Roberts specializes in the use of weather radars, satellites, and other advanced observational tools to improve short-term forecasts of thunderstorms and associated severe weather. She is leading an effort to implement thunderstorm nowcasting techniques in National Weather Service data analysis systems, which can help meteorologists better pin down the locations and timing of storms. She also served as a principal investigator of the REFRACTT field project, which aimed to improve thunderstorm forecasts by utilizing multiple Doppler weather radars to track water vapor in the lower atmosphere.
