hail, or damaging wind) and tropical cyclones are related to climate, now and in the future. He analyzes data from numerical weather prediction models, meteorological observations, and storm reports to find patterns that can improve understanding, facilitate prediction, and manage risk.

Tippett received BS degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics from North Carolina State University in 1983 and an MS (1990) and PhD (1992) in mathematics from New York University’s Courant Institute.

Research Areas

• Data Science
• Modeling & Simulation
• Visualization
• Seasonal climate prediction
• ENSO prediction and impacts
• Extreme weather and climate
• Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms
• Hurricanes and tropical cyclones
• Forecast verification