Dr. Troy Zaremba is an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University. He is an atmospheric scientist who studies severe and winter storms, clouds, and precipitation, with a particular interest in understanding how small-scale atmospheric processes influence the structure, intensity, and predictability of high-impact weather. His research focuses on topics such as snowfall, freezing rain, severe convection, cloud microphysics, and mesoscale dynamics.

Dr. Zaremba uses a combination of airborne and ground-based observations, weather radar, satellite data, numerical weather prediction models, and high-resolution modeling to study these processes. Much of his work involves observations from major field campaigns, where detailed measurements of clouds and precipitation can be used to better understand how storms behave and to evaluate how well those processes are represented in weather models. His research also explores new approaches for improving prediction, including machine learning and high-resolution numerical simulations.

The overarching goal of Dr. Zaremba’s research is to better understand the physical processes that produce high-impact weather and use that knowledge to improve its prediction. Students in his group can work with observations, numerical models, or both to study severe and winter weather across a range of scales.

Education

• Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2020–2023
  • Dissertation: Vertical Motions in Orographic Clouds over the Payette River Basin and Their Impact on Cloud Liquid Water Content: Results from SNOWIE
• M.S., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018–2020
  • Thesis: Cloud Top Phase Characterization of Cold Sector Southern Ocean Clouds and Ice Production at Warm Cloud Top Temperatures: Results from the SOCRATES Field Campaign
• B.S., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2014–2018
  • Minor in Geography and GIS

Experience

• Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University Department of Geosciences, 2026–present
• Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Washington Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, 2024–2026
• Postdoctoral Researcher, University at Albany Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, 2023–2024
• Graduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois Department of Atmospheric Sciences, 2018–2023

Research Interests

• Severe and Winter Storms
• Cloud Microphysics and Precipitation
• Mesoscale Dynamics
• Radar and Satellite Meteorology
• High-Resolution Numerical Modeling
• Orographic and Complex-Terrain Meteorology
• Machine Learning

Teaching Areas

• ATM 4563/6563 Aviation Meteorology
• ATM 4693/6693 Physical Meteorology and Climatology II
• ATM 4783/6783 Satellite Meteorology

Graduate Students

• Joshua Dison – Ph.D.

1. Zaremba, T. J., L. A. McMurdie, P. N. Blossey, R. M. Rauber, L. Xue, B. Geerts, K. Friedrich, J. R. French, S. Chen, S. A. Tessendorf, and F. O. T. Afrifa (2026). Dominant Modes of Terrain-Tied Vertical Motion Variability over the Payette River Basin of Idaho: Results from SNOWIE. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 65.
2. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, L. A. McMurdie, G. M. McFarquhar, J. E. Yorks, C. N. Helms, and G. M. Heymsfield (2025). The 3D Structure of a Shallow Generating Cell Driven Snowstorm over the Midwest and Its Microphysical Characteristics Determined Using Particle Aspect Ratio: A Case Study from IMPACTS. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 82.
3. Zaremba, T. J., J. R. Minder, and K. Friedrich (2025). Small-Scale Wind Fluctuations within Melting Layers of Winter Storms: Results from WINTRE-MIX. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 82, 457–482.
4. Zaremba, T. J., and R. M. Rauber (2025). The Use of Vertical Gradients of Radar Reflectivity Factor and Radial Velocity to Diagnose Dynamical and Microphysical Structures in Extratropical Cyclones: Results from IMPACTS. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 42, 187–206.
5. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, K. Heimes, J. E. Yorks, J. A. Finlon, S. D. Nicholls, P. Selmer, L. A. McMurdie, and G. M. McFarquhar (2024). Cloud-Top Phase Characterization of Extratropical Cyclones over the Northeast and Midwest United States: Results from IMPACTS. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 81, 341–361.
6. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, L. Di Girolamo, J. R. Loveridge, and G. M. McFarquhar (2024). On the Radar Detection of Cloud Seeding Effects in Wintertime Orographic Cloud Systems. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 63, 27–45.
7. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, B. Geerts, J. R. French, S. A. Tessendorf, L. Xue, K. Friedrich, C. Weeks, R. M. Rasmussen, M. L. Kunkel, and D. R. Blestrud (2023). Vertical Motions in Orographic Cloud Systems over the Payette River Basin. Part IV: Controls on Supercooled Liquid Water Content and Cloud Droplet Number Concentrations. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 62.
8. Zaremba, T. J., K. Heimes, R. M. Rauber, B. Geerts, J. R. French, C. Grasmick, S. A. Tessendorf, L. Xue, K. Friedrich, R. M. Rasmussen, M. L. Kunkel, and D. R. Blestrud (2022). Vertical Motions in Orographic Cloud Systems over the Payette River Basin. Part II: Fixed and Transient Updrafts and Their Relationship to Forcing. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 61, 1733–1751.
9. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, S. Haimov, B. Geerts, J. R. French, C. Grasmick, K. Heimes, S. A. Tessendorf, K. Friedrich, L. Xue, R. M. Rasmussen, M. L. Kunkel, and D. R. Blestrud (2022). Vertical Motions in Orographic Cloud Systems over the Payette River Basin. Part I: Recovery of Vertical Motions and Their Uncertainty from Airborne Doppler Radial Velocity Measurements. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 61.
10. Zaremba, T. J., R. M. Rauber, G. M. McFarquhar, P. J. DeMott, J. J. D’Alessandro, and W. Wu (2021). Ice in Southern Ocean Clouds With Cloud Top Temperatures Exceeding −5°C. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126, e2021JD034574.