Adam Houston

Adam Houston

  • Contact Information
  • My Story
  • Publications
  • Background
  • Interests
  • Advising

Contact Information

TitleProfessor of Atmospheric Science
Faculty RankProfessor
Address719 South Hardin Hall
3310 Holdrege Street
Lincoln NE
68583–0987

East Campus
Phone
  • office: 402-413-9476
E-mailahouston2@unl.edu
VitaeDownload file

 

Contact Preference

E-mail

My Story

I am a professor of atmospheric science in the School of Natural Resources. My research utilizes observational data as well as numerical models to advance understanding of severe deep convection and associated phenomena. Much of my work has used uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) as a tool to collect observations in conditions neither remote platforms nor unguided in situ platforms are capable of consistently observing.

Selected Publications

Houston, A.L., C.C. Weiss, E.N. Rasmussen, M.C. Coniglio, C.L. Ziegler, B.M. Argrow, and E.W. Frew, 2026: Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells: TORUS. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 107. E249–E276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0265.1.Online
Murdzek, S.S., T.L. Ladwig, A.L. Houston, and E.P. James, 2026: The Impacts of Assimilating Various Densities of Uncrewed Aircraft System Observations on Regional NWP Forecasts in an OSSE. Monthly Weather Review. 154. 955-976. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-25-0175.1Online
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2026: Machine Learning Predictions of Deep Convection Initiation: The Importance of Spatial Information, the Sensitivity to Training Region, and Dominant Environmental Parameters. Artif. Intell. Earth Syst. 5. E240106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/AIES-D-24-0106.1
Martz, R., A.L. Houston, M.S. Van Den Broeke, and S.A. Shield, 2025: The Impact of Urbanized Areas on the Spatial Characteristics of Deep Convection Initiation in the Central United States, J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 64, 1045-1061. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-23-0153.1Online
Wilson, M.B. and A.L. Houston, 2025: Examining the Impact of Assimilating Surface, PBL, and Free Atmosphere Observations from TORUS on Analyses and Forecasts of Two Supercells on 8 June 2019. Monthly Weather Review, 153, 1105-1128. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-23-0247.1Online
Axon, K. L., A.L. Houston, C.L. Ziegler, C.C. Weiss, E. Rasmussen, B. Argrow, E.W. Frew, and S. Swenson, 2024: The potential roles of preexisting airmass boundaries on a tornadic supercell observed by TORUS on 28 May 2019. Monthly Weather Review, 152, 97-121. Doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-23-0007.1.
de Boer, G, B.J. Butterworth, J.S. Elston, A. Houston, E. Pillar-Little, B. Argrow, T.M. Bell, P. Chilson, C. Choate, B.R. Greene, A. Islam, R. Martz†, M. Rhodes, D. Rico, M. Stachura, F.M. Lappin, A.R. Segales, S. Whyte, M. Wilson†, 2024: Evaluation and Intercomparison of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Used for Atmospheric Research. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 41, 127-145, doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0067.1.
Houston, A.L. 2024: Storms. The Nebraska Sandhills. Norby, M., J. Diamond, A. Sutherlen, S.C. Fritz, K. Hachiya, D. Norby, and M. Forsberg (editors). University of Nebraska Press. Chapter 20.
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2024: A Comparison of Thunderstorm Identification Methods. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 41, 1005–1016 Doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0084.1.
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2024: Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Deep Convection Initiation in the Central United States. International Journal of Climatology, 44, 2636-2649 doi: 10.1002/joc.8472
Houston, A.L, J.C. Walther, L.M. PytikZillig, J. Kawamoto, 2020: Initial Assessment of unmanned aircraft system characteristics required to fill data gaps for short-term forecasts: Results from focus groups and interviews. Short Contribution submissions. J. Operational Meteor. 8. 111-120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15191/nwajom.2020.0809Online
Houston, Adam L., Brian Argrow, Jack Elston, Jamie Lahowetz, Eric W. Frew, Patrick C. Kennedy, 2012: The Collaborative Colorado-Nebraska Unmanned Aircraft System Experiment. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 93, 39-54.Online

Background

Education

DegreeMajorInstitutionYear Awarded
Doctorate of PhilosophyAtmospheric ScienceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign2004
Bachelor of ScienceMeteorologyTexas A&M University1997

 

Awards

TitleAwarded byYear Awarded
Outstanding Faculty MemberDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | UNL2024
Nebraska Lecture SeriesUNL Research Council2024
Outstanding Faculty MemberDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | UNL2018
Lawson Award for Outstanding Teaching The American Meteorological Society Severe Local Storms Committee AwardDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | UNL2017
The American Meteorological Society Severe Local Storms Committee AwardThe American Meteorological Society2014
Outstanding Faculty MemberDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | UNL2012
Big12 Faculty FellowshipBig 122006

 

Professional Organizations

NamePosition
American Meteorological SocietyMesoscale Processes STAC member 2017-2025; Co-chair SLS symposium (2014); Co-chair SLS Conference (2010); WAF/NWP conference program committee (2009); SLS STAC member (2008 - 2016)
International Society for Atmospheric Research using Remotely-piloted Aircraft Steering Committee (2017 - Present); 2024 Flight Week Leadership Team; Conference program committee (2015, 2016)
University Corporation for Atmospheric ResearchMembership Committee (2025 - present)
World Meteorological OrganizationScoping Planning Committee for the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Demonstration Campaign (2022-2024)

 

Websites

 

SNR Program Areas

  • Applied Climate and Spatial Science

Areas of Interest/Expertise

  • Meteorology
  • Atmospheric science
  • Severe local storms

Advising

Graduate Programs

Master of Applied Science

Master of Science in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

  • Climate Assessment and Impacts

Doctorate of Philosophy in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

  • Climate Assessment and Impacts