Kaitlyn Jesmonth

Hello! I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences, advised by Dr. Stephen Nesbitt. In May 2025, I graduated with my M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Since joining the department in the Fall of 2023, I have been studying the microphysical properties of mesoscale snowbands using both observations and modeling. Observational data sources for my research are from the NASA Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign as well as from the UIUC System for Characterizing and Measuring Precipitation. I have also been running the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Ultimately, the goal of my work is to improve snowfall prediction in extratropical cyclones.

In May 2023, I graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego majoring in Meteorology and minoring in both Mathematics and Computer Science. While at SUNY Oswego, I pursued a variety of research projects. Past topics include occluded cyclones, lake-effect snow/lightning, and aviation meteorology. I also served as a forecaster and research assistant for NSF Project LEE (Lake-Effect Electrification).

Operationally, I’ve been a Student Forecast Leader for the New York State Department of Transportation, the City of Oswego, NY, and local school districts as part of the Lake-Effect Storm Prediction and Research Center. During my senior year, I was the President of Oswego’s Chapter of the AMS/NWA which was awarded the 2022-2023 AMS Local Student Chapter of the Year. Currently, I am an active member of the AMS Weather Analysis and Forecasting Committee in addition to the NWA Aviation Meteorology Group.