Atmospheric Scientist Specializing in Snow Research
From
Aurora, Colorado
MSU Denver
BS Meteorology
the university of queensland
PhD Atmospheric Science
Andrew Schwartz is an atmospheric scientist and science communicator specializing in snow hydrology, mountain meteorology, and water resources in the western United States. He serves as Director of the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory (CSSL), where he leads research, operations, and strategic partnerships focused on understanding snowpack dynamics in a changing climate.
Andrew’s work sits at the intersection of science, infrastructure, and public impact. He has been instrumental in modernizing and elevating CSSL as a premier research and monitoring site, expanding its role in supporting water management, atmospheric river research, and extreme weather observation. His leadership emphasizes both scientific rigor and real-world application, working closely with state agencies, federal partners, and academic collaborators.
Known for his ability to translate complex science into compelling narratives, Andrew is a frequent speaker and public-facing voice on the future of snow, drought, and water in California and the broader Sierra Nevada region. His communication style blends technical expertise with clarity and accessibility, helping bridge the gap between research, policy, and public understanding.
Andrew’s career path reflects a unique combination of operational leadership, applied research, and strategic vision—positioning him as an emerging leader in the field of mountain hydrology and climate adaptation.
Recent Publications
2025
Veals, P. G., Pletcher, M., Schwartz, A. J., Chase, R. J., Harnos, K., Correia, J., ... & Steenburgh, W. J. (2025). Predicting snow-to-liquid ratio in the mountains of the western United States. Weather and Forecasting, 40(10), 1825-1838.
2024
Cowherd, M., Mital, U., Rahimi, S., Girotto, M., Schwartz, A., & Feldman, D. (2024). Climate change-resilient snowpack estimation in the Western United States. Communications Earth & Environment, 5(1), 337.
López-Moreno, J. I., Callow, N., McGowan, H., Webb, R., Schwartz, A., Bilish, S., ... & Alonso-González, E. (2024). Marginal snowpacks: The basis for a global definition and existing research needs. Earth-Science Reviews, 104751.
2022
Heggli, A., Hatchett, B., Schwartz, A.J., Bardsley, T., & Hand, E., 2022. Towards Snowpack Runoff Decision Support. iScience, 104240.
2021
McGowan, H., Borthwick, K., Schwartz, A.J., Callow, J.N., Bilish, S. and Browning, S., 2021. Atmospheric rivers: An overlooked threat to the marginal snowpack of the Australian alps. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 22(10), pp.2521-2532.
Schwartz, A.J., McGowan, H. and Callow, N., 2021. Snowpack thermal patterns in pre-and post-bushfire Snow Gum forests. Journal of Hydrology, 602, p.126789.
Schwartz, A.J., McGowan, H. and Callow, N., 2021. Influence of bushfire on accumulation and ablation of a marginal montane snowpack in Snow Gum forests. Journal of Hydrology, 603, p.126795.
2020
Landolt, S.D., Gaydos, A., Porter, D., DiVito, S., Jacobson, D., Schwartz, A.J., Thompson, G. and Lave, J., 2020. Inferring the Presence of Freezing Drizzle Using Archived Data from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 37(12), pp.2239-2250.
Schwartz, A.J., McGowan, H. and Callow, N., 2020. Impact of fire on montane snowpack energy balance in Snow Gum forest stands. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 294: 108164.
Schwartz, A.J., McGowan, H.A., Theobald, A. and Callow, N., 2020. Quantifying the impact of synoptic weather types and patterns on energy fluxes of a marginal snowpack. The Cryosphere, 14(8): 2755-2774.
2018
Landolt S, Rasmussen R, Hills A, Underwood W, Knight C, Jachcik A, Schwartz A.J., 2018. The NCAR-FAA Snow Machine: An Artificial Snow-Generation System. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0006.1.
More about me
First job
Cashier at a garden center
Hobbies
Mountain biking, Hiking, Homebrewing
favorite food
Tacos
I grew up near Denver, Colorado fascinated by severe weather and the large snowstorms that came from upslope wind events. I became particularly interested in snow and winter weather while snowboarding in the Colorado Rockies and interested in the impacts of climate change on snow during my PhD research in Australia’s Snowy Mountains.
I love being out in the elements as it gives me a real connection with nature and the raw power of the the world. Snowshoeing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling are all big winter hobbies of mine that I love. I am also a huge fan of severe convective weather, am a regular storm chaser, and have captured some great tornado photos. I have chased storms in North America and Australia.