WeatherBrains: Recent Episodes
Big Brains Media LLC
The world's oldest and greatest weather podcast. Join weather geeks James Spann, Bill Murray, Kim Klockow-McClain, Dr. Neil Jacobs, Rick Smith, Aubrey Urbanowicz, Jen Narramore, and Troy Kimmel along with some of the most brilliant minds in the weather enterprise every week!
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center.
Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center. Growing up in Minnesota, he always had exposure to severe weather and took a keen interest early in his life. He earned his Bachelor of Science in meteorology from Iowa State University. Their research focuses on X-band radar that operates jointly between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. They have done extensive research, with a major focus on lightning. Michael Peterson, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest Panelist is a research scientist at the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center. She received a Bachelor's Degree from Penn State University, and earned her Master's Degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. Jessica Losego, thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Jessica's early background in the field of weather (17:00)
- REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) (2:00)
- IHOP (International H2O Project) (21:00)
- When was the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center founded and what do they do? (24:30)
- Dual Pol variables in X-Band (26:30)
- North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (39:30)
- 2008 Downtown Atlanta, GA tornado during SEC tournament (57:30)
- GA Tech's research on tornadogenesis (01:01:00)
- What is cold air damming (CAD)? (01:03:30)
- New world record lightning flash discovered by SSRC (01:06:30)
- What is the definition of a mega flash? (01:11:45)
- Difficulties forecasting random airmass convection in the Deep South (01:19:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:29:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:38:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1072:
North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array
Georgia Severe Storms Research Center
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Jessica Losego - Weather with a Twist - Aaron Price on Substack
Jessica Losego - "Atlanta Tornado of 1975" Volume 104 Issue 8 (1976) by E. F. Greneker
Michael Peterson - Call for Papers - 2027 AMS Annual Meeting
James Aydelott - OU Launches Oklahoma 3D Mesonet
Jen Narramore - The Governor's Tornado - March 24, 1975
Rick Smith - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the "Drought" of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States
Troy Kimmel - GOES Image Viewer
Kim Klockow-McClain - The Tiny Rain Icon On Your Weather App is Crushing Small Businesses
John Gordon - Tornadoes in Wisconsin since 1950
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - NOAA's use of cloud infrastructure grows to include weather prediction models
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood.
Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is meteorologist Matt Kelsch. He earned his Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma and has written numerous papers on mountain meteorology and hydrology. Retiring in 2022, he's an avid outdoorsmen, biker and gardener. It's great to see you tonight, Matt!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- WSR 88-D NEXRAD (10:45)
- World Meteorological Organization: What They Do (13:00)
- What tools were available for the NWS in 1976? (15:00)
- Significant 2013 Colorado flood (21:30)
- Photos of 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood damage (27:00)
- July 28th, 1997 Spring Creek Flood at Fort Collins, CO (32:00)
- Proven success of converting creeks to floodways in 2013 (35:30)
- Devastating 1889 Johnstown, PA flood (37:30)
- Meteorological setup of Fort Collins 1997 Spring Creek flood (43:30)
- 2013 Colorado Flood (Great Erosional Flood) meteorological setup (48:30)
- Social science perspective on Call-To-Action for general public during floods (59:30)
- 500 Year Flood vs 1000 Year Flood (01:01:30)
- Profound lack of snowfall in Colorado during winter of 2025-2026 (01:10:00)
- Tips for meteorologists to better forecast and anticipate major flash flooding in present day (01:12:00)
- What is the definition of a flash flood? (01:14:00)
- Flash Flood Watch/Warning protocol in 1976 (01:16:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:31:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:27:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1071:
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Matt Kelsch - Real-time Air Quality Monitoring by PurpleAir
James Aydelott - River Photo
James Aydelott - Photo of sculpture by Bradley T. Mullnix
Jen Narramore - Rare waterspout near Montreal, Canada on July 23rd, 2008
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Matt Kelsch paper "Flash Flood Cases, Summary of Characteristics"
John Gordon - Bob Maddox paper "Synoptic and Meso-a Scale Aspects of Flash Flood Events"
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - 40 Years Later, Jim Cantore on Mount Rushmore of TV Weather
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about dust storms.
Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of NWS Goodland, Kansas. A Nebraska native, he's logged over a quarter century of service for the NWS, with prior stops in Omaha, Sioux Falls, and North Platte. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Nebraska-Lincoln. Jeremy Martin, welcome to the show!
Guest Panelist and NWA President Kim Runk joins us tonight discussing the NWA (National Weather Association) and a preview of the upcoming NWA annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Thanks for joining us, Kim!
Program Chair of the 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Jessica Stumpf also joins us as Guest Panelist. She's the Public Safety Solution Engineer Meteorologist at Baron Weather, and has a decade of prior experience in Emergency Management. She has a Bachelor's from Penn State and is a former broadcast meteorologist. Jessica, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tropical Depression 2 in the Gulf struggling with shear and dry air (02:00)
- What got Jeremy into meteorology? (08:00)
- Life/culture at the Goodland KS National Weather Service (09:30)
- Dust storm official definition (14:30)
- Unusual circumstances of forecasting haboobs (20:30)
- Coordination between NWS and EMA (26:30)
- Dust Storm Warnings - do they make a difference? (29:30)
- Debating the Dust Capital of America (43:30)
- Advocating for the field of meteorology on Capitol Hill (58:00)
- Why should I join the NWA as a meteorology student? (01:05:30)
- 2026 NWA Annual Meeting in Omaha: When and Where (01:17:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:20:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:22:45)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1070:
"Connect5 Leadership: Growing Leaders by Serving Others" by Kim Runk
2026 AMS Annual Meeting
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Jeremy Martin - NASA Dust Tracker AI
Jessica Stumpf - SC Emergency Manager App
Jessica Stumpf - 2026 Esri User Conference San Diego, CA
Kim Runk - Weather and Climate Collections - NOAA Library
James Aydelott - World's Largest Easel in Goodland, Kansas
Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 855: Nocturnal MCS Mode
Rick Smith - How 2026 World Cup Venues Handle the Heat (and Humidity, and Storms…)
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Amazing Footage of Debris Flow in Illgraben
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about hydrology. Tonight's episode examines the devastating 1997 Red River Flood.
Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is from Devils Lake, North Dakota. She is the Service Hydrologist at NWS Grand Forks, and is a twenty-year veteran in Federal service. Amanda Lee, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Senior Hydrologist at NWS North Central RFC (River Forecast Center) in Chanhassen, Minnesota. A Syracuse native, he joined the US Air Force as a weather officer, then earned his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah. He's spent over 15 years at the RFC (River Forecast Center). Justin Palmer, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our Third Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a retired National Weather Service senior meteorologist technician, the former Data Acquisition Program Manager of the Grand Forks National Weather Service office. Mark attended North Dakota State University in Fargo during the late 80s into the early 90s, working with former state climatologist Dr John Enz. Mark Retired in November of 2014 after 40 1/2 years of combined federal and military service. Mark is currently 3:00 to 6:00 PM afternoon host on KNOX Radio in Grand Forks ND, and has been associated with latent broadcasting since 2016. Mark also operates Home On The Prairie Weather LLC, providing agricultural climate forecasts and other related information to agricultural and civic groups. Mark Ewens, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Amanda's background in meteorology (10:00)
- Working as a Service Hydrologist: What do they do? (12:00)
- What is a River Forecast Center (RFC)? (17:30)
- What is CHPS? (Community Hydrologic Prediction System) (28:00)
- Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Data Set Hydrology Section (31:30)
- Advantages of being a Service Hydrologist concerning shift work (39:30)
- How accurate is Hydro modeling, and what factors are involved? (42:00)
- Snow cores: The Basics (45:00)
- Snow pack in the Dakotas: How long does it last, and how thick does it get? (55:30)
- Meteorological background of 1997 Red River Flood event (58:30)
- 1997 Red River Flood's public and Emergency Management response (01:01:30)
- Disinformation found online regarding river flooding (01:12:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:21:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1069:
KNOX News Radio
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Amanda Lee - "A River Runs North (Managing an International River)" by Gene Krenz and Jay Leitch
Amanda Lee - "Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City" by Ashley Shelby
Justin Palmer - USGS Endangered, Discontinued and Rescued Streamgages Mapper
Mark Ewens - NDAWN - North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network
James Aydelott - Footage near Tulliby Lake in central Alberta, Canada
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - An ethical analysis of hydrometeorological prediction and decision making: The case of the 1997 Red River flood
John Gordon - LIT/LZK back online with upper air launches
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Gulf Coast Weather
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode examines the July 2025 Texas flooding disaster.
Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the Chief Meteorologist of KABB-TV Fox News At Nine in San Antonio, Texas. He is a multi-disciplined individual with professional experience as an educator and broadcaster. He holds several degrees and certifications, including a B.S. in Education, a Master's in Education with Certification as an Educational Administrator, and of course, he's a Broadcast Meteorologist. He has received the AMS Seal of Approval and has been the recipient of six Associated Press Awards for Best Weathercast. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society, National Weather Association, and the Knights of Columbus. Alex Garcia, thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Recollections from KABB-TV leading up to Texas flood tragedy (11:30)
- Wording of originally issued Flash Flood Watch prior to event (17:30)
- Why doesn't the public immediately react to weather watches? (20:00)
- Mentality of the threat of flash flooding vs other types of severe weather (25:00)
- Improving the clarity of the call to action in response to inland flooding events (30:00)
- Flood Inundation Mapping (36:00)
- The half-life of awareness in the wake of tragedies like 2025 Texas Flood event (49:00)
- With no Independent Review, how can you improve? (52:00)
- Role of weather radio in modern warning process (55:00)
- National Weather Service app in the future? (55:30)
- Severe Thunderstorm Definition/Warnings that do not verify and the resulting public inaction (01:02:00)
- What is NWS definition of a Flash Flood? (01:02:30)
- Confusion from Areal Flood Advisories (01:05:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:14:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:15:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:16:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:26:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1068:
Alex Garcia Weather on X
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Alex Garcia - NTWC
James Aydelott - Westheimer Airport in Norman measures 92mph wind gust
Jen Narramore - Chinese Wedge tornado
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Funnel cloud spotted in Interior Alaska on July Fourth
Troy Kimmel - Meteorological Overview of the July 2025 Texas Floods
Kim Klockow-McClain - Review of the National Weather Service's Actions to Support Kerr County During the Catastrophic Flash Flood in Texas
John Gordon - June 29th Significant Wind Event
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - National Weather Service faces hurricane season with less experienced staff, missing data
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode turns back to the clock to June 8th, 1966 and the Topeka, KS F5 tornado.
Our Guest WeatherBrain on tonight's show is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the NWS in Topeka KS. With over three decades of experience in the field, he's been at the NWS for over 17 years. As a Wisconsin native, he earned his degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin. He's committed to improving public awareness, preparedness, and response by integrating social science research into the NWS products and services. Chad Omitt, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our next Guest WeatherBrain is the local history librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County public library. She holds a B.A. in forensic anthropology and history from Wichita State University. She's a speaker with the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau and gives educational programs about life in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. Katie Keckeisen, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- June 2026 Kentucky flooding (01:00)
- Katie's early background in Kansas (07:00)
- June 8th, 1966 meteorological setup (10:45)
- Meteorological equipment used during during the 1960s (21:00)
- Visual photos of daytime Topeka tornado (26:30)
- Bill Kurtis and his role at WIBW-TV during the tornado (28:30)
- Save room on the volume knob for a "10"! (37:00)
- Topeka's Burnett's Mound: A historical deepdive (37:30)
- Kansas Governor's response after tornado (44:00)
- Damage photos from tornadoes and the resulting changes to Topeka (49:30)
- Topeka tornado was one of the first utilizations of civil defense outdoor warning system (01:00:00)
- 1955 Udall KS tornado (01:00:30)
- Tornado subculture in the 1960s (01:07:30)
- Lessons learned from this event from 60 years ago (01:19:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:28:00)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1067:
Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau
"And Hell Followed With It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado" by Bonar Menninger
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Katie Keckeisen - Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Chad Omitt - OTUS Project
James Aydelott - "History of Operational Use of Weather Radar by U.S. Weather Services. Part I: The Pre-NEXRAD Era"
Jen Narramore - Tornado Talk Podcast Episode 7: The 1966 Topeka Tornado
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Collin Gross on X: Europe's historic heatwave continues
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - James Spann on X: Big Sky Montana snow photos
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is a home-grown show all about storm chasing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Waning interest in storm chasing (04:00)
- Holding it while dealing with long-form severe weather coverage (10:00)
- Current state of storm chasing in 2026 (16:00)
- Importance of enforcing traffic laws when dealing with a saturated chaser community (27:30)
- Oklahoma traffic laws concerning emergency lights (31:30)
- Liability insurance requirements for those who continue to storm chase? (36:00)
- NOAA's OPG (Operations Proving Ground) (49:30)
- What is the purpose of a service assessment? (59:30)
- State of Connecticut doesn't need 3 WFOs! (01:02:00)
- Importance of interacting directly with the people we serve in the field of weather to mitigate loss of life (01:10:00)
- Discriminating between weaknesses and strengths in the warning process (01:21:30)
- Effectively utilizing user generated content during long-form severe weather coverage (01:23:30)
- Private Slack chat session with trusted weather professionals to weed out AI/fake images (01:28:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:41:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1066:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Illinois: More tornadoes than Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas combined, year to date. (225 vs 191)
Jen Narramore - Tennessee Valley Weather on X: "Tennessee Valley Weather Adds Weather Balloon Launch Capability to Strengthen Severe Weather Forecasting"
Rick Smith - Facts About Derechos
Troy Kimmel - IEM Generated Regional Temperature and Precipitation Report
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Dave Throup on X: Shelf Cloud pic at Glastonbury Tor
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - SkyeCalm Storm Anxiety App
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about Dallas-Fort Worth TX TV Market.
We are excited to have Chief Meteorologist Rick Mitchell from NBC 5 and David Finfrock, NBC 5 Senior Meteorologist, who just surpassed 50 years on TV. This is third of many upcoming WeatherBrains episodes focusing on various media weather markets around the country. On episode 1030 last October we focused on Kansas City with Bryan Busby and Joe Lauria. On episode 1055 in March, we focused on Tampa Bay with Mike Clay and Brian LaMarre. Rick and David will discuss forecasting severe storms with and without the dry line, winter weather, Blue Northers, the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex major urban heat island and much more!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- David's educational background and early years (06:30)
- Rick's early years in meteorology and journey to Oklahoma City (08:30)
- Compare/contrast Oklahoma City and Dallas/Ft. Worth TV market (11:00)
- Dallas/Ft. Worth area notable weather events in recent years (16:00)
- 1980 Heat Wave (21:30)
- Paper map throwbacks to an earlier era in broadcast meteorology (39:00)
- Changes after Delta 191 and advent of installation of terminal dopplers at airports (42:30)
- Reflections on the May 3rd, 1999 Oklahoma tornado tragedy (47:30)
- Cedar Hill, Texas tornado of 1856 (50:30)
- Exploding population in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and increasing weather hazard risk (58:00)
- Rick's social media strategies now and moving forward (01:20:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1065:
David Finfrock Instagram
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
David Finfrock - Harold Taft's World War 2 legacy
Rick Mitchell - Great Storm of 1975
James Aydelott - Softball sized hail photo from 1995
Jen Narramore - Andrew Pritchard on X: Illinois tornadoes 6/11/26
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Delta Flight 191 Flashback Special (1985)
Kim Klockow-McClain - Classification of Use Cases for Ensemble Weather Forecasts
John Gordon - What is a "panhandle hooker" and why is it called that?
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Google Weather Lab: Cyclones (Preview)
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all flash flooding.
Our First GuestWeatherBrain is the President of Project ENKI. This project is working to revolutionize flood intelligence and community preparedness through advanced modeling, visualization tools and education designed to help people better understand their flood risk and take proper action. Brad Newman, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Second Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is the technological backbone of Project ENKI. She's a key leader in the science modeling and visualization work behind the project's flood intelligence mission, helping turn complex flood data into information communities can understand and use. Dr. Tracy Fanara, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is Project ENKI? (07:30)
- Dr. Fanara's background and early life (12:30)
- Story behind the name ENKI (Emergency Network Turning Knowledge Into Actionable Intelligence) (19:30)
- Influencing weather events as a precursor to starting the project (22:00)
- Unity Alliance Foundation's ability to communicate effectively (42:30)
- Issues/difficulty with real-time flash flooding analysis (49:00)
- National Water Model and what makes it revolutionary (55:30)
- Actionable information to improve flooding forecasts and warning process (01:01:30)
- Reflecting on July 2025 Texas flooding tragedy (01:07:00)
- Communication issues with complicated dual/triple hazard events (01:20:00)
- Reflecting on 2024's Hurricane Helene (01:23:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1064:
Project Enki
Unity Alliance Foundation USA
National Water Model
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Tracy Fanara - World Ocean Day
James Aydelott - Lithuanian tornado video
James Aydelott - June 8th, 1974 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Floods
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - SounderPy Sounding Analysis
Kim Klockow-McClain - Last Ones Left In A Toxic Kansas Town
John Gordon - PRESSURE official trailer
Bill Murray - June 8th 1966 Topeka Tornado
James Spann - Alabama Weather Network Live Storm Coverage
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about lightning.
Joining us tonight will be Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, internationally recognized for her work in lightning injury prevention. She's an emergency physician, and has received awards from both the medical and the lightning communities. She has a BS in biochemistry and completed her medical internship in Cincinnati. We are also joined by John Jensenius, longtime NWS meteorologist and lightning safety specialist. He's been in the weather business for over four decades. We will discuss lightning injuries, safety, myths, and how to better protect people during thunderstorms. Thanks for joining us!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Getting the media involved in lightning safety (24:30)
- Annual lighting fatalities and average trends (25:30)
- 30/30 lightning rule (34:00)
- "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors" (37:30)
- Lightning back to basics: Voltage, temps, thunder, ect (39:30)
- What is a flashover? (46:30)
- Lasting nervous system injuries after lightning strike (01:01:00)
- "The Deadly Dozen" (01:10:30)
- Lightning safety and cars: What is fact and fiction? (01:15:00)
- ACLE (African Centres for Lightning Education Network) (01:23:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:45)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains Episodes (01:31:00)
- E-Mail Segment
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1062:
African Centres for Lightning Education Network
National Lightning Safety Council
Alabama Weather Network
Books - Cope Disaster Champions
Picks of the Week:
John Jensenius - "The Clouds Outside My Window" by John Jensenius
James Aydelott - May 26-27, 1984 Tulsa Memorial Day Flood
Jen Narramore - Forecasters rely on phased array radar for tornado warning
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Mexico tornado
John Gordon - Burns Israelsen on X: Pyrocumulus cloud
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - James Spann on X: Houston/Henry County Alabama tornado
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's Guest WeatherBrain and WeatherBrains veteran is one of the most recognizable and respected storm chasers in the country. As an excellent field weather reporter, he's known for documenting some of the most powerful tornadoes in the modern era. He's produced unforgettable severe weather coverage over the years, and he is known for his use of drones and live-streaming technology. Charles Peek, it's great to have you back on with us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- May 9th severe weather/Luke Combs concert (2:00)
- Charles Peek's background and entry into the world of weather (14:00)
- Misreported tornado fatalities before era of social media (33:30)
- Rolling Fork MS tornado and the resulting discussion about building codes in low income areas (39:45)
- Relationship between manufactured housing and tornadoes (40:30)
- Social media hyperbole and unnecessary fear (42:00)
- Key skills required in assisting people after destructive severe weather (43:00)
- Persistent issues with people recklessly crowding under overpasses during severe weather (45:00)
- Notable instances of resilience in disaster zones (53:30)
- Artificial Intelligence and the future of forecasting (59:00)
- Handling positioning during a hurricane or tropical storm (01:06:00)
- Responsibilities and advice for new chasers (01:24:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:32:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1060:
The Weather Channel
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Physics-based models outperform AI weather forecasts of record-breaking extremes
Jen Narramore - Where the Music Went
Rick Smith - Bridge Bozos video
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Lubbock, Texas tornado May 11th, 1970
John Gordon - Tornado in Argentina video
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Waco Tornado May 11, 1953
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Guest WeatherBrain Jan Null joins us tonight on WeatherBrains. Armed with over 50 years experience as a meteorologist, he earned his Bachelor of Science from UC-Davis and his Master's Degree from San Jose State University. He's been an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University since 1987. Jan, welcome! University of South Alabama student Jackson Quinn also joins us tonight as Guest Panelist. He serves as the 2026 AMS Student Chapter President. We will be discussing heat risks for FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities, as well as other pressing topics in the world of weather. It's great to have you on tonight, Jackson!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Greensburg, KS EF5 anniversary (01:00)
- Jan Null's meteorology background (09:45)
- What is CWSU (Center Weather Service Unit Information)? (12:00)
- Biggest event Jan worked on the West Coast (15:30)
- SeCAPS South Alabama student-run symposium (22:00)
- 3 broad categories of heat-related deaths of children in vehicles (31:30)
- Heat-related data concerning people living in extended power outages (43:00)
- Jackson's project at SeCAPS (49:30)
- Compare/contract outcomes with other World Cups and similar events at locations with similar climatology (01:00:00)
- Development of vehicle seat sensors (01:06:00)
- NCAA college football games and their heat rules (01:09:00)
- Deeper dive into pediatric vehicular heat stroke (01:12:30)
- Summer of 1980 heatwave (01:14:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:21:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:25:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1059:
No Heat Stroke
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Jan Null - National Meteorologists Day
Jackson Quinn - SeCAPS Home Page University of South Alabama Meteorology
James Aydelott - "The Formation and Early Evolution of the Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Supercell on 4 May 2007" by Howard B. Bluestein
James Aydelott - "Mobile, X-band, Polarimetric Doppler Radar Observations of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Supercell" by Robin L. Tanamachi, Howard B. Bluestein, Jana B. Houser, Stephen J. Frasier and Kery M. Hardwick
Jen Narramore - Bill Randby breaks down weather phenomenon that was caught on video during Creighton Prep soccer
Rick Smith - Everything Hikers Know About Lightning Safety is Wrong
Troy Kimmel - Golden Gate Weather Services
Kim Klockow-McClain - Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change data
John Gordon - WeatherNation on X: Rare "Ash Devil" spotted in Phelan, CA
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - New Texas Hailstone Record Confirmed by NOAA and Partners
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight is a homegrown show with our regular WeatherBrains panelists. Tonight we mark the somber 15th anniversary of the April 27th, 2011 super outbreak. So much has changed in the field of meteorology, in the field of technology/AI, and society in general since 2011. Where do we go from here? Also, the panel discusses the EF4 tornado that occurred in Oklahoma last week, as well as other hot topics in the field of weather. Thanks for listening!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Dangers of saying the wrong thing on social media (05:00)
- Processing the April 27th, 2011 anniversary (10:45)
- April 27th warning process: What they got right and what they got wrong (17:00)
- Origins of "Respect the Polygon" (22:00)
- Improving False Alarm Ratio (FAR) (26:00)
- Most stressful aspect of any significant severe weather event (31:00)
- Rick's perspective of recent EF4 Enid OK tornado (36:00)
- Weather-savvy nature of Oklahomans and people who live in tornado-prone areas (46:00)
- Do NWS employees take any cues from broadcasters and make decisions based on streamers? (52:30)
- Increasing issue of wildfire threats and call to action (55:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:11:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:13:15)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1058:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - 4/26/26 James Aydelott tornado coverage
James Aydelott - Photo of 4/26/26 Oklahoma tornado on ground
James Aydelott - Photo of 4/26/26 James Aydelott coverage
Jen Narramore - Overview of the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak
Rick Smith - Enid OK EF4 and Braman OK EF1 tornado paths
Troy Kimmel - Camp Mystic failed to train teenage counselors for floods, expert tells lawmakers
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Curiosity on X: Red Sprite photo
Bill Murray - Autumn Sky VWP Hodographs
James Spann - Spanning Alabama Episode 15: April 27, 2011
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
We are excited to have retired National Hurricane Center (NHC) Bill Read on tonight's episode of WeatherBrains! Bill was the Director of the National Hurricane Center from 2008-2012, and focused on improving storm surge forecasting accuracy and strengthening collaborations with emergency managers to better communicate risks. He advanced the use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for real-time public outreach and feedback, notably during events such as Hurricane Irene in 2011, to refine messaging on inland flooding threats. Bill was the first Meteorologist in Charge (MIC) at NWS Houston and led the office for 15 years. He was also a Navy Hurricane Hunter on the P3 aircraft. Bill, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- National Tropical Weather Conference (06:00)
- Bill's entry in the NWS (22:45)
- Looking back at 1978's Tropical Storm Amelia (25:00)
- Who remembers teletypes? (30:15)
- Anniversary of 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy (38:30)
- Experiences as NHC Director working Hurricane Ike (44:30)
- Are there more landfalling US hurricanes at night or during the day? (53:00)
- 3 significant tools that have moved the meteorological industry forward (54:00)
- NHC Director off-season duties (58:00)
- Process of retiring a hurricane name (01:09:00)
- Dr. Robert Simpson's legacy (01:20:00)
- Issues with coordination between WFOs as NHC Director (01:21:00)
- Best and worst forecasts as NHC Director over the years (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1057:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Bill Read - Cade's Cast Weather on YouTube James Aydelott - Reid Wiseman on X: Moon video
Jen Narramore - OTUS Project on X: Video INSIDE the Wyoming, IA tornado
Rick Smith - NIHHIS Heat Season Warm-Up Workshop
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Iowa/Wisconsin tornado warnings 2026 vs 2025
John Gordon - Volcaholic on X: Video illustrating "Levante" phenomenon
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Roger Edwards on X: About Recent SPC Forecast Performance
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's episode of WeatherBrains is all about Colorado weather!
Tonight's show features Guest WeatherBrain and Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Russ Schumacher. He's also a Professor at Colorado State University and is Director of the Colorado Climate Center. He's been involved in extreme precipitation, weather prediction, and is the guru of Colorado weather. Dr. Schumaker, welcome to the show!
Second Guest WeatherBrain is the project manager of CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network). He is the CoCoRaHS East Central Region Illinois State Coordinator and has been an active observer in Illinois for over 19 years. He retired as the director of the MRCC and is a big fan of winter weather. Steve Hilberg, thanks for joining us tonight!
Third Guest WeatherBrain Noah Newman is a Research Associate with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University. He's been the Education Coordinator at CoCoRaHS since 2008, and has teaching experience from astronomy to rocketry to various Earth sciences. Noah, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Upper Midwest severe weather event (03:00)
- What is it like to be a State Climatologist? (07:00)
- 2019 Colorado hail record (14:30)
- How did Noah get into meteorology? (24:30)
- Deep dive into CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) (27:00)
- Snowfall vs snow depth and the confusion between them (41:00)
- CoCoRaHS Significant Weather Reports (48:45)
- Moderate risk busts vs overachieving conditional systems (57:00)
- Dr. Schumacher's current research in Colorado (01:05:00)
- Process to get involved at CoCoRaHS (01:10:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:15:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:20:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1056:
CoCoRaHS
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Steve Hilberg - Ag Weather
Noah Newman - CoCoRaHS Data Explorer
Dr. Russ Schumacher - CoCoRaHS All About Hail
James Aydelott - NWS Norman Observed Sounding
Jen Narramore - County Road 69 Tornado April 15th, 2011
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Reed Timmer tornado video
John Gordon - NWS Louisville Shareholders Report 2025
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - James Spann on X: Emmetsburg, IA tornado video
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is all about Tampa Bay and the west central gulf coast of Florida. We are excited to have Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay from Spectrum Bay News 9 and Brian LaMarre former NWS MIC from Tampa Bay for many years!
This is second of many upcoming WeatherBrains episodes focusing on various media weather markets around the country. On Episode 1030 last October we focused on Kansas City with Bryan Busby and Joe Lauria. On June 15, we will have a show dedicated to the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex weather enterprise.
Mike and Brian will discuss forecasting sea breezes, marine weather, Tampa Bay tropical cyclone challenges and much more. Mike and Brian, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Origins of Inspire Weather (11:30)
- Prolific Florida lightning shows (20:00)
- Magnetrons vs Klystrons explained (22:30)
- Relationship between media and NWS in various TV markets (25:00)
- Origins of NWS chat (29:30)
- Tampa's hurricane close calls (32:30)
- 1985's Hurricane Elena bizarre track (46:00)
- Non-tropical Florida tornado outbreaks (53:30)
- What is Florida red tide? (01:07:00)
- 1993 Storm of the Century and its impact on the State of Florida (01:11:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:37:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1055:
Inspire Weather
Tampa Bay Florida Local Weather Bay News 9
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Mike Clay - Florida Thunderstorm Season
Brian LaMarre - El Niño Modoki vs Traditional El Niño
James Aydelott - Artemis astronauts propose naming moon feature after Mission Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife
Jen Narramore - Nelson Tucker on X: Barrel white wall cloud and meson of Morton, TX EF2
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Highlights from Artemis II's History Journey Around the Moon
John Gordon - Jaden Pappenheim on X: Michigan flooding videos
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions
James Spann - WeatherBrains 91: A Chat With Roy Leep
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a legend in the Weather Enterprise and is the quintessential Tornado Master. Dr. Howard Bluestein is a Professor Emeritus and George Lynn Cross Research Professor in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He recently retired after spending more than 48 (WOW!) years as a meteorology professor at OU. Dr. Bluestein remains active in research and storm chasing, and for decades he pioneered the use of advance mobile doppler radar systems to study severe storms and tornadoes. He's also a renowned author and photographer, and some of his works have been placed in museums across the world. Dr. Bluestein, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- How did Dr. Bluestein enter the field of meteorology? (07:00)
- Harold Edgerton 1957 photo of Milk Drop Coronet (18:00)
- Waterspout chasing in airplanes (28:00)
- GATE June-September 1974 (GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment) (29:30)
- Conditional Instability of the Second Kind (CISK) (33:00)
- Using an optical theodolite to track storm soundings (50:30)
- W-Band radar vs KA-Band radars (55:00)
- Chasing 1984's Hurricane Diana (01:05:00)
- Dr. Bluestein's phenomenology and key scientific breakthroughs through scanning technology and storm chasing (01:06:00)
- Using RaxPol (Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar) data to accurately rate tornadoes (01:14:00)
- Mentorship of OU graduate students and lasting impacts of the program (01:18:30)
- Boundary-layer physics: Is the problem of Tornadogenesis solved? (01:27:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:30)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1054:
"The Architecture of Clouds" by Dr. Howard B. Bluestein
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Supercell Easter Egg Photo
Jen Narramore - Tupelo, MS F5 Tornado - April 5, 1936
Rick Smith - NOVA Tornado! Original Broadcast 1985
Troy Kimmel - Founding USA Today Editor Jack Williams passes away
Kim Klockow-McClain - NSSL VORTEX USA
John Gordon - Kona Storms Flood O'ahu
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Storm ready: NOAA's new mobile radar fleet bridges gap between research and weather safety
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. He previously led its Hurricane Specialist Unit and served as a senior hurricane specialist, producing forecasts and warnings for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. His work focuses on improving hurricane track and intensity forecasts, integrating new data into models, and training meteorologists on forecasting and communication. Before joining NHC leadership, he was the Science and Operations Officer at the Weather Prediction Center, where he guided scientific practices and staff training. He is active in the scientific community as a presenter, journal reviewer, and associate editor. He earned his bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from North Carolina State University, with research focused on weather forecasting and meteorology in the eastern United States. Dr. Michael Brennan, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Notable Virginia hurricanes (12:00)
- When can NOAA Hurricane Hunters fly into a developing tropical cyclone? (15:00)
- Extending tropical weather outlooks beyond a week? (18:00)
- Considering population density with regards to hurricane watches/warnings (25:00)
- Operational tempo atNHC during 2025's Hurricane Melissa (35:30)
- Receiving and analyzing real-time reports during landfalling tropical cyclones (46:00)
- Behind the scenes: a normal day at NHC vs active event protocol (49:45)
- Dealing with the media as NHC Director (54:30)
- Social media attacks and appropriate professional responses in the weather enterprise (01:13:00)
- NHC seasonal outlooks and call to action (01:18:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1053:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Michael Brennan - NHC Tropical Cyclone Video Series
James Aydelott - Foghorn
Jen Narramore - Hurricane Gloria September 27th, 1985
Rick Smith - U.S. Drought Monitor Current Map
Troy Kimmel - NWS Houston/Galveston Hurricane Guide
Kim Klockow-McClain - The Fifth Hurricane Hazard: A Case Study of Heat Risks Faced by Disaster Relief Workers After Hurricane Beryl's Landfall
John Gordon - Kentucky Mesonet at WKU
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Conditional Warning Probabilities
James Spann - NOAA's NWS eyes the cloud for next-gen applications
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's WeatherBrains episode is all about marine weather! We discuss wave forecasting, marine hazards, and the many products issued for mariners. Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is Chris Landsea. He was formerly the Science and Operations Officer for 11 years at NHC, and he's now the Chief of TAFB (Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch) at the NHC. He has served in this role since 2019. Chris, it's great to have you on tonight's episode. Guest WeatherBrain and meteorologist Brian Lamarre was formerly the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the Lubbock TX NWS office. He then served 17 years as the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) at the Tampa FL NWS. The panel discusses the various commonly seen marine alerts, including freezing spray forecasts, Special Marine Warnings, and hazardous sea warnings. Brian, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Looking back at WeatherBrains Episode 46 featuring Dr. William Gray (Fall 2006) - Link incoming! (13:00)
- What is the NWS Marine Program? (14:30)
- Small Craft Advisories (18:00)
- Gale Warnings and why are these necessary? (21:00)
- What are rip currents and why is this a hazard? (23:30)
- Respiratory hazards and other entry level hazards (28:00)
- Coastal flood advisories/warnings (31:30)
- Special Marine Warnings and what conditions are needed to require one (34:00)
- Waterspouts and the call to action for the general public (36:30)
- Forecasting wave heights and the main 2 types of waves that are commonly produced (44:30)
- Deep dive into rogue waves and significant wave height (47:30)
- NHC TAFB (Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch): Who is it and what do they do? (55:00)
- Increasing traffic in polar regions and the ice/open ocean transition (01:05:00)
- Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) (01:08:00)
- Unique relationship between US Coast Guard and National Weather Service (01:12:00)
- Special Marine Warnings and metrics applied to POD/FAR similar to on-land severe warnings (01:17:00)
- Special Marine Warnings and Call to Action (01:19:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- E-Mail Segment (01:27:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1052:
MarineTraffic
EverythingWeather: Your Ultimate Weather Mobile App
WeatherFront Mobile Weather App
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Chris Landsea - NHC Graphical Marine Wind Warnings
Brian Lamarre - Haboob satellite photo
James Aydelott - Okie J on Facebook: Severe storms stretch from Chicago to Houston
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Hazcams
Kim Klockow-McClain - UCAR statement on lawsuit filed against federal administrative agencies
John Gordon - Windy.com
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - 3/15/26 Bonnertown, TN tornado damage
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's WeatherBrains is all about the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC)'s convective outlooks.
Guest WeatherBrain and SPC forecaster Bill Bunting joins us tonight. He grew up in Virginia Beach, VA where we experienced a series of hurricanes and Nor'easters at a very young age. He attended Old Dominion University as well as OU where he earned his Bachelor's Degree. He's been with the National Weather Service since 1985, where he's worked primarily at local offices in Norman (OK), Kansas City (MO) and Fort Worth (TX). He was Chief of Forecasting Operations at SPC in 2012, and is now the Deputy Director at SPC since 2024. Bill, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Second and last Guest WeatherBrain (but certainly not the least!) is the brand new Warning Coordination Meteorologist (MIC) for the SPC. He grew up in Ohio and attended Valparaiso University, and has since worked for the NWS for over 15 years. He loves historical weather statistics and visualization. Evan Bentley, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Organization/structure of NWS Storm Prediction Center (14:00)
- SPCS's Fire weather forecasting (16:00)
- Science behind SPC's new conditional intensity forecasts (20:30)
- Deterministic factors for a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) watch (26:00)
- Improving communication of impactful weather events to family and co workers (40:00)
- SPC's philosophy on dealing with QLCS events (51:00)
- National team approach for warnings? (01:03:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:45)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:32:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:24:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1051:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Bill Bunting - SPC Hazard Climatology
James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: Two supercell rotation paths
Jen Narramore - Southeast Severe Storms Symposium XXIV
Rick Smith - NOAA Damage Assessment Toolkit
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Edwardsburg Schools offer support as community mourns loss of student
John Gordon - Congressman Eric Sorensen introduces new legislation to investigate major weather disasters
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Out
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's WeatherBrains episode will cover the Purdue Meteorology Program. The Panel takes a deep dive into both the undergraduate and graduate programs.
Guest WeatherBrain Dr. Robin Tanamachi joins us tonight from Purdue University. She's a member of the AMS and is working with UCAR and COMET on a radar meteorology course. She's an avid cyclist and storm chaser. It's great to have you on tonight, Dr. Tanamachi!
Guest WeatherBrain Dr Beth Hall joins us to discuss what's happening with the Indiana State Climatologist office. She's also the director of the Midwest Regional Climate Center and manager of the Purdue Mesonet. Tonight's show will be discussing efforts on building a Statewide Mesonet across the Hoosier State. Thanks for joining us tonight!
Last but certainly not least, Guest Panelist Purdue University senior Lindsey Peterson will go through enrollment, meteorology student activities, storm chase trip, and Dr Tanamachi's research. She's studying atmospheric science and is the President of Purdue's AMS Chapter and has been a NWS student volunteer as well as a 2025 NOAA William M. Lapenta Intern. She's also involved with the AMS Board of Higher Education and has done undergraduate research focusing on the history of meteorology. Lindsey, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- March 1st, 2007 Enterprise tornado tragedy anniversary (01:30)
- Henryville Indiana 2012 tornado anniversary (05:00)
- Purdue Meteorology program background (09:30)
- Kentucky bourbon barrels and their climate condition requirements (27:30)
- What exactly is a Mesonet? (29:45)
- Current sites/status of Purdue Mesonet (32:00)
- Indiana Water Balance Network (33:45)
- PUMA (Purdue University Meteorological Association) (50:00)
- Purdue Meteorology Program's rich history and tradition (01:01:00)
- COMET online radar class (01:03:30)
- Strange and unusual inquiries made to the climate office (01:08:00)
- Career advice for young people and meteorology students (01:10:00)
- What is phased array radar? (01:12:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:20:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:24:30)
- 2/26/26 Unexpected Trussville AL EF0 tornado (01:30:50)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1050:
Indiana Mesonet
COMET MetEd Public Dashboard
Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week:
Lindsey Peterson - Earrings from Because Science
Dr. Beth Hall - MRCC Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI)
Dr. Robin Tanamachi - Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
James Aydelott - Girls Who Chase free seminar
Jen Narramore - WHO 13's Jeriann Ritter opens up about her health journey
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Chairman Cruz Announces Markup of NASA Reauthorization, NOAA Weather Bill for March 4th
John Gordon - Debris Ballers - The Beginning
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - NWS SPC on X: Changes to SPC Severe Weather Outlooks
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is all about radar and reflectivity. Guest WeatherBrain Charles Kuster works in the radar division of NSSL. He started his career at the OU Cooperative Institute. Then, moved to NSSL and has been there ever since. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in 2012 and eventually his Master's in 2014. Charles was a Graduate Research Assistant with OU CIMMS before securing a position as Research Associate in January of this year. Charles, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Second Guest WeatherBrain Jami Boettcher came to CIWRO/NSSL after retiring from the National Weather Service, comprised of about 10 years in operations, and 25 years as an Instructor for the Warning Decision Training Division. Her first area of expertise as a trainer focused on the WSR-88D system updates, with the most significant being the conversion to dual polarization. Developing and delivering training that focused on the needs of the NWS operational community was always the priority. Her second area of training expertise was on the cognitive domain of NWS warning operations and its three components: science, technology, and human factors. Jamie, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Side lobe contamination (16:00)
- ZDR column radar signature (19:30)
- Precursor radar signatures (25:30)
- Dual-polarization radar general concepts and variables (27:00)
- Correlation coefficient definition (28:30)
- KDP/Specific Differential Phase (29:30)
- Radar spectrum width (43:00)
- Mitigating side lobe contamination? (55:00)
- Difference between WSR-88D and phased array radar (01:05:00)
- Well-known radar gaps and the ensuing issues (01:10:30)
- X-Band radar vs WSR-88D (01:12:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:05)
- E-Mail Segment (01:31:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1049:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Charles Kuster - NOAA NSSL
Jami Boettcher - NWS/OCLO Warning Decision Training Division
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Record snowstorm for Providence, Rhode Island
Rick Smith - Dual-Polarization Radar Training for NWS Partners
Troy Kimmel - NWS Weather and Hazards Data Viewer
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Journal of Operational Meteorology "Operational Diagnostic Applications of Isentropic Analysis" by Louis Uccellini
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - PRESSURE official trailer - Releases May 29th
James Spann - CIRA on X: "May NE US locations received over a foot of snow since yesterday morning due to powerful blizzard and NorEaster...."
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Melinda Beerends. She is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of Grand Forks, ND. Welcome!
Our Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 tonight is meteorologist Carl Jones. He's a forecaster for the NWS in Grand Forks, ND. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University. His professional focus remains operational forecasting and photography. Thanks for joining us tonight!
Last but certainly not least, Guest WeatherBrain No. 3 is a meteorologist from the NWS office in Grand Forks, ND. He is a St. Cloud State graduate and is seasoned photographer who previously worked in the private sector for several years before entering government service. Tyler Thomas, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Deep South Valentine's Day Weekend QLCS controversy (01:15)
- Importance of being connected with the people you serve! (06:00)
- Environmental setup for June 2025 EF5 event (13:00)
- ND has never had a High Risk outlook (15:30)
- Flaws/misses in that event's forecast prior to EF5 event (18:00)
- Did the June 2025 Enderlin event meet the SPC thresholds in place? (21:00)
- LCL heights and radar data on day of Enderlin EF5 (22:30)
- Reflectivity data presentation of Enderlin EF5 (29:30)
- QRT ( NWS Quick Response Team) preliminary tornado rating of EF3 (50:00)
- Outside data and sources concerns/review (01:03:00)
- Rarity of direct observational evidence in these types of events (01:12:30)
- The three fatalities in the Enderlin EF5 and what we know (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:35)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1048:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Tyler Thomas - Copernicus Browser
Carl Jones - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
Melinda Beerends - YouTube: What clues from tornado outbreaks can help improve prediction?
James Aydelott - WeatherFront on X: February 14-15 QLCS
Jen Narramore - The Historical Marker Database
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - The Blue Board - United Airlines Flight Tracker and Live Status
Kim Klockow-McClain - Louis Uccellini, NWS Director, visits Oklahoma
John Gordon - John Kucko on X: Ice Volcano Erupts
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Brian Emfinger video of Enderlin, ND EF5 damage indicators
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist and author who is President and CEO of NorCast Media Group. Focusing on the Northeast, NorCast is known for combining detailed forecasting with storytelling. He recently released a book inspired in part by the influence of his grandmother and his lifelong fascination with weather. Nick Pittman, thanks for joining us tonight! Our Guest WeatherBrain for this week's episode is an on-air broadcast meteorologist for FOX Weather. He's known for combining sharp forecasting, energetic and engaging on-camera style. He's covered major hurricanes, high impact severe weather, and winter storms. Bob Van Dillen, thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Photogenic tornadoes (11:30)
- Entry level TV met pay rates in early 90s (14:00)
- Retrospective advice from a seasoned veteran in broadcasting (30:00)
- Toxicity of social media comments (33:30)
- Working at FOX Weather (38:00)
- Streaming services and changing business models (48:00)
- Hurricane Ida (2021) and other recent memorable weather events (50:30)
- Conditions that produce hurricane-spawned tornadoes (57:00)
- Nick's experiences in 2012's Hurricane Sandy (01:01:00)
- Naming winter storms? (01:08:00)
- Biggest forecasts busts! (01:26:00)
- The importance of remembering analogs when forecasting (01:43:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:29:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1047:
Alabama Weather Network
"Rain Date: Unpredictable Lessons from My Life Forecasting the Weather" by Nick Pittman
FOX Weather
Picks of the Week:
Nick Pittman - Ice still covers Delaware River, Bay, and even New Jersey's cranberry bogs as temperatures get above freezing
Bob Van Dillen - 3 'Panicking' Men Rescued After Falling Through Ice in Queens
James Aydelott - Chris Suchan on X: Mt. Cedar video
Jen Narramore - Reminder: Go to your local library!
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - NWS Memphis: 2025 Year in Review
Kim Klockow-McClain - Ryan Hall Facebook video about AI/eating
John Gordon - Colorado Climate Blog: How does this year compare to the snow droughts of the past?
John Gordon - U. S. Drought Monitor: Colorado
Bill Murray - National Storm Chaser Summit 2026 - Roger Hill
James Spann - CIPS Analog-Based Severe Probability Guidance
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is all about the OTUS Project. It's a nonprofit research mission lead by President Nelson Tucker, Drone Builder and Ops Coordinator Louis Tucker, Lead Engineer Tanner Beard, and chasing expert Eric Fox. The OTUS Project was founded by engineering and meteorology students, and is pioneering the use of cutting edge UAV technology, software and sensor engineering to investigate tornadoes in ways never before possible. Their goal is to protect life and property by improving our understanding of wind forces for structural resilience and collecting thermodynamic data to enhance computer models. Also, they prioritize hazard prediction through advanced drone deployment and strategic partnerships as well as real-time field work. Thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Meet the OTUS Team! (05:00)
- How did OTUS Project start? (11:30)
- Drone design development (14:30)
- What does an OTUS project deployment look like? (17:30)
- Successful 2025 chasing season (22:00)
- May 2025 Arnett, OK tornado intercept (33:00)
- Difficulties of acquiring viable data with difficult variables during chases (43:00)
- Leverage controlled environments with drones for calibration activities (56:00)
- How an airspeed sensor works when chasing (57:30)
- Status on upcoming OTUS Documentary (01:09:00)
- Nelson shares footage of actual tornado intercept (01:12:00)
- 2026 National Storm Chaser Summit (01:28:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:37:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1046:
Alabama Weather Network
The OTUS Project
Picks of the Week:
Nelson Tucker - TornadoGenesis.Org
Eric Fox - Colorado water officials plan for "exceedingly grim" low reservoir levels
James Aydelott - Okie J on Facebook: Shovel Hack video
Jen Narramore - SPC Data Viewer
Rick Smith - SPC's Liz Leitman explains upcoming changes to SPC convective outlooks
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Panel Discussion 10A - Informed decision-making and ethics: Developing a blueprint for ethical weather and climate communication
John Gordon - Barotrophic Instability AKA Karman Vortex Street
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Adding Intensity Information to SPC Convective Outlooks
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show celebrates 20 years of WeatherBrains, still going strong in January 2026! Former show regulars join the panel to reflect on memorable moments, including Aubrey Urbanowicz, Nate Johnson, Dr. John Scala, and Dr. Neil Jacobs. Over the years, WeatherBrains has covered nearly every topic in meteorology, and panelist Jen Narramore shares audio highlights from some of the most memorable episodes.
Thanks for being part of the celebration tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs (14:00)
- Dr. John Scala life update (16:00)
- Resolving global ensemble model as a prediction system? (24:30)
- NVIDIA weather model announcement at AMS (26:00)
- WeatherBrains Episode 1 - January 31st, 2006 (29:00)
- J. B. Elliott funny moments (31:00)
- Groundbreaking weather radar with early broadcast meteorology in the late 1950s (36:00)
- Improving providing warnings to immigrant populations (45:30)
- Looking back at sexual harassment in social media show topic (51:00)
- Revisiting Episode 1016 concerning the July 2025 Texas Flooding (01:02:30)
- October 2022 WB Episode on Autism and special needs community (01:10:00)
- James Aydelott on WB Show 1000 March 2025 (01:17:00)
- J. B. Elliott WB highlights (01:22:30)
- Former WB Panelist meteorologist Kevin Selle life update (01:30:00)
- Nate Johnson drops in! (01:39:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:50)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:05)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1045:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Aubrey Urbanowitz - Frozen spaghetti photo in MN
Nate Johnson - Why weather apps may note be the best bet during winter storms
Dr. John Scala - California is free of all drought, dryness for first time in 25 years. Inside the remarkable turnaround
James Aydelott - Okie James Facebook Post
Jen Narramore - Steamnado!
Rick Smith - February 2021 US extreme cold write-up
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - KOCO Field Meteorologist Michael Armstrong helps driver stuck on snow-packed road in OKC
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - NVIDIA's new AI weather models probably saw this storm coming weeks ago
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is dedicated to a deep dive into avalanches! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Dr. Ethan Greene from Colorado Avalanche Center. He's also served as the Director of the NW Pacific Avalanche Center. We will cover a basic understanding of avalanches, the geographic responsibility of the Colorado Avalanche Center, launch of forecasting avalanches and how they try to prevent avalanches during the off-season. We will examine how they prepared in this work with the citizens of Colorado and who they collaborate with make this happen. Dr. Greene joined CAIC as the Director in 2005. He grew up in Boulder and learned to ski when he was three. He has worked with snow and avalanches since 1990. He worked as a ski patroller (Big Sky Ski Resort) and as a backcountry avalanche forecaster (Utah Avalanche Forecast Center). He studied meteorology (B.S., University of Utah), mountain weather and snow-drift formation (M.S., Colorado State University), and snow metamorphism and microstructure (Ph.D., CSU). In 2016, he received the Bernie Kingery Award and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah. Ethan has published a variety of articles and has been a member of national and international working groups on snow, weather, and avalanche topics. Ethan lives in Leadville with his wife and two children. Thanks for joining us tonight, Dr. Greene!
Also joining us as Guest Panelist is Mark Staples. He is Director and Avalanche Forecaster at the Gallatin National Forecast Avalanche Center in Boseman. Mark, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Upcoming AMS Annual Meeting in Houston (03:30)
- Basic definition of an avalanche (08:00)
- What do their field technicians do and what instrumentation do they use? (18:30)
- How the avalanche watch/warning process works (24:00)
- Biggest clients in avalanche forecasting (37:00)
- How does the public get avalanche forecast information? (42:00)
- Canadian collaboration on risk communication (47:00)
- Communicating to young people about avalanche dangers (53:30)
- Smaller avalanche outbreaks vs major events (01:17:00)
- FAR and POD metrics vs avalanche warning metrics (01:19:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1044:
Alabama Weather Network
Avalanche.Org
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Ethan Greene - Avalanche Explorer
James Aydelott - Impactful snow ahead for Oklahoma and southern Kansas this upcoming weekend
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - 9 rules for using Forecast Models
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Avalanche search and rescue training in Tahoe
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center Radio Communications Dashboard
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Canadian meteorologist Ken MacDonald. He started his career way back in 1975, and has been an instructor, a forecaster, and a researcher. He is the former Executive Director of Environment Canada. Our second Guest WeatherBrain James Abraham is a veteran meteorologist with almost four decades of experience who has forecasted in British Columbia, the U. S. East Coast and even was former and first Director of the Canadian Hurricane Center. Ken and James, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Environment Canada basics (08:00)
- Modernization process at Environment Canada (14:00)
- Reformatted warning polygons (19:00)
- Recurring issues with zone forecasts (22:30)
- Canadian meteorology employment/recruiting (28:30)
- Details of 18 month internship after initial hire (34:00)
- Canadian Hurricane Center (35:00)
- The Perfect Storm of 1991 (48:00)
- Total number of TV meteorologists in Canada (53:00)
- Death of linear television (56:30)
- Research efforts across Canada (01:06:00)
- Most difficult places to forecast meteorology in Canada (01:09:30)
- 2025-26 Canadian winter highlights (01:10:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:14:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:16:45)
- E-Mail Segment (01:18:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1043:
Alabama Weather Network
Canada's weather warning system has changed. Here's how.
Meteorologist Occupational Training Program
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - The OCS/Mesonet Ticker
Jen Narramore - Jen shoutout on X
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - NWS Juneau on YouTube
John Gordon - Juneau, Alaska buried under 80+ inches of snow
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - CIPS Analog-Based Severe Probability Guidance
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrain couldn't make it tonight, so our panel holds a homegrown episode to kick off 2026. Discussions include storm-based vs county-warnings, public storm reports, and a deep-dive into fundamentals of modern-day radar.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Severe storms possible on Friday in Deep South 1/9/26 (05:00)
- Storm-based warnings vs county-wide warnings (26:00)
- Pete Wolf Charitable Foundation (38:00)
- Helping the general public with radar interpretation (48:00)
- Public storm reports and how often they are used in NWS warnings (53:00)
- MPING (57:30)
- NWS app is needed (59:00)
- Protecting people living in mobile homes during severe weather (01:06:00)
- Threats-In-Motion (TIM) (01:08:00)
- Threat Confirmation Defined (01:14:00)
- Social media AI engagement farms (01:16:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:24:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1042:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 224
Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 998
Rick Smith - The Annual Lightning Report 2025
Troy Kimmel - US Drought Monitor From 2000-2025
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Extreme Temperatures Around The World
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - AEM Releases 2025 U.S. Lightning Report
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
On WeatherBrains this week this our annual year-ender episode with Greg Carbin. Greg needs no introduction; tonight we look back at 2025's notable weather events, and what the meteorology community has learned in the past year. Greg has presented his "Year-in-Review" presentation to the NWA Annual Meeting every year since 2004. His professional society memberships have included the NWA, AMS, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Greg currently serves as Chair on the NWA's Professional Development Committee.
Thanks for joining us this week for this year's WeatherBrains finale!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Looking back at 2025 (11:45)
- 2025 Gulf Coast snowstorm (19:30)
- Legendary meteorologist Chuck Doswell passes away (21:00)
- 17 tornadoes in Alabama in 2025 (42:00)
- Mid-May tornado outbreak near St. Louis (53:00)
- July 2025 Texas flooding tragedy (55:30)
- Remnants of Typhoon Halong cross Alaska (01:05:30)
- Dr. Neil Frank 2021 interview clip/Rewatch Episode 819 for entire interview (01:14:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:11:05)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:13:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - Happy New Year!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1041:
Remembering former KHOU-11 TV chief meteorologist Dr. Neil Frank
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Greg Carbin - Ensemble QPF Tracking
James Aydelott - Tulsa, OK record high temperature graphic
Jen Narramore - Ethan Mok on X: Zion, IL fake AI tornado damage
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Tom Niziol on X: Wind-driven seiche on Lake Erie
John Gordon - Tom Niziol on X: 80 mph wind gusts at Buffalo, NY
Bill Murray - James Spann speaks with FOX Weather's Bob Van Dillen
James Spann - Aaron Rigbsy on X: Tree damage video associated with a blizzard
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
On WeatherBrains this week are two special guests. Friend of the show and WeatherBrains veteran Mark Sudduth is the owner of HurricaneTrack.com and has over three decades of experience documenting landfalling hurricanes and other high impact weather events. He founded the Hurricane Intercept Research Team, which pioneers the use of unmanned camera systems to safely capture severe weather. Welcome to the show!
Last but certainly not least is our second Guest WeatherBrain Bruce Thomas. He's the President of WeatherCall and is the former spokesman of Midland Weather Radio and is a former broadcast meteorologist. He covered the 1997 Jarrell, TX tornado and has even worked with the Red Cross. Bruce, it's great to have you on the show.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Mark's major projects in 2025 (08:00)
- 2025 Hurricane season's overall unexpected lack of activity (13:30)
- Launch of Mark's new podcast (18:00)
- Self-appointed Mayor of Weatherville (47:00)
- What is WeatherCall and where is it going? (53:00)
- AL/MS are the most dangerous places on Earth for tornadoes (01:08:00)
- Turning the page to 2026's very early hurricane season predictions (01:19:00)
- Jobseekers, watch what you post on social media!!! (01:30:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:24:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1040:
Alabama Weather Network
WeatherCall
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Thomas - Fire photo from Yuma, Colorado
James Aydelott - Tule Fog over California's Central Valley
Jen Narramore - 144 MPH Wind Gust On Wednesday One Of The Strongest Ever Recorded in Wyoming
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - StormReady
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Ice Tsunami
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Foghorn
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
On WeatherBrains this week are meteorologist Jim Abraham with Environment Canada and meteorologist Ken MacDonald. Jim actually started the Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax, and has been working in meteorology for over four decades. Ken MacDonald has been in the weather field for over 48 years. He launched his career in 1975, and has been an instructor, a forecaster, and a researcher in areas all over Canada. It's great to see you both and thank you for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Origin of "Boomer Sooner" (07:15)
- NWS vs Canadian forecast offices (12:00)
- Canadian forecast offices and their relationship with the Canadian military (18:00)
- Monitoring/Observational networks across Environment Canada (21:00)
- Importance of cloud typing in Mexican and Canadian forecast offices vs NWS (27:00)
- US and Canadian weather radio equivalents (33:30)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (56:00)
- June 2021 British Columbia Heat Dome (01:02:00)
- 2022 Hurricane Fiona (01:07:00)
- "Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World" by John Vaillant (01:17:00)
- Canadian weather warning Color Coded System (01:18:00)
- POD/FAR in Canada (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:33:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1039:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Jim Abraham - 11 jaw-dropping videos from the Fort McMurray wildfire
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Anniversary of the 2021 Historic December 15tyh Derecho
Rick Smith - All Things Radar: Severe Weather/From the Girls Who Chase special workshop series
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Western launches Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory
John Gordon - Snow tarp video on X
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - December 16th, 2000 Tuscaloosa Tornado coverage on YouTube
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
On WeatherBrains this week, we're diving deep into the Weather Prediction Center's Winter Program - how they forecast snow and ice, the challenges of nailing accumulation totals, the coordination calls with NWS field offices, and what the future may hold for winter weather headlines.
Joining us are two of WC's best: Peter Mullinax, a lead winter forecaster who produces national snow and ice guidance, Key Messages, and a wide range of surface, short-range, rainfall, and tropical products; and Dr. Owen Shieh, WPC's Warning Coordination Meteorologist, providing national-level decision support for winter storms, flooding, and extreme temperatures. He returns after last week's episode, bringing his deep background in emergency management, training, and operational meteorology from JTWC to the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- How many people work at the Weather Prediction Center? (15:30)
- WPC Ops Program (15:45)
- WPC's Excessive Rainfall Outlook (18:00)
- What is the Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI)? (26:00)
- Why does the SPC do the Winter Weather mesoscale discussions? (40:00)
- Does WPC use MBM, and what is their future plan? (47:00)
- Probabilistic Precipitation Portal (49:15)
- AI and its assistance to WFOs in the future (01:08:00)
- Reducing common gaps between WFO and WPC messaging (01:13:30)
- Probabilistic Precipitation Portal good/bad (01:19:00)
- Job-seeking advice at the WPC (01:27:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:30:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:33:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:34:15)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1038:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Owen Shieh - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
Owen Shieh - WPC URRD (Urban Rain Rate Dashboard)
James Aydelott - Creek turnpike bridge over the Arkansas River
Jen Narramore - National Weather Network
Rick Smith - Dan Robinson - Winter Driving Education YouTube Channel
Troy Kimmel - EverythingWeather App on Google Play
Kim Klockow-McClain - John Fausett Song: One Team
John Gordon - Godzilla atmospheric river in Pacific Northwest
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Nick Petelos on X: Kilauea video
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is WPC's WCM Warning Coordination Meteorologist Dr. Owen Shieh. He holds a B.S. in Atmospheric Science from Cornell University, an M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii. We talk tonight about how Owen landed this position and all of the aspects of his role. He's also a talented gardener and an accomplished musician. Welcome to the show and thanks for joining us, Owen!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Owen's origin into meteorology (11:00)
- Path heads from OU to Hawaii (17:30)
- What is the baseline understanding of weather and emergency management? (27:15)
- Discussing the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (34:00)
- Current and future warning process for Pacific Super Typhoons (41:00)
- Defining the strength of a tropical cyclone (01:04:00)
- Geopolitics and meteorology (01:18:00)
- Battling trolls and misinformation online (01:32:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:40:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:41:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1037:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Owen Shieh - Untamed Skies: Where Science Meets Humanity
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Talking Weather by Mark Sudduth: Episode 1 on YouTube
Rick Smith - NWS/OCLO Warning Decision Training Division: RAC Course Outline
Troy Kimmel - COMET: MetEd Education and Training
Kim Klockow-McClain - Midway: Based On Real Events
John Gordon - What is Tule fog? Heather Waldman explains!
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - NWS Snow Squall Driving Simulation
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight, the Panel takes a deep dive into Hurricane Melissa and the devastation it brought to Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Panel analyzes the complexities of this natural disaster and the historical precedent of the landfall strength of Melissa. Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a FOX Weather Correspondent based in Atlanta, Georgia who has covered major events including Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Idalia. Recently, he covered historic Hurricane Melissa as it made landfall. He's a veteran reporter and previously helped launch Fox Business Network and has worked for the Associated Press. Robert Ray, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- FOX Weather launches in October 2021 (08:00)
- Robert Ray's career journey (11:45)
- Logistical complexity of 2025's Hurricane Melissa (23:30)
- Aid process in aftermath of Hurricane Melissa (37:00)
- Dealing with mass casualty zones in the aftermath of major natural disasters (01:08:00)
- The Future of Media and technology shifts (01:25:30)
- Houston-area tornado 11/24/25 (01:36:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - STAY TUNED!)
- E-Mail Segment (01:31:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1036:
Alabama Weather Network
Robert Ray on X
Picks of the Week:
Robert Ray - FOX Weather ROWI (Risk of Weather Impact)
James Aydelott - Thailand Songkhla Province Tornado
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - One dies after car catapults into NWS Forecast office in Sioux Falls, SD
John Gordon - KLM Pilots take off in dangerous crosswinds at Newcastle UK
John Gordon - Man saves dog in Flash Flood
Bill Murray - Updates on hurricane recovery in Jamaica
James Spann - The Truth About Late Night Flash Flood Warnings And Risk
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Corey Bunn. He's a full time Operational Meteorologist with Coastal Weather Research Center. He prepares daily forecasts and also has a responsibility of issuing severe weather warnings and he also maintains the company website and assists in hurricane forecasting operations. He joined the CWRC in 2012 after completing his Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology at the University of South Alabama. Corey, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our next Guest WeatherBrain (in order of appearance) is Jeff Medlin, the founder and CEO of Medlin Meterological Consulting LLC. He's had a distinguished career; having previously spent over 36 years working with the National Weather Service. His tenure included 8 years as Meteorologist-In-Charge and 20 years as Science and Operations Officer at NWS Mobile (AL). Today, he's the severe and winter weather outlook meteorologist for Coastal Weather Research Center. He's also an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Alabama. Jeff, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest Panelist is someone whose passion for weather started early—at just five years old—after experiencing a weak tornado that sparked a lifelong fascination with the atmosphere. That early intrigue never faded, and today he channels that enthusiasm into his work as the weekend meteorologist at WHIO-TV in Dayton. A true weather geek at heart, he's recently reached an exciting career milestone by earning his NWA Digital Seal and TV Seal, marking another step forward in his broadcast meteorology journey. We're thrilled to have him with us tonight—please welcome Nicholas Dunn to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Compare/Contrast Davis and Tempest Weather Stations (09:30)
- Importance of obtaining the Digital Seals (11:00)
- Jeff Medlin's origins in the weather field (20:00)
- 1979's Hurricane Frederic and its aftermath (24:30)
- Alabama Power's support for Coastal Weather Research Center (36:00)
- What is CCAPS and when did it begin? (39:00)
- Looking back at 1969's Hurricane Camille (56:00)
- MLLW Tidal Datum (01:25:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:45)
- E-Mail Segment (01:33:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1035:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Jeff Medlin - South Alabama Meteorology Program
Nicholas Dunn - SpaceWeatherLive.com
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - "Volnado" at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA NWS Space Weather Prediction Center
John Gordon - Noctilucent clouds - Everything you need to know
Bill Murray - Weatherwise Magazine: Vol 78, No. 6 (Current Issue as of 11/2025)
James Spann - WeatherNext 2: Google DeepMind's most advanced forecasting model
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
We discuss on this week's episode the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29-member crew during a violent fall storm on November 10th, 1975.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an author of over thirty books on maritime history. He's been a consultant to the US Park Service and an on-air expert for National Geographic and Fox and Friends among over ventures. Dr. Frederick Stonehouse, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest Panelist is Tom Hultquist. He is the technical program lead for the Analysis and Forecast Branch of the National Weather Service, working out of Minneapolis for the national office in Washington. His office sets requirements for, and does evaluations of, all the different modeling and analysis systems used by the NWS. Thanks for joining us tonight, Tom!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Area of United States with the most shipwrecks (15:00)
- Shipwreck Coast (17:00)
- Great Lake with the most shipwrecks (16:45)
- RAMS Model (33:00)
- What type of weather modeling did they have in 1975? (47:00)
- What makes a good weather forecast? (52:00)
- Significance/impact of the Great Lakes industry base (01:03:00)
- Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" (01:17:30)
- Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point (01:20:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:45)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1034:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Tom Hultquist - "Dive Detectives": Rogue Wave/Edmund Fitzgerald Episode
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Tornado in La Plata, MD on November 9th, 1926
Rick Smith - The OTUS Project
Troy Kimmel - 50 Years Later, the Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald Lives On
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - The Storm That Sank the Edmund Fitzgerald
John Gordon - "The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by John U. Bacon
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist and trader focused on weather risk management, currently with Munich Re Trading LLC. His career includes experience with the National Weather Service, energy trading, and weather derivatives—blending forecasting expertise with financial market knowledge. Welcome, Tom Paylor!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Correct weather ballon launch procedures (25:00)
- What are weather derivatives? (35:30)
- What is a weather derivative sales group? (40:00)
- Weather/Power price triggers (44:15)
- AI implementation (01:22:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:26:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1033:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Tom Paylor - Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) has reached a new record weekly negative value
James Aydelott - Nick Gilby on X: Large hail photo in Ingleside, Texas
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - NWS Atlanta weather observation comment controversy
Kim Klockow-McClain - Why Counting Disaster Deaths Is Complicated and How NORC Is Helping Get It Right
John Gordon - Ben Noll on X: Record-setting water vapor pulsing across Earth's skies
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - iCyclone Facebook page
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's guest is Dr. Jerry Brotzge, Kentucky State Climatologist and Director of the Kentucky Climate Center and Mesonet. The discussion focuses on climatology, observational data, and building a mesonet network. Dr. Brotzge earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of St. Louis and his Master's and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Brotzge, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our second Guest WeatherBrain is Dr. Stu Foster. He is the former head of the Kentucky Climate Center. He built the mesonet in the state of Kentucky and earned his PhD from Ohio State University. Welcome to the show, Dr. Foster!
Guest Panelist for tonight's episode is the former chief meteorologist for WBKO-TV. Shane Holinde is the Outreach Manager for the Kentucky mesonet and the Kentucky climate center. Thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Category 5 Melissa aims for Jamaica (05:30)
- December 11th, 2021 Bowling Green, KY tornadoes (08:00)
- What exactly does a State Climatologist do? (08:45)
- Seeds of the Kentucky mesonet (12:00)
- What is a mesonet? (13:30)
- Mesonet station offers in very unlikely/ineffective locations (26:00)
- Major challenges of building the mesonet network in Kentucky (29:30)
- Decisions made based on precise mesonet data (43:30)
- Critical importance of NWS wind tables (50:30)
- Equipment damage due to nature/critters (01:16:30)
- Representativeness error issue in mesonet data (01:19:20)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:39:15)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1032:
Alabama Weather Network
Shane Holinde on X
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Jerry Brotzge - Kentucky Mesonet at WKU
James Aydelott - No Thunderstorm Forecast from SPC on Wednesday
Jen Narramore - Roger Hill on X: June 23rd, 2002 tornado video
Rick Smith - Storm Front Freaks final episode
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - "On the Economic Nature of Crop Production Decisions Using the Oklahoma Mesonet" by Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain
John Gordon - AF Reserve Hurricane Hunters on Facebook
John Gordon - Hunter Live Reconnaissance
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Third pass through Melissa video
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Jen Carfagno, co-host of America's Morning Headquarters and the Weather Geeks podcast on The Weather Channel. A Penn State meteorology graduate with over 25 years of experience, she has covered major weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards, helping audiences understand storm science. Starting behind the scenes before becoming an on-air meteorologist, she earned an Emmy Award for her coverage of Hurricane Helene in 2024. Known as the "Dewpoint Diva," Jen is recognized for her expertise and enthusiasm in meteorology. Jen, thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Origin of "Dewpoint Diva" (12:00)
- Handling demands of the digital world with time constraints in the weather business (20:00)
- Dealing with negativity and harassment online (22:00)
- Innovations/major changes in recent years in the weather business (26:00)
- Support staff at TWC (33:30)
- TWC providing local forecasts for Allen Media Stations? (38:00)
- Reporting in the field vs in studio (49:00)
- Communication difficulties during major events like Helene and Harvey (56:30)
- Importance of recognizing past impactful weather events and learning from them (01:01:00)
- Does the public understand what a wind advisory is and are those warnings heeded? (01:11:00)
- Jen Carfagno as a guest DJ (01:18:00)
- Fox Weather vs TWC (01:26:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1031:
Alabama Weather Network
Jen Carfagno on X
Picks of the Week:
Jen Carfagno - Everything Weather App
James Aydelott - Ermont, France tornado
Jen Narramore - Violent tornado in France
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Weather Star 4000+
John Gordon - Beach umbrellas go flying in the wind at Florida beach
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Lightning strike kills teenage hunter during weekend storms
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are two Kansas City meteorologists who both went to St. Louis for meteorology and both have had incredibly long and storied careers. They are also unlikely close friends behind camera. Bryan and Joe, it's great to have you both on the show tonight!
Bryan Busby, Chief Meteorologist at KMBC 9 News since 1985, is one of Kansas City's most respected and recognized meteorologists. Known for his innovative weather programs such as "Guaranteed Weather" and "Instant Weather Network" (for which he holds a U.S. patent), Busby has also served as Chief Meteorologist for the Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network and appears on KMBZ Radio. Nationally acclaimed, he chaired the American Meteorological Society's Board of Broadcast Meteorologists, was featured by The Weather Channel, and was elected to the National Weather Association's Board of Directors in 2021. His honors include the AMS Award for Broadcast Meteorology (2010) and lifetime AMS Fellowship (2023).
Joe Lauria is an award-winning meteorologist who has delivered nightly forecasts on FOX 4 since 1995. A New York native fascinated by weather since childhood, he previously served as Chief Meteorologist in Texas, Florida, and Illinois, earning honors such as Texas AP Weathercaster of the Year and multiple Best Weathercast awards in Missouri and Kansas. A Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and longtime leader in the American Meteorological Society's Kansas City chapter, Lauria is known for educating viewers beyond what apps provide and giving weather talks to the community. A St. Louis University graduate, he lives in Olathe, Kansas, with his wife and two cats and enjoys golf, travel, and Kansas City's Italian restaurants.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is a Billiken? (15:30)
- Today's expectations in TV meteorology vs workload of earlier decades (23:00)
- Streaming is the new frontier (26:30)
- Model data and graphics technological improvements over the last few decades (30:00)
- May 4th, 2003 Kansas City High risk (44:00)
- Relationship issues among TV meteorologists (51:00)
- IWT/NWS relationships (54:30)
- Confusion over Areal Flood Advisories (01:01:00)
- Broadcast meteorologists vs Social Media-0logists (01:09:00)
- Mentoring young people in the weather enterprise and its impacts (01:23:00)
- SLU dropping its meteorology program in 2029 (01:25:30)
- Georgie Global cartoon (01:29:30)
- Dr. Neil Jacobs confirmed by Senate as NOAA Administrator (01:30:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:35:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1030:
Bryan Busby on X
Fox 4 Weather KC on X
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Joe Lauria - Winter Storm Warning as 3 feet of snow to hit central California
Bryan Busby - SPC Day 4-8 U.S. Convective Outlook
James Aydelott - James Aydelot on Facebook: Arizona Dryline Photo
Jen Narramore - PSU Electronic Map Wall
Rick Smith - Durham's Neil Jacobs confirmed by Senate as NOAA chief
Troy Kimmel - Weather Wednesday: Building a better Guam, one can at a time
Kim Klockow-McClain - Center for Sportfishing Policy on X: Congratulations to Dr. Neil Jacobs as NOAA Administrator
John Gordon - "Dragon's Tail" powerful tidal bore in China's Qiantang River
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Powerful microburst devastates Tempe as Monday storms pushed through
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen. He last joined the WeatherBrains panel in 2022 when he was first running for office. He is now in his second term in Congress and is a meteorologist who has represented Illinois’s 17th congressional district since 2023, covering much of western and central Illinois, including Moline, Rock Island, parts of Peoria, Rockford, and the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. Congressman, we are honored to have you join us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Update on Dr. Jacobs (0:45)
- June 20th, 2025 North Dakota EF5 (02:45)
- Meteorologists in Congress (09:00)
- Weather and politics (17:00)
- Bipartisan SST Committee (18:00)
- U.S. Government shutdown and how it has affected the weather community (21:30)
- Science-focused legislators (29:00)
- Learning to admit you can be wrong and don't know (45:00)
- Social media reaction to the end of the EF5 drought (46:00)
- Ted Fujita's tornado scale was created in 1973 (53:00)
- Is the door open to change ratings of long-past tornadoes and hurricanes? (56:00)
- Tornado damage vs straight-line wind damage (01:08:00)
- Inaction during Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (01:12:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:13:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:15:20)
- Tropics discussion (01:19:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1029:
Alabama Weather Network
Congressman Eric Sorensen on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - EF5 tornado drought is over
Jen Narramore - Helpful tornado technology created by MU meteorology student
Rick Smith - New study reveals potential cause of a ‘drought’ in violent EF5 tornadoes
Troy Kimmel - Delta Flight Museum
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Rain, snow and a double rainbow in Laramie, Wyoming
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Tim Marshall: We have an EF5 tornado in North Dakota!
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University. He's a former Weather Channel Storm Analyst and co-author of "Philadelphia Area Weather Book". Dr. Jon Nese, it's great to have you back on the show tonight.
Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the author of "Gettysburg's Lost Love Story: The Ill-Fated Romance of General John Reynolds and Kate Hewitt" and has over three decades of experience working with naval intelligence. Jeffrey Harding, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- "Second Summer" vs "Indian Summer" (05:00)
- Extreme hardships of Civil War soldiers (12:00)
- NOAA reanalysis capability regarding the Gettysburg Campaign (15:00)
- Weather observations available to Civil War-era professionals in early 1860s (21:30)
- When the reanalysis data disagreed with the soldier's diaries (25:30)
- 1863's meteorological impacts and the turning point of the Civil War (32:00)
- Temperature difference between gray and blue uniforms while in blazing heat (37:00)
- Wet bulb globe temperature guidelines (49:45)
- Flash flooding and Lee's retreat after Battle of Gettysburg (53:00)
- Greg Forbes and his involvement in the Gettysburg book (01:02:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:21:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:22:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1028:
Alabama Weather Network
"The Philadelphia Area Weather Book" by Jon Nese, Glenn Schwartz and Edward Rendell
"Gettysburg's Lost Love Story: The Ill-Fated Romance of General John Reynolds and Kate Hewitt" by Jeffrey J Harding
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Okie J in front of funnel cake stand
Jen Narramore - Tornado Talk Podcast: September 30th, 1959 Ivy-Mechums River, VA F3 Tornado
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Two hunters die after being struck by lightning while hunting in Florida flatlands
Troy Kimmel - Young elk hunting friends who vanished in Colorado wilderness were both killed by lightning strike
Kim Klockow-McClain - Fujiwhara typologies discussion
John Gordon - What is a sting jet?
Bill Murray - Spanning Alabama Ep. 3 - Rickwood Field (YouTube)
James Spann - 403rd Wing on X: Lightning Cockpit Video
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain comes to us by way of a suggestion from friend of the podcast and WeatherBrains veteran Kevin Laws. Randy Bowers currently serves as the Severe Weather Program Lead at the National Weather Service, a role that involves strategic planning, technical execution, and maintaining operational consistency across all severe weather services. Before this position, he worked in forecast operations at offices in Indianapolis, Norman (OK), Amarillo (TX), and others. His primary interests lie in mesoscale meteorology and radar, and he has participated in several testbeds aimed at advancing forecasting techniques and technologies. Randy, we’re delighted to have you with us tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Nashville April 16th, 1998 tornado (10:30)
- April 8th, 1998 Birmingham, AL F5 and complications with nighttime tornadoes (13:30)
- Randy's A Day In The Life (23:30)
- Ongoing major projects at the NWS (25:00)
- Moving forward with weather apps in the future (29:00)
- "Do No Harm" standard with new weather technology (31:00)
- Indefinite holding pattern with NWS app timeline (40:00)
- Household penetration of weather radios (44:30)
- Twelve minute lead time is not sufficient to move patients to safety in a hospital/Manufactured home residents (56:00)
- Remote mesoanalysis program (58:30)
- FAR/Excessive severe thunderstorm warnings (01:01:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:50)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1027:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Randy Bowers - NSSL Warn-On Forecast
Kevin Laws - Texas Tech University Dr. Ted Fujita Archival Records
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Snowplow photo
Jen Narramore - Foghorn
Rick Smith - Weather Safety Information For Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Troy Kimmel - WPC Experimental Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD)
Kim Klockow-McClain - U.S. Senate: Nominations Confirmed (Civilian)
John Gordon - UPS Fog Technique
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Experienced hunters found dead in Conejos County last week were struck by lightning, authorities say
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrain for this week’s episode is Melissa Marcelloni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas. Melissa has worked a variety of high-impact events, including hurricanes, microbursts, and flooding, and she’s also an experienced storm chaser. Before joining the NWS, she served as a catastrophe claim specialist, giving her a unique perspective on the intersection of meteorology, disaster impacts, and community recovery. Melissa, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight’s Guest Panelist is Chris White — a proud Virginia Tech alumnus and a retired federal government meteorologist. He’s well-known in the weather community as a storm chaser for @WDBJ7Weather and @MLseverewxcon, where he also serves as founder and coordinator. In addition, Chris is a dedicated weather blogger, sharing his passion for severe weather with the public and the storm chasing community. Chris, thanks for joining us tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Hot air balloons and meteorology (16:00)
- Melissa's educational journey (18:00)
- Diversification is key (21:30)
- Melissa's transition from working in insurance into the NWS (24:00)
- Defining core partners in the aftermath of major weather disasters (31:00)
- Historical hurricanes (34:30)
- Outreach efforts to the community in order to help them prepare for major weather events (36:30)
- Toughest weather to forecast in south Texas/Airmass thunderstorms (41:00)
- Issues with microbursts in south Texas (43:30)
- Challenges with rip current risk, and what those in the community should/shouldn't do to mitigate risk (49:00)
- Storm chasing experiences and notable storms (51:30)
- Frustrating storm chasing days (01:05:00)
- National Storm Chasers Summit (01:08:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:14:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:17:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:18:15)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1026:
Alabama Weather Network
Chris White on X
Melissa Marcelloni on Instagram
Picks of the Week:
Melissa Marcelloni - Tornadoes destroy multiple homes in Utah
Chris White - Sterling, VA September 17th, 2004 tornadoes
James Aydelott - An incredible tornado intercept in Caragabal, NSW, Australia
Jen Narramore - Aaron Rigsby on X: Tornado video in Dakotas
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Helene in Southern Appalachia story map
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Mark Gray on X: Saturday splashes at sunset in Bonavista NL
John Gordon - Gord Follett Photography on X: Unique coastline photo near Madrock Bay Roberts Newfoundland
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - PolarWx
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show comes to you from the 2025 NWA Annual Meeting in Huntsville at the Von Braun Civic Center.
Janice Bunting is the Executive Director of the NWA stops by first to talk to the panel. She's pulled off an amazing event this year under trying circumstances. Throughout the evening, other notable leaders in the weather industry will also stop by to chat with our panel about this year’s meeting — sharing their insights, highlights, and what it all means for the future of meteorology.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Bob Baron and other sponsors of the Annual Meeting (04:20)
- Roadmap for the NWA going forward (07:30)
- Louis Uccellini talks about the initial NWA in the early days of the organization (27:00)
- Force multiplier nature of social media (45:00)
- Panel discussion with industry's leading digital meteorologists (59:00)
- Hand-drawn animations for the conference (01:06:00)
- Goals for the upcoming year in NWA (01:10:00)
- Cooperation with AMS (01:14:00)
- Nate Johnson discusses student support within the organization (01:26:00)
- Nate's IWT (Integrated Warning Team) takeaways (01:30:30)
- Dr. Chuck Graves stops by to chat with the panel (01:48:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:54:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:57:05)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - STAY TUNED!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1025:
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - James Aydelott photographed in back of patrol car
Jen Narramore - Foghorn
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - A New Spin On Waterspout Forecasting (Published August 2014)
John Gordon - A Waterspout Forecasting Technique
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - FCC Proposes Modernization of the Nation's Alerting Systems
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist, climatologist, instructor, and now author. She has a brand new book just released titled "Wilder Weather: What Laura Ingalls Wilder Teaches Us About Weather, Climate, And Protecting What We Cherish". In her book, she digs deep into Wilder's depictions of weather events and helps readers connect past weather to present weather. She's worked at NOAA for over 23 years. Dr. Barbara Boustead, it's great to have you on the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Introduction to Laura Ingalls Wilder and he r background (13:00)
- Entire Little House on the Prairie series (14:45)
- Analyzing 1880s weather records in Dakota Territory (19:00)
- Laurapalooza Conference (21:45)
- Weather in Wilder's other works (24:15)
- Further examples of Wilder's writings about weather events (34:30)
- Today's different climate from the era of authors like Charles Dickens (44:00)
- Climate is the past, present, and future (50:00)
- Encouraging teachers to use "Wilder Weather" in lesson plans (58:30)
- Weather folklore (01:00:00)
- Where can you order "Wilder Weather"? (01:10:00)
- Tips for aspiring authors (01:24:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:11:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:12:50)
- E-Mail Segment (01:14:05)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1024:
Alabama Weather Network
Wilder Weather
"Wilder Weather: What Laura Ingalls Wilder Teaches Us About the Weather, Climate, and Protecting What We Cherish" by Dr. Barbara Boustead
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Barbara Boustead - "The Beautiful Snow" by Cindy Wilson
James Aydelott - Meteogram for Camargo, OK/90+mph winds
Jen Narramore - Merry violent phenomenon in Morbihan on 2 September
Rick Smith - Here's one of the first photos of a tornado ever
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - NWA 50th Annual Meeting in Huntsville, AL
John Gordon - ATR-72 nearly flipped over from 99 mph winds in Corsica
John Gordon - Reagan's near-death experience in 1983
Bill Murray - "The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign" by Jon M. Nese and Jeffrey Harding
James Spann - Sandblasted to Death: 1935 Labor Day Hurricane
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
WeatherBrains Episode 1023B is a deep dive into 2005's Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to believe, but the tragedy is approaching its 20th anniversary.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain for this somber episode is the Curator of the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland, Mississippi. She's a retired RN and was a former Nurse Administrator in New Orleans, LA. Bernie Cullen, thanks for joining us.
Guest Panelist and show veteran Mark Sudduth "The Hurricane Tracker" joins the panel's discussion by looking back at such a significant historical event, the technological challenges of twenty years ago, and looking ahead to the future. He's a well known storm chaser and weather documentarian. Thanks for your valuable insight on tonight's episode, Mark!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Robert Ricks and his pre-landfall Katrina doomsday forecast (04:00)
- Tropical Storm Katrina forms on August 23rd, 2005 (08:30)
- 2005 tech available to hurricane chasers vs today (08:45)
- Katrina's Fort Lauderdale, Florida landfall (11:00)
- Early Katrina prep in New Orleans (17:00)
- 1992's Hurricane Andrew and it's forgotten second landfall in Louisiana (29:30)
- Lack of accurate storm surge forecasting 20 years ago (40:00)
- Parallels with 1969's Hurricane Camille and its change of forecasted landfall point (53:00)
- Katrina vs Camille wind fields (58:30)
- Ground Zero Museum - contents, purpose and history (01:20:00)
- More TikTok nonsense (01:47:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:48:50)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:50:35)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1023B:
Waveland's Ground Zero Museum
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Ray Caldwell, pitching for Cleveland Indians, struck by lightning on pitchers mound - 1919
Jen Narramore - Alabama Weather Network Daily Briefing!
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - "Children of Katrina (The Katrina Bookshelf)" by Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek
John Gordon - Michelle Cowbourne on X
Bill Murray - Katrina: South Mississippi's Story (Full Documentary on YouTube)
James Spann - Robert Ricks - On The Ground During Katrina (YouTube)
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
WeatherBrains Episode 1023A is a preview of the upcoming 2025 NWA Annual Meeting in Huntsville, AL. The meeting is only two weeks away from the date of recording (August 25th, 2025).
Show veteran Kevin Laws joins us to dive into the upcoming NWA Annual Meeting in Huntsville. He currently serves as the SOO (Science and Operations Officer) of the Birmingham, AL NWS office. Kevin, it's great to see you again.
David from the Texas Storm Chasers also drops in to chat with the panel about what to expect at the meeting.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tropics remain quiet (02:45)
- Starting the dialogue of a changing business model (07:55)
- Baby steps toward progress in the field starting over 15 years ago (11:00)
- Gatekeeping and resentment among various sectors in meteorology (12:00)
- Objectives of the upcoming Annual Meeting (23:00)
- The outdated concept of TV market boundaries (36:00)
- NWA registration procedures (44:00)
- How do we define expertise in 2025? (48:30)
- What will the broadcast transition look like moving forward? (50:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment for this episode)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment for this episode)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment for this episode)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1023A:
2025 NWA Annual Meeting September 6-10th, 2025 Huntsville AL
Alabama Weather Network
Alabama Weather Network on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Cool noon temperatures in Oklahoma
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - The OCS/Mesonet Ticker
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Foghorn
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a professor of mechanical engineering and applied mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served as a principal scientist at Microsoft Research, where he led the development of Aurora. This was the groundbreaking AI foundation model for earth system forecasting. Dr. Paris Perdikaris, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is Aurora and the motivation for the program? (08:15)
- Practical experience and forecasting with tropical forecasting with Aurora (12:30)
- Success stories with Aurora (14:00)
- Convection-allowing models (CAMS) (17:15)
- Convective feedback problems with models (18:45)
- Emergence of the Google DeepMind ensemble and other AI models (20:00)
- Aurora's hardware architecture and its importance (23:30)
- Continuing need of physics-based models in the age of AI (28:00)
- Ethical considerations and biases in model training data (33:30)
- Role of US agencies and potential loss of funding (37:55)
- Communicating AI forecasts to the public and the ensuing ethical issues (42:30)
- Broad risks of using AI (44:30)
- Aurora business model (58:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:05:25)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:25)
- E-Mail Segment (01:09:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1022:
Penn's Predictive Intelligence Lab
Alabama Weather Network on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Dr. Cameron Nixon on YouTube: Cell Mergers and Nudgers
Jen Narramore - "Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991" by Thomas Grazulis
Rick Smith - USA Jobs
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Live Recon in the Atlantic Basin
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Weather Lab: Cyclones
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist and veteran storm chaser who has documented tornadoes, hurricanes and supercells across the United States since 2015. He has degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Oklahoma, where he operated a mobile radar under tornado research pioneer Dr. Howie Bluestein. Trey Greenwood, welcome to the show!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a professional broadcaster and CEO of storm chaser Coaching, hosting over 200 episodes of the Chaser Chat Podcast since 2020. He leads the company's mission to centralize storm chasing education through structured courses and a long-term membership model connecting learners with experienced coaches. Gabriel Harber, thank you for joining us tonight.
WeatherBrains veteran Sandy LaCorte also joins the panel to discuss the upcoming NWA Meeting 2025. It's great to see you again, Sandy.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- End of dog days of summer; fall is on our doorstep (04:30)
- NWA Annual Meeting 2025 Huntsville, AL (07:30)
- Invest in others and pay it forward! (13:00)
- Trey's first tornado chase in 2015 and the takeaways (33:00)
- Working with Dr. Bluestein in the field (36:00)
- What is storm chaser coaching and how did it come to be? (43:00)
- Bill Murray's first tornado intercept (48:45)
- No such thing as a bust when storm chasing in the field! (52:45)
- Driving etiquette/mob behavior ruining storm chasing (55:30)
- Risks/distractions/recommendations of storm chasing solo (01:11:30)
- Analysis of the economics of storm chasing (01:15:30)
- Oklahoma storm chaser license legislation (01:18:15)
- Role of drones in the storm chaser toolkit (01:22:00)
- Under-appreciated aspects of storm chasing (01:31:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:35:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:37:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:38:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1021:
Storm Chaser Coaching
Gabriel Harber on X
Alabama Weather Network on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
Trey Greenwood - Convective Chronicles on YouTube
James Aydelott - Shea Gibson on Facebook: Mt. Pleasant, SC video
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Meade, KS heat burst
Jen Narramore - Mongolian supercells
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Official launch of the Alabama Weather Network
Kim Klockow-McClain - Congressman Eric Sorensen on Defending Climate Science, Depoliticizing Weather and Bringing Scientific Rigor To Capitol Hill
John Gordon - NWS ABQ - Heat Bursts
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Mount Pleasant PD on X: Lightning strike outages/delays
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's special Guest WeatherBrain is Evan Fryberger, who is an independent content creator and a weather communicator who has built a loyal following online. He's a calm and informed voice in the ever-noisy world of weather streaming. His no-hype approach stands out in an age of rising anxiety and clickbait. Evan, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- New record low maximum for Birmingham, AL on August 4th at 77 (02:00)
- One week away from launch of Alabama Weather Network (05:30)
- Looking back at 9/11/2001 and Hurricane Gabrielle (19:30)
- Fighting clickbait and hype online (26:00)
- 2025 Mental health crisis (33:00)
- Storm chasing overcrowding and dangers on the road (43:30)
- Blurring lines and reaching saturation in the weather entertainment/streaming world (46:30)
- Approaching urgency and calmness during severe weather streams (53:30)
- National Integrated Warning Team meeting (01:04:00)
- Preparing for an active severe weather day as a streamer/content creator (01:09:15)
- When does Evan bring his dog on stream? (01:19:00)
- Experiences with demonetization and copyright issues as a streamer (01:24:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:50)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:50)
- E-Mail Segment (01:31:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1020:
Alabama Weather Network on Facebook
Evan Fryberger on YouTube
Evan Fryberger on X
Picks of the Week:
Evan Fryberger - SPC Mesoscale Analysis Pages
Evan Fryberger - NASA Worldview Satellite Data
James Aydelott - SPC Average Number of Tornadoes Per State By Month (All tornadoes 2000-2024)
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Tropical Storm Dexter
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Coral Reef Watch Eastern Persian Gulf Regional Products
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Alabama Weather Network main site
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight is a late-summer unfiltered homegrown show from the panel, and it's an array of important topics, including the launch of the Alabama Weather Network. The panel discuss its mission and vision moving forward. The regulars deep-dive into other pressing topics like confusion over county warning areas, new information about the Texas flooding tragedy, and much more. Thanks for listening!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Telling the stories from the perspective of storm survivors after major severe weather events (14:30)
- Introducing The Alabama Weather Network and its State-wide operation (16:10)
- Disturbing story about an emergency manager in early July Texas flooding tragedy (32:30)
- Appreciating Ben Luna and his contributions (37:30)
- Different cultures at different NWS offices (40:30)
- Issues with NWS County Warning Areas (42:30)
- Lessons learned from Texas floods (51:30)
- Hope is not a plan! (53:30)
- Warning fatigue fallout (01:03:00)
- Rainfall rates explained (01:23:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- E-Mail Segment (01:17:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1019:
Alabama Weather Network on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - FlightAware MiseryMap
Jen Narramore - Mid-Year Recap and Chat With Storm Chasers - HurricaneTrack YouTube
Rick Smith - After The Flood: Finding Hope In The Aftermath
Troy Kimmel - Texas flooding: Kerr county's emergency management coordinator was likely asleep in critical morning hours, sheriff says
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - NWS Monsoon Stats
Bill Murray - SPC Sounding Climatology Page
James Spann - Weather Prediction Center (WPC) Home Page
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Hall of Fame Episode pays tribute to the legendary late broadcast meteorologist and industry pioneer Gary England, who passed away on June 10th 2025. He was 85 years old. We have three Guest WeatherBrains tonight to help us honor Gary England, who was a pioneer and a trailblazer in the field of meteorology. Our first two Guest WeatherBrains appeared on Episode No. 946.
First up is David Payne, who is the Chief Meteorologist of KWTV Channel 9 in Oklahoma City. He replaced Gary England when he retired in mid-2013. He is a native Oklahoman and an OU graduate and previously he spent 19 years at KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City.
Appearing second on the show is the morning broadcast meteorologist at News Channel 9 in OKC. She's an OU graduate and has been at News Channel 9 since 2011. She previously interned with Gary England for several years while she was a student at OU. Lacey Swope, it's great to see you again.
Last but certainly not least, we introduce Barbara Merckx, who is now the News Director for OU Nightly at the OU Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She previously worked with our very own James Aydelott at NBC 5 in Fort Worth, TX. Thanks for joining us tonight, Barbara!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Lacey's experience with meeting and working with Gary England (10:30)
- Experiences working with Gary (25:00)
- Gary-isms (48:30)
- Looking back at 2013 El Reno, OK tornado (50:00)
- Importance of building rapport with the public as a broadcast meteorologist (01:14:00)
- Gary England paving the way for future generations (01:28:30)
- Warning process during devastating Texas floods (01:34:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:45)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:32:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1018:
David Payne on X
OU Nightly on YouTube
Meteorologist Lacey Swope on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
David Payne - Drummond charges Oklahoma City man for damaging TV station's weather radar
Barbara Merckx - Willie Gillespie on LinkedIn
James Aydelott - "Those Terrible Twisters And The Weather Of Oklahoma" by Gary England
Jen Narramore - Guin, AL F5 Tornado Series
Rick Smith - Oral history interview with Gary England: Oklahoma Mesonet YouTube
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Senate Report
Kim Klockow-McClain - House Report
John Gordon - HDSC World Record Point Precipitation Measurements
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's episode features TWO special guests!
Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight is an award winning journalist and author who's latest book "Cloud Warriors" was recently named one of Barnes and Nobles's best science and technology books in 2025 with a background in investigative and narrative journalism. He brings a deep curiosity and perspective to the world of atmospheric science. In researching his book, he traveled across the country embedded with scientists at the National Weather Service. His book explores the shifting landscape of weather forecasting at a time that climate change, technical disruption and institutional uncertainty is shaking the foundations of our industry. Thomas Weber, welcome!
Our Guest Panlist is the lead meteorologist at the NWS forecast office in State College, PA. He's got years of operational forecasting experience and plays a key leadership role in the accuracy, timeliness, and relevance of forecasts for central Pennsylvania. He's deeply involved in mentoring younger forecasters and helping to communicate critical weather information to emergency managers and the public. He's also a graduate of Penn State. Welcome to the show, John Banghoff!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Role/responsibilities of a NWS Lead Forecaster (11:00)
- Official "Cloud Warriors" book website (20:45)
- How early science/technology developed and shaped societies (22:30)
- Shift at the NWS forecast office in Caribou, Maine in the 60s/modern parallels (28:00)
- What is a NWS WFO and what does it do? (29:45)
- Focusing on public service in journalism (44:30)
- Weather and its ability to be a great unifier (57:30)
- 2019 Beauregard/Lee County tornado research (01:16:00)
- Revolutions in weather forecasting (01:25:30)
- Fighting conspiracy theories and misinformation (01:34:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:44:40)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:46:45)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1017:
John Banghoff on X
"Cloud Warriors" by Thomas E Weber
Picks of the Week:
John Banghoff - "The Weather Gods Curse The Gettysburg Campaign" by Jon Nese Jeffrey J. Harding
James Aydelott - Grand Canyon National Park
James Aydelott - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Jen Narramore - PA Storm Trackerz
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA nominee Neil Jacobs testifies at confirmation hearing amid deadly Texas floods
John Gordon - Pulse and Multicell Storms Conceptual Model
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Sarah Marsh Obituary
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's episode comes on the heels of another horrific weather tragedy; a Texas hill country flash flooding event that killed at least 100 people. This was a flash flood that we all fear - extreme rainfall, rugged terrain, and was a nocturnal event overnight on a holiday weekend. It's a home-grown show among our panelists, and it's a critical topic about a historical weather event.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- 1978 Texas Flash Flood/Tropical Storm Amelia (03:00)
- What makes the Hill Country so susceptible to flooding? (05:00)
- WEA Alerts issued before flash flood tragedy (12:00)
- Prior major flash floods that have plagued the U. S. (20:45)
- Returning to critical thinking about risk assessment and wading through the madness of social media (25:00)
- Exploring the role of NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist and the EMA coordination process (37:25)
- Difficulties of warning the public for flooding events/Call to action (50:30)
- Warning fatigue similarities with Severe Thunderstorm/Flash Flood NWS bulletins (59:25)
- Legacy and critical lasting importance radio/NOAA weather radio communication in an emergency (01:11:30)
- Modeling post-event reports from NTSB service assessments (01:15:00)
- First ever issued NWS Flash Flood Emergency (01:24:00)
- Political activist posts following tragedy/cloud seeding explained (01:33:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:47:35)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1016:
Samaritan's Purse Responding to Deadly Floods in Texas
Convoy of Hope Response to Texas Deadly Floods
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Texas Flood Tragedy Discussion
Jen Narramore - Samaritan's Purse/Convoy of Hope Texas Flood Tragedy Fundraising Campaigns
Rick Smith - Cuts to NOAA increase the risk of deadly weather tragedies - Yale Climate Connections
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Wine Fish
John Gordon - July 23rd, 2020 Rainbow Wash Flash Flood
Bill Murray - How one Texas summer camp successfully evacuated from the floods
James Spann - James Spann on Facebook: Texas Flood FAQ and answers
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's guest joins us from Bonn, Germany — and from the far side of the clock, where it's 2 a.m. local time! Lars Lowinski is a seasoned meteorologist with international experience spanning Europe and New Zealand. He now works with WetterOnline, one of Europe's largest weather platforms, where he connects their U.S. business operations with German-based product development and training. He's also an avid storm chaser who's pursued Great Plains supercells and participated in the Hazardous Weather Testbed in Norman, Oklahoma. Lars has been a loyal WeatherBrains listener since 2008 — and we're thrilled to finally have him on the show! Thanks for joining us tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Is tornado season over? (02:30)
- Forecasting in the Southern Hemisphere and working with oil and gas industry (17:50)
- Compare/Contrast experiences in NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (20:00)
- Importance of doing a thorough hand analysis before utilizing model data when assimilating forecasts (21:00)
- Discussing the European Severe Storms Laboratory (23:00)
- Importance of working together internationally/globally when communicating severe weather risks (28:00)
- Breaking down barriers in the science of meteorology through simple human interaction (35:00)
- Approaches/challenges in weather messaging across different cultures and languages across the world (35:30)
- Looking back at Lars's storm chasing experiences (45:30)
- Discussion of deadly July 1916 Austria tornado and it's experiences lost in history due to World War One (55:00)
- European severe weather warning process vs U.S. severe weather warning process (57:45)
- Weather-aware subculture in the United States (01:13:00)
- Rise of Digital Meteorologists (01:16:00)
- NWS budget update/analysis (01:29:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1015:
Lars Lowinski Photography
Picks of the Week:
Lars Lowinski - Monster HP supercell in France (06/13/2025)
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Three feet of rain in Tulsa, OK since January 1st/Wettest April 1-June 30 on record in Tulsa (Back to 1931)
Jen Narramore - Lightning strike injures 2 at Northland HS soccer field in Columbus
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Earth's Clouds on the Move
John Gordon - Kyle J Gillett on X: Panhandle, TX boundary collision
John Gordon - Ronca-HohnWx on X: Memphis, TN boundary collision
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - June 28th, 2025 Deuel County, South Dakota tornado
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show features an assortment of guests as we take a deep-dive into the National Weather Association - what it is, and why it matters. In addition, we examine how the NWA is evolving in its 50th year. We will talk about the NWA Road Map, the critical role of the NWA seals (both broadcast and digital), the power of professional service and volunteering, and the future of trusted weather communication in a changing media environment.
James Jessel is a friend of the podcast and works with Guest Booking Officer Bill Murray. He works for Pinnacle Communications Corporation as National Account Manager and joins us tonight as Guest Panelist. James, it is good to see you!
Becca Mazur is the 2025 President of the National Weather Association. She's been active with the organization since 2014. She works in Anchorage, Alaska, where she specializes in integrating new science, forecast methods and tools/operational forecasting. She holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and Colorado State University.
We are also honored to be joined tonight by Matt Beitscher, who is one of the lead meteorologists with the NWS in St. Louis. He is the Commissioner of Committees for the NWA. Matt, it's great to have you join us tonight!
Kendra Kent also joins the gang tonight for our discussion and is the Chief Meteorologist Fox Carolina News in Greenville, South Carolina. She is a long-time NWA seal holder and Emmy nominee. She was named the 2024 South Carolina Weathercaster of the Year. She's also known for her community service and animal rescue work. It's an honor to have you join us tonight, Kendra.
Last but certainly not least in order of their appearance, Isaac Williams joins us from WANF-TV in Atlanta Georgia where he is a broadcast on-air meteorologist. He was formerly the Chief Meteorologist at WCBI-TV in Columbus, Mississippi. He's also an instructor at Mississippi State and is currently pursuing his PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Science from Mississippi State. Thanks for joining us, Isaac!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Memorable New England tropical systems this millennium (25:30)
- December 16th, 2000 Tuscaloosa tornado (29:00)
- Becca Mazur's most rewarding projects in meteorology (33:00)
- Notable professional challenges in meteorology (36:00)
- Difficulties of time management in a fast paced/digital world (39:30)
- Dr. George Fischbeck's legacy and passion for weather and its impact on James Jessel (46:10)
- How did James Spann get into the NWA/History of the NWA? (01:06:45)
- Preparations for 50th Anniversary/Huntsville NWA meeting September 6th-10th 2025 (01:09:00)
- "A Brave New World" topic of discussion at NWA meeting (01:14:00)
- The RON (Research Operation Nexus) (01:18:00)
- Creation of the NWA Digital Seal/Bill Murray's inaugural Seal (01:21:30)
- NWA Roadmap Initiative (01:31:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:24)
- E-Mail Segment (01:35:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1014:
2025 Annual Meeting in Huntsville, AL - National Weather Association
National Weather Association on X
Isaac Williams on X
Matt Beitscher on X
Kendra Kent on X
Picks of the Week:
Becca Mazur - Terrifying video of the deadly Enderlin, ND tornado
James Aydelott - My Perfect Weather
Jen Narramore - Cass County Sheriff’s Office identifies victims in deadly Enderlin tornado
Jen Narramore - Tornado kills three in upstate NY, including twin sisters
Rick Smith - Automated Data Plotter
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - MetLink - Royal Meteorological Society Local Winds
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Brian Emfinger on X: Site of deadly tornado from east of Enderlin, ND
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the creator of Durango Weather Guy Hyper Local Weather Blog that is an essential forecasting source for the residents of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. He's a former investment banker turned real estate agent and he taught himself meteorology. He now delivers deeply personalized forecasts to nearly the entire population of Durango, Colorado. Jeff Givens, welcome to WeatherBrains!
- Difficulties of predicting microclimates (14:15)
- Notable Iowa tornadoes (19:30)
- Creation of Durango Snow Lovers page (22:00)
- Forecast challenges in the San Juan Mountains (33:55)
- Changing snow patterns over the last few decades (37:30)
- Jeff Givens most memorable forecasts (44:30)
- Small town attachment to weather personalities (47:50)
- Veterans Day 1911 record high and low temperatures (01:17:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1013:
Midland Weather Radio
Durango Weather Guy Blog
Durango Snow Lovers on Facebook
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Drumright, OK F4 Tornado - June 8, 1974 - Tornado Talk
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Trailblazing Oklahoma TV meteorologist Gary England dies at 85
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - Out
Bill Murray - Gary England on WeatherBrains 745
James Spann - Gary England's on WeatherBrains 443
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the rising stars in the new wave of digital storm coverage. His livestreams have gained national attention for their accuracy, clarity, and his calm demeanor under pressure. He's part of a growing cadre of content creators that are changing how people experience severe weather in real time. He also recently graduated with a degree in Meteorology. Max Velocity, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Also joining us is show regular and Birmingham NWS Science and Operations Officer Kevin Laws. He brings extensive experience in the field and has an impeccable track record of keeping the public safe and informed when dangerous weather threatens. Kevin, welcome back to the show!
Friend of the podcast Ben Luna from Tennessee Valley Weather also joins us as Guest Panelist # 2 and participates in the discussion concerning severe weather coverage and changing methods of communication. It's great to see you Ben!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Early history of Max Velocity's story (11:15)
- Challenges and philosophy for covering the entire country during severe weather (23:00)
- Differences of NWS Birmingham warning philosophy compared to other offices (24:45)
- QLCS warning inconsistency among offices across the country (26:45)
- Maintaining/sustaining energy and voice during long streams/severe weather events (30:30)
- Communicating information above and beyond what is available to the NWS (38:40)
- Local vs National coverage differences and tornado warning fatigue (40:45)
- Continuing issues/disconnect with the public and weather safety (01:02:30)
- Max Velocity's future and vision for the upcoming years (01:14:20)
- Regional differences in weather literacy (01:18:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:47)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:07)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1012:
Max Velocity on YouTube
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Max Velocity - 119 mph microburst NE of Midland, TX on 6/8/25
Kevin Laws - NWS: How to Avoid Getting Caught in a Rip Current
James Aydelott - James Aydelott Team Coverage photo
James Aydelott - Tornado Warnings by NWS office so far in 2025
Jen Narramore - KAKE original: Echoes of the Storm
Rick Smith - New high-speed camera captures hail in free fall to improve public safety
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Bipartisan bill aims to restore NWS ravaged by cuts
John Gordon - Iceberg Finder
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Caiden Dinkins photo of tornado damage to roof of KTXS 12 TV
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a show veteran and seasoned meteorologist known for cutting through the noise to clearly communicate impacts in a high-stakes environment. He has experience in digital media and corporate forecasting. His insights have earned praise from CEOs, traders and major media outlets like The New York Times and BBC. Matt Lanza, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Diving into Space City Weather (15:15)
- Takeaways from 2024's Hurricane Beryl (21:20)
- Long-term ramifications of staffing shortages at NOAA (31:30)
- Lanza article and NWS Jackson MS warning discussion (33:10)
- Unintentionally confusing the public when assimilating forecasts (44:20)
- Jackson, KY severe weather event (01:04:30)
- Max Velocity vs Ryan Hall severe weather coverage (01:10:25)
- Changing perspective in science communication (01:18:30)
- Job search mindset and tips to stand out with recruiters (01:23:45)
- Seasonal outlook discussion (01:33:06)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:36:52)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:39:18)
- E-Mail Segment (01:41:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1011:
Matt Lanza on X
Midland Weather Radio
Space City Weather
How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials
Picks of the Week:
Matt Lanza - WeatherTiger's Hurricane Watch Substack
Matt Lanza - Eye on the Tropics Substack
Matt Lanza - Balanced Weather Substack
James Aydelott - Footage of tornado in Jilin Province, China
Jen Narramore - Tornado experts share their perspectives on 1985 outbreak
Jen Narramore - Tornado experts share their perspectives on 1985 outbreak - Clip from WFMJ 11pm News
Rick Smith - CNN reporting NWS to hire 125 new staff
Troy Kimmel - WeatherStar 4000+
Kim Klockow-McClain - FEMA staff baffled after head said he was unaware of US hurricane season, sources say
John Gordon - The Cloud Appreciation Society
Bill Murray - "On warnings, communication, Monday morning quarterbacking, or how Ryan Hall won me over, y'all" by Matt Lanza
James Spann - Historical Hurricane Tracks
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an award winning journalist and author who runs the New England Historical Society. She's been sharing of New England's past since 2013. With a background in reporting, she brings history to life through the lenses of food, travel, scandal, immigration, and weather. She joins us to discuss their new book, “New England Weather: Historic Storms, Twisters, Floods, Droughts, Nor’easters, Hurricanes and Heat Waves.” The Landrigans explore how New England’s wild weather has influenced history and shaped communities—from killer hurricanes to brutal snowstorms to legendary heat waves. Leslie Landrigan, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Fetching aerial shots when needed after a severe weather episode (03:29)
- 1997 Jarrell, Texas tornado 28th anniversary (06:30)
- 1973 Centreville, AL tornado anniversary (9:40)
- Looking back at exceptional and extended New England 1965 drought (17:20)
- Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 (29:13)
- Importance of almanacs during Colonial era (39:09)
- Blizzard of 1978 (50:40)
- Maine Purple Fire Snowstorm of 1853 (01:03:32)
- 1953 Worcester MA tornado (01:09:00)
- 2011 Springfield MA EF3 tornado (01:15:40)
- Favorite weather folklores (01:26:00)
- Alabama tornado damage near Redstone Arsenal (01:33:30)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:42:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:34:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:50)
- E-Mail Segment (01:39:10)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1010:
"New England Weather: Historic storms, twisters, floods, droughts, nor'easters, hurricanes and heat waves" by Dan and Leslie Landigran
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - 2015 Keyhole Canyon Utah Flash Flood Tragedy
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: "Lightning strikes! In the sun, away from the rain"
Jen Narramore - Tornado Talk: Springfield, MA EF3 tornado - June 1st, 2011
Rick Smith - Documenting and explaining a heat burst
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Climatic Change and Witch-hunting: the Impact of the Little Ice Age on Mentalities
John Gordon - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Geology from the University of Alabama, where he specializes in synoptic climatology, which focuses on the intersection of weather, risk, perception and public response. His research focuses on how people interpret severe weather messaging; especially tornadoes and hurricanes. He's also a key contributor to projects on warning communication. Dr. Jason Senkbeil, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's First Guest Panelist is a WeatherBrains regular and is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS office in Birmingham. Kevin Laws, it's always good to see you!
Tonight's Second Guest Panelist is the Director of the NWS Operations Proving Ground. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Geography at Arizona State University. JJ Brost, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Baseball sized hail near Bowling Green (06:28)
- Weather literacy in the U. S. Southeast (09:28)
- Factors in geography in risk perception (10:41)
- Path direction of tornadoes (17:15)
- General public's lack of geographic awareness and its long-term effects (18:40)
- NWS BMX leads the Nation in FAR and POD (20:55)
- Two Dimensional map space vs Three Dimensional world space (27:50)
- General public interpreting text from a NWS warning polygon (35:20)
- Literacy issues with audiences when distributing a weather forecast (40:30)
- What does an Enhanced severe risk mean and why is it so difficult to forecast? (01:03:00)
- Improving consistency with different NWS offices as DMAs dissolve (01:28:30)
- Parking under overpasses (01:53:00)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (Out this week)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:43)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:41:01)
- E-Mail Segment (01:42:38)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1009:
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Jason Senkbeil - "Geographical constraints on rapid comprehension of tornado warning information" by Dr. Jason Senkbeil
Kevin Laws - NWS Heat Safety Risk Program
Bruce Jones - Out
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Victims of Kentucky's recent severe thunderstorms/tornadoes
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - KAKE News on X: News Coverage
Kim Klockow-McClain - Are Smartphones Creating A Loss of Spatial Awareness In Children?
John Gordon - The man who's blindness, deafness, and baldness was cured by lightning
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Aaron Brackett on X: Lightning strikes a Newcastle, OK police cruiser
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's episode is a homegrown show discussing a wide range of topics. Notably, the panel discusses resume-building and interview skills in a changing world, the controversial topic of non-NWS issued watches and warnings, and so much more. As always, our show is all about YOU. Thanks for listening!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Mississippi flash flooding due to persistent upper low (06:00)
- Relationship between improved physical health and improved cognitive health (10:30)
- Importance of following your passion in life and in your career (18:30)
- Do you want to work for the NWS? (19:45)
- Gift of perseverance and owning up to your mistakes, and learning from them (24:30)
- Critical importance of diversification in the weather enterprise (30:20)
- GIS is IN! (31:20)
- Write an attention-grabbing resume to stand out (37:00)
- Is it appropriate for a meteorologist or weather entertainer to issue their own watches and warnings? (46:30)
- Issues with FAR (False Alarm Ratio) in the weather enterprise (01:12:00)
- Lightning is frightening (01:25:55)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:31:33)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:42)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:00 )
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:55)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1008:
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - FAWN - Florida Automated Weather Network
James Aydelott - JWISHstory: 1965 Palm Sunday tornado broadcast
Jen Narramore - Ohio Roots Podcast
Rick Smith - OUT
Troy Kimmel - FOGHORN
Kim Klockow-McClain - NSF Unidata Pause in Most Operations
John Gordon - Quantitative intensity forecasts to Spc mesoscale convective discussion text and graphics
Bill Murray - FOGHORN
James Spann - James Spann: ‘Hold off on the rage’ when he says Gulf of Mexico this hurricane season
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is author and researcher Kati Wylie Ray. Tonight we learn about and discuss the devastating F4 tornado that struck Poplar Bluff, Missouri on May 9th, 1927. She's been on the Board of the Poplar Bluff Museum since 2001, and has been involved with the Butler County Historical Society since 1999. She started researching the people who died in this tornado in 2017 and has written a book about the event. Kati, welcome to the show!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Memorial for Poplar Bluff MO 1927 tornado (08:30)
- 98th anniversary of 1927 Poplar Bluff MO tornado (12:45)
- Tornado distance and path it took through Poplar Bluff (31:00)
- Opening windows and pressure equalization fallacy when preparing for an imminent tornado (36:50)
- Artifact collection from the tornado (50:45)
- Origins of funding to rebuild Poplar Bluff after the tornado (57:00)
- Differences in how fast news was spread and the mechanisms in the 1920s compared to today (59:20)
- Origins of the National Weather Service (01:03:00)
- May 5, 1933 Helena Alabama tornado (01:09:00)
- Emergency medicine in the 1920s (01:10:00)
- Mass exodus at the NWS (01:30:30)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:42:25)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:40)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:19:35)
- E-Mail Segment (01:21:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1007:
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Kati Wylie Ray - "Poplar Bluff Tornado: May 9, 1927" by Kati Wylie Ray
Kati Wylie Ray - Poplar Bluff History Museum
Bruce Jones - Flightradar24 App for iOS and Android
James Aydelott - West Texas Mesonet on X: Seymour 3NW gusted to 106 mph
James Aydelott - Dual Pol Images of the 5/3/99 Moore F5 Tornado
Jen Narramore - May 31st, 1985 Great Lakes Tornado Outbreak - Tornado Talk
Rick Smith - National Weather Service forecasting is more crippled than previously thought as hurricane season nears
Troy Kimmel - Amid Oklahoma tornado season, scientists warn NOAA cuts could impact forecasting, public safety
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - National Weather Service Space Prediction Center: Coronagraph
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - National Weather Service on guard after threats to weather radars from militarized conspiracy theorist group
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has a 25-year history in aviation. He is an experienced skydiver with over 700 jumps, a fixed-wing pilot with a seaplane rating, and a commercial hot air balloon pilot. His company, Champagne Sunrise, operates out of Meridian, Mississippi, and has safely taken hundreds of passengers on unforgettable balloon rides over the years. Beyond commercial operations, he uses Champagne Sunrise for community outreach, including delivering letters to the North Pole for Santa with local schools and donating tethered balloon rides to the local children’s museum. During the week, he serves as the General Manager of Peavey Electronics, one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional audio equipment in the world, with sales in over 136 countries. Additionally, he is a Board Member of the Balloon Federation of America (BFA). Fred Poole, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Conditional severe weather threat in Nation's Heartland (01:00)
- Potential issues for severe thunderstorms on May 1st (04:30)
- Differences between base jumping vs sky diving (11:30)
- Base level weather knowledge needed for hot air balloon piloting (20:30)
- What it is like to ride in seaplanes (29:50)
- Utilizing Windy.com in aviation and hot air balloon piloting (34:30)
- Balloon chasing before the days of GPS (44:30)
- Hot air balloon designs/artwork/decorations (49:45)
- Fabric/materials used in hot air balloons (51:30)
- On-site weather operations/protocol for hot air balloon festivals (53:00)
- Hot air balloon safety precautions (58:15)
- Typical hot air balloon clientele and standard flight preparation (01:03:07)
- Hot air balloon instrumentation (01:06:30)
- Unique rides (01:15:00)
- Balloon Federation of America (01:17:30)
- Communication and radio equipment (01:21:45)
- Saint Louis University loses meteorology program (01:30:00)
- Importance of past analogs of severe weather events for assimilating public forecasts (01:31:00)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:33:25)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:15)
- E-Mail Segment (01:27:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1006:
Midland Weather Radio
Champagne Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Rides
Picks of the Week:
Fred Poole - Windy.com
Bruce Jones - La Plata Maryland April 28, 2002 Tornado Outbreak paper by Tim Marshall
James Aydelott - Image of QLCS TDS in western Wisconsin/a>
Jen Narramore - OTUS Project on X: NE Tornado Photo
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
John Gordon - VWP Display and Calculations - VMP Paper by Jared Guyer and John Hart
John Gordon - Vertical Wind Profile SAT
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Using lightning to monitor the extreme impacts of landfalling hurricanes -NSSL News
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an Associate Professor at Villanova University, specializing in severe weather risks, societal impacts and hazard mitigation. His research focuses on tornado and lightning exposure at large outdoor gatherings. In addition, it focuses on urbanization effects on disasters and improving public safety strategies. Dr. Stephen Strader, welcome back to WeatherBrains.
Brandon Skalniak is a senior emergency management major at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He is passionate about all things weather, having gained an interest in the field when he stumbled upon the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers in second grade. Brandon loves weather history, and cataloging the country's significant weather events on radar is his main hobby. Welcome to the show as tonight's Guest Panelist, Brandon!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Manufactured housing safety rules situation (17:00)
- National Manufactured Housing Database under construction (28:20)
- Secondary confirmation when warned with impending severe weather (45:00)
- Generalities on gender reaction to severe weather threats (48:30)
- Stopping flash flooding deaths and mitigating risk (53:40)
- Risk ranking metric developed by Dr. Strader (59:40)
- NASCAR lightning strike protocol (01:06:00)
- Tradeoffs when considering weather safety and proper procedure when in a warning (01:18:30)
- Further observations on tornado-related fatalities in mobile homes (01:23:00)
- Continued FAR in the industry and the fallout of these problems (01:25:00)
- Average lead-time of severe weather warnings (0 1:25:30)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:45:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:14)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:40)
- E-Mail Segment (01:31:55)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1005:
Midland Weather Radio
Brandon Skalniak on X
Picks of the Week:
Brandon Skalniak - Millersville AMS on X
Brandon Skalniak - Millersville AMS on Instagram
Bruce Jones - William Abner Eddy background
James Aydelott - Doppler radar view of Madill Oklahoma tornado
Jen Narramore - Deep Dive into Florida's Largest Tornado Outbreak - Hurricane Milton
Rick Smith - Pat Hyland, CCM: Durant radar view of Madill Oklahoma tornado
Troy Kimmel - US Weather Analysis Sites Restored After Funding Lapse
Kim Klockow-McClain - Trump Administration Restores Funding for Critical Weather Data Centers
John Gordon - A methodology for forecasting, heavy convection precipitation and flash flooding
John Gordon - Comparison of the meteorological aspects of the Big Thompson and the Rapid City Flash Floods
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Storm Chase Archive
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and Weather Communications Coach whose mission is to keep communities safe and help people live better lives through effective, viewer-focused weather communication. A four-time Emmy winner, Tim brings decades of major-market experience and was among the first in the nation to incorporate augmented reality into daily forecasts. Tim Heller, welcome back to WeatherBrains!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Significant severe thunderstorm activity in West Virginia (01:10)
- Lack of relevant online weather content by local TV stations (08:00)
- Tech early adopters and its influence on the field (15:00)
- Death of newspapers and other products of a bygone era (17:10)
- Issues with corporate meddling in local meteorologist televised forecasts (25:50)
- How technical should a TV meteorologist be when giving a public forecast? (31:00)
- Emotional toll of weather-related trauma (44:15)
- Four key lessons that broadcast meteorologists need to UNLEARN! (48:00)
- Earning social media followers and how it has changed the business (50:30)
- Difficulty communicating certainty and timing for winter weather events (01:06:15)
- Emerging prevalence of AI in the weather community (01:10:00)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:26:10)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:31:40)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:33:48)
- E-Mail Segment (01:34:50)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1004:
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Tim Heller - TV Weather Talent Coaching and Training - HellerWeather
Bruce Jones - Weather maps from the night the Titanic sank
James Aydelott - James Aydlott on Facebook: Blinded by extreme glare this PM?
Jen Narramore - Ryan Hoke on X: Inside an EF3 tornado in Jeffersontown, KY last week
Jen Narramore - Carried by hurricane waves, these tortoises were swept to Florida’s Fort De Soto
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Weather station chief punished for drunk observations at Okinawa's Ishigaki airport
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
John Gordon - NOAA National Water Prediction Service
John Gordon - April 1-6, 2025 Severe Weather and Flooding
Bill Murray - Brandon Skalniak's Tornado Radar Museum
James Spann - Extended Range Severe Weather Environment Forecasts
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a prolific author and Southern preparedness expert who has written over 75 novels that blend gripping survival scenarios with real world lessons drawn from his professional training in emergency management. His work spans everything from tornadoes and hurricanes to grid-down solar flare events. His storytelling offers a uniquely grounded, Southern approach to self-reliance and resilience. Ron Foster, welcome!
Tonight's Guest Panelist is Jared Rennie, research meteorologist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in North Carolina. He's an AMS-certified consulting meteorologist who is passionate about data, accessibility, climate services and applying new technologies like AI and machine learning in the world of meteorology.
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Cataclysmic flooding in Mid-South (02:30)
- Meteorologist fatigue after multiple day events (03:00)
- Senatobia, Mississippi tornado last week (06:30)
- What is a disaster-prepper? (18:30)
- Prepper starter kit for beginners (20:00)
- How to purify water during a disaster (25:30)
- Living through 1979's Hurricane Frederic (34:15)
- Different perceptions of severe weather in the South compared to other regions (40:15)
- Internet dependency and society vulnerability (50:00)
- Carrington level solar events and appropriate reaction (01:02:00)
- Recommended basic survival kit (01:11:30)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:34:42)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:45)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:50)
- E-Mail Segment (01:20:25)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1003:
Midland Weather Radio
Prepper Fiction Survival: Your Source for Prepper Fiction
Ron Foster on Amazon
Jared Rennie on X
Picks of the Week:
Jared Rennie - Jared Rennie on GitHub
Jared Rennie - CBS News on YouTube: How a small North Carolina town is recovering six months after Hurricane Helene
Bruce Jones - Gainesville, GA/Cooper Pants Factory tornado on April 6, 1936
James Aydelott - Amish speedy repairs mentioned in NOAA Storm Survey
Jen Narramore - Poplar Bluff History Museum
Rick Smith - Balanced Weather on Substack
Troy Kimmel - WFAA Y'all-itics
Kim Klockow-McClain - KY family goes viral for burying van as storm shelter. ‘Country boys can survive’
Kim Klockow-McClain - ‘Get rid of the whole thing’: After Stitt ousts Mark Goeller, Forestry Services comment irks #okleg
John Gordon - USGS Volcanoes on X: Mount St. Helens prank by WNAC-TV
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite now operational, providing critical new data to forecasters
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a fast-rising YouTube creator known for her deeply researched and emotionally resonant documentaries on high-end tornadoes. Her channel goes beyond the radar and statistics in order to tell the human stories behind these devastating events. Born and raised in East Tennessee, she combines strong narrative skills with a unique interest in global severe weather, particularly in undeserved regions like India and China. Her work bridges science communication and empathy in a way that resonates with a new generation of weather enthusiasts. Carly Anna, welcome to the show!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Record highs in the South later this week? (01:55)
- QLCS tornado hits Dothan, AL school (04:45)
- Origins of Carly Anna YouTube channel (15:25)
- 1997 Jarrell, Texas F5 tornado (17:00)
- Relationship between slow-moving weaker tornadoes and fast-moving tornadoes (31:50)
- Antecedent conditions prior to natural disasters (38:00)
- March 15th 2025 tornado in Plantersville (46:00)
- Recovering after tragic circumstances and providing the right answers (50:00)
- Average False Alarm Ratio (FAR) characterizations/solutions (56:30)
- Difficulties with QLCS tornadoes in less predictable environments (01:06:00)
- Inspiring future weather communicators/creators (01:14:00)
- Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:20:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:58)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1002:
Midland Weather Radio
Carly Anna Weather on X
Carly Anna Weather on YouTube
Two Storms Apparel
Picks of the Week:
Carly Anna - Record breaking pollen count reported in Atlanta today
Bruce Jones - 3/31/23 Tornado Outbreak
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "Left-split anti-cyclonic mesocyclone (clockwise rotation) has a very large hail threat moving NNE into Mustang"
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Wisconsin 123F High Temp Error
Kim Klockow-McClain - Mark Goeller post on Facebook over recent fire weather and damage in Oklahoma
John Gordon - Weather History on X
Bill Murray - National Disaster Survey Report: "Hurricane Eloise: The Gulf Coast"
James Spann - James Spann on X: Tornado as seen from Dothan Regional Airport earlier this afternoon near Dale/Henry county line
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the most respected voices in the field of broadcast meteorology. He celebrated his 45th anniversary with WGN-TV in August 2023, and officially retired from WGN-TV at the end of February 2024. Tom Skilling, it's great to see you tonight!
Meteorologist and Former Director of NWS (2013-2022) Louis Uccellini also joins us tonight as a Guest Panelist. He was also director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and served as the Permanent Representative of the United States for the World Meteorological Organization. Thanks for joining us tonight, Louis!
Joining us as Guest Panelist is a brilliant researcher and recently tenured Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment at Northern Illinois University. His research umbrella covers a wide range of topics related to severe weather, particularly the relationship between severe convective storms and climate change by utilizing dynamical downscaling. Dr. Victor Gencini, welcome to the show!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- New Panelist Introduction (05:15)
- 1990 Plainfield tornado tragedy (18:00)
- Lack of feasibility to privatize government warning systems for severe weather (25:00)
- Writing on the wall with budget cuts/staffing reductions and concerns for working in Government Sector/NOAA (41:00)
- Losing younger scientists to the private sector (55:45)
- November 17th, 2013 Washington, Illinois Tornado (01:00:30)
- Long-term budget concerns (01:05:00)
- Importance of not losing upper-air data when assimilating a public forecast (01:08:00)
- Development of global radiosonde network (01:20:00)
- Final thoughts on uncertain times in the industry (02:01:00)
- Inexpensive cost to taxpayers for NOAA's forecasts and services (01:53:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:54:57)
- E-Mail Segment
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1001:
Midland Weather Radio
Victor Gensini, PhD, CCM on X
Tom Skilling on X
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Foghorn
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "Twisters" Sequel?
Jen Narramore - Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center
Rick Smith - 2024 Severe Weather Year In Review
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
John Gordon - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - NSSL Severe Convection and Climate Research
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's WeatherBrains is a celebration. Nineteen years and 1000 shows! We are looking back on our journey and celebrating all of these years together, and we wouldn't be a podcast without our most important asset - our listeners! Tune in for this is a one-of-a-kind episode. We are also excited to announce our new permanent Panelist, meteorologist John Gordon! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Montage of David Black's work on early WxBrains episodes (05:10)
- Happy 1000th Episode Greetings (09:45)
- Dancing With the Stats: Most Guest Appearances (12:45)
- Favorite Clips From Listeners (14:30)
- First Ever WeatherBrains 101 with Professor Peters (36:26)
- Former Panelist Kevin Selle Congrats (40:15)
- Marshall Shepherd Congrats (41:50)
- Favorite Panelist Guests (49:30)
- Tom Skilling Guest Appearance Recording (59:00)
- Thanking meteorologist Bob Baron (01:12:00)
- Looking back at Nov. 15th, 1989 F4 Huntsville tornado (01:12:45)
- NWS Birmingham Congratulates WeatherBrains on milestone (01:24:50)
- Remembering J. B. Elliott (01:31:00)
- Bruce Jones with Midland Weather Radio shoutout for show 1000! (01:49:50)
- Looking back at difficult/eye-opening subject matter (01:53:50)
- Meteorologist Ginger Zee Congrats Video (02:07:30)
- John Gordon introduced as new WeatherBrains Panelist (02:11:50)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (02:07:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1000:
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
James Aydelott - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
Jen Narramore - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
Rick Smith -Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
John Gordon - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
Bill Murray - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
James Spann - Foghorn (Just For This Week!)
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist at Bluewater Forecasting in Montgomery, Alabama. He's got almost five decades of experience in the field, and formerly served as the Chief Meteorologist at WSFA-TV in Montgomery for 34 years, before transitioning to radio. Rich Thomas, welcome to WeatherBrains! Brooks Garner of FOX 35 TV in Orlando also stops by to discuss the tornado that made a direct hit on their studios on March 10th, where he covered the tornado live on air and warned his viewers, and in this case, his co-workers! Brooks, thanks for hanging out with us. Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tornado hits FOX 35 TV studio in Orlando (06:30)
- Strong unexpected tornado hits Orlando in area that wasn't outlooked/forecasted for severe weather (12:00)
- Disc jockey/radio, and improving communication skills in order to transition to broadcast meteorology (25:45)
- Looking back at April 3-4, 1974 tornado outbreak (32:00)
- Major changes in broadcast television in the last 35 years (38:00)
- March 1st, 2007 Enterprise tornado analysis/When do we send children home from school during severe weather threats? (45:00)
- 4/27/2011 modeling analysis/Morning QLCS (47:00)
- Looking back at 2004 Hurricane Ivan's second landfall on Gulf Coast with same name (58:30)
- A day in the life of Rich Thomas (01:00:30)
- NWS layoff rumors (01:35:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:15:40)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:20:15)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 999:
Midland Weather Radio
Rich Thomas on X
Rich Thomas Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - "The New Richmond tornado of 1899: A modern Herculaneum" by Anna P Medley and Michael G Corenthal
James Aydelott - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the “Drought” of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States" by Anthony W. Lyza, Harold E. Brooks, and Makenzie J. Krocak
Jen Narramore - Tornado Hits Fox 35 Orlando on X
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Everything Weather App by Cory Mottice
Kim Klockow-McClain - Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak of February 5-6, 2008
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - National Hurricane Center Products and Services/Update for 2025 Hurricane Season
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a retired meteorologist with thirty-five years of experience at the NWS. That includes twenty-six years as a SOO, and he's been a leader with forecaster training, mesoscale analysis and radar interpretation, which helps NWS offices improve proving warning decision-making and lead times for severe weather hazards. Pete Wolf, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Critical Fire Danger for several areas around the country (05:15)
- Petersburg, VA F4 tornado/outbreak on August 6th, 1993 (9:45)
- Key changes seen with Doppler radar/Warning systems since the early 1990s (13:45)
- WoFS (Warn on Forecast System) (15:25)
- Appreciating the important tools of hodographs and soundings (18:00)
- SW Oklahoma sounding analysis (Live on 03/03/25) (21:15)
- Reconciling SRH in QLCS situations (28:00)
- Tools needed to downscale warnings (43:15)
- No relation between VIL (Vertically Integrated Liquid) and tornado formation (56:15)
- Least-understood radar signatures by meteorologists (01:09:00)
- Improving efficiency of operations in the NWS (01:13:30)
- AI-generated weather broadcasters and battling automation (01:20:00)
- NOAA banned from having its own app (01:29:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:22)
- E-Mail Segment (01:37:00)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 998:
Midland Weather Radio
My Monster Storms/Pete Wolf on X
Monster Storms Main Page
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - "But Wait ... There's More!: Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen Sink"
James Aydelott - Forecast Sounding From SWOK
Jen Narramore - NWS Louisville on X: Final Forecast Discussion from Meteorologist in Charge John Gordon
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Roswell, NW extreme winds
Kim Klockow-McClain - SPC Severe Thunderstorm Forecasting Video Lecture Series
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Director of NWS Louisville retires after nearly four decades
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a retired Lead Forecaster for the Storm Prediction Center with nearly four decades of Federal service, specializing in severe convective storms and tornado forecasting. He's a passionate storm chaser, researcher, and an advocate for weather safety. He co-founded the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology and remains an influencial voice in meteorology. Roger Edwards, it is great to see you!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Roger's arrival at OU and opening horizons in meteorology (20:30)
- Connections between operations, research, and visual conceptualization (34:00)
- Importance of critical thinking in the science (35:00)
- Importance of growing, building, and passing on knowledge gained in the field of meteorology (40:30)
- Witnessing rapid progress of technology and applying that to visuals in the field (41:50)
- Trade-offs between improving technology and what it can show us and lead to development of theory (49:00)
- May 4, 2003 High Risk (01:01:00)
- Mesonets and scan strategies (01:05:00)
- Storm chaser responsibilities (01:12:00)
- Reduced funding and its impact on severe weather forecasting and research (01:17:00)
- Loss of institutional knowledge and looking forward (01:23:00)
- Memorable shifts at SPC (01:36:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:38:19)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:40:15)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 997:
Midland Weather Radio
Roger Edwards on X
Picks of the Week:
Roger Edwards - Al Moller - "The Zen of Weather Forecasting"
James Aydelott - Pro tip: Gravity is a cruel hunter When there is a bare, wind-swept spot with no snow, it might be polished ice.
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Jamposium 2025
Troy Kimmel - Experimental Beach Forecast Webpage
Kim Klockow-McClain - Federal agencies can ignore "What did you do last week?" email, Trump administration says
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Planetary Defense
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a seasoned broadcast meteorologist and weather anchor at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for weather to his viewers daily. His forecasting career has spanned nearly 30 years, taking him from the hurricanes of south Texas to the lake effect snows of Michigan, the tornadoes of the Ohio valley and yes, the hard to predict weather of the Pacific Northwest. Rod grew up in Missouri and graduated from Mizzou. He later earned his certificate of broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State. Soon after, Rod earned the seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. He later served on the NWA certification board for more than five years. Rod Hill, it's great to see you and thanks for joining us!
Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives. Welcome back, Bruce!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Figuring out the puzzle as a synoptic weather forecaster (18:30)
- Advice for TV meteorologists with job security concerns (25:30)
- Uncertainty for the future in operational meteorology (28:00)
- Where will traditional television stations be a decade from now? (37:00)
- Current morale and level of fear and uncertainty in the NWS offices (53:00)
- Complexities of Pacific Northwest weather (01:02:30)
- Social media strategies (01:09:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:03)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:19:50)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 996:
Midland Weather Radio
Portland Weather - Rod Hill on YouTube
Portland Weather
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Mount Washington Observatory records more than 160 mph wind gusts
James Aydelott - Okie J's snowshoes on Facebook
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - NOAA: Meeting the Moment
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Pillow Shaker for Weather and Emergency Radios - SHKR100
Bill Murray - Natural Disaster Survey Report - Mississippi Delta Tornadoes of February 21, 1971
James Spann - New Study Exposes Gap in TV Station Online Weather Coverage Strategy
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an Atmospheric Scientist and a Research Meteorologist and Managing Director of the FARM (Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets). With a passion for fieldwork, she's collected data from over 100 tornadoes and 9 hurricanes. Karen Kosiba, thanks for joining us.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Active weather pattern ahead for Southeast (01:45)
- Increasing attention on hail production (19:00)
- The importance of field research for the emerging generation (20:30)
- Vortex 2 Project (24:30)
- Steps forward in understanding tornadogenesis (27:00)
- Next big steps in the warning process (41:00)
- Significance of cold pools (01:04:45)
- Real time upper air data in the future? (01:06:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:13:42)
- E-Mail Segment (01:15:20)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 995:
Karen Kosiba
FARM: Home
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Close call for ice in Tulsa
Jen Narramore - Morgan County, TN EF-2 damage drone footage
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - The Propagation, Evolution, and Rotation in Linear Storms (PERiLS) Project
Troy Kimmel - NWS Weather Forecast Offices
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - James Spann WO4W: The Future of Severe Weather Communications | Rocket City Weather Fest 2025
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Angela Mason, author of Death Rides The Sky, The Story Of The 1925 Tri-State Tornado, is our guest this week! Next month is the 100th anniversary of the deadly tornado that killed almost 700 people.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a storm chaser, and is the driver and equipment technician for storm chaser Brett Adair. He has over twelve years of experience, and he's chased 22 tornadoes and 9 hurricanes across 39 states. He's a Pell City, AL native. Heath Lollar, welcome to the show!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a WeatherBrains veteran and the founder of Girls Who Chase, a movement empowering women in storm chasing. A self taught chaser and forecaster, she has been chasing since 2018. Jen Walton, thanks for joining us!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- January snow on the beach (01:30)
- Close to 8 inches of snow fell on New Orleans on Jan 21st (05:30)
- Rating a tornado based on wind speed/Explaining EF-Scale (19:00)
- Learning lessons from getting too close when storm chasing (35:00)
- Dealing with devastating/violent scenes when storm chasing (36:30)
- Pets and other animals after destructive tornadoes (51:00)
- Psychological shock/Acute stress reaction for extended periods after a violent severe weather event (01:04:00)
- Girls Who Chase and what they stands for (01:07:50)
- Going through phases in storm chasing (01:30:45)
- Storm chasing ethics (01:45:10)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:43)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 993:
Girls Who Chase
Picks of the Week:
Jen Walton - Fire tornadoes a risk under California extreme wildfire conditions
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "It's an oldie, but a reminder...Spring is just around the corner"
Jen Narramore - Ohio Genealogical Society
Rick Smith - SPC Mesoscale Discussion 36/Western North Florida
Neil Jacobs - Foghorn
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the "Drought" of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States
Bill Murray - NOAA Snowfall Extremes
James Spann - Gulf Shores, Alabama 01/22/2025 Snow on the beach just before sunrise
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
It's a somber episode tonight as we look back on the life and legacy of a legend in the field of meteorology, Dr. Chuck Doswell. We look back at Dr. Doswell's career and his impact on the science today. Our Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Scientist in the Forecast Research and Development Division at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and a prior veteran of the show. Dr Harold Brooks, welcome to the show.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Remembering Dr. Doswell (03:30)
- Multiple layoffs in TV meteorology and looking forward from here (09:27)
- Changing business model in modern radio (21:00)
- The Early Life of Dr. Doswell (30:00)
- How Dr. Doswell elevated the field of meteorology (42:00)
- Looking back at a 2009 WeatherBrains appearance (01:02:25)
- What is the role of a human being in forecasting? (01:09:00)
- Riding the coattails of past generations in this science (01:24:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No Segment This Week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:48)
- E-Mail Segment (01:38:15)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:40:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 992:
Dr. Harold Brooks on X
Picks of the Week:
Harold Brooks - Flash Flood Forecasting: An Ingredients-Based Methodology
Harold Brooks - Case Analysis of a Historic Killer Tornado Event in Kansas On 10 June 1938
James Aydelott - Pet Peeves of Chuck Doswell
Jen Narramore - Foghorn
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - First-ever Meteorite Crash Caught On Camera With Sound In Canada
Kim Klockow-McClain - Dr. Doswell Remembrance (01:45:00)
Bill Murray - Chuck's Chatter
James Spann - WeatherBrains 509 - October 19th, 2015
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the great grand-niece of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the Vermont farmer who first photographed snowflakes. Sue Richardson, welcome to the show!
Wilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont. A farmer by trade, he attracted worldwide attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in his life long work with rain, dew and frost, was his extensive work with snowflakes. On January 15, 1885 he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. He would go on to photograph well over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two the same), and his documentation of this work advanced the study of meteorology in his time. His photomicrographs were acquired by institutes of higher learning all over the world and his writings on these subjects were published in many journals and magazines including Scientific American, National Geographic and The National Weather Service Research Journal. In November of 1931, his book “Snow Crystals” was published by McGraw/Hill and is still in print today. Shortly after, on December 23, 1931, Wilson Bentley died at the family farmhouse in Jericho where he lived his entire life. Because of his wonderful work with snow crystals, he became affectionately know as “Snowflake” Bentley.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- January 10th snowstorm totals (02:00)
- January 15, 1885: The world's first photograph of a snow crystal (10:30)
- Various shapes and sizes of snow dendrites (16:00)
- Comparisons/similarities to Dr. Ted Fujita (17:30)
- Snowflake Bentley's ice crystal analysis and perspective (41:00)
- Jericho Historical Society and exhibit (43:30)
- Collecting snowflakes and collecting "smiles" (50:30)
- Tricks of the trade in genealogy (53:30)
- AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans (01:10:00)
- Los Angeles fires (01:11:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:00:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:04:08)
- E-Mail Segment (01:05:55)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:18:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 991:
Jericho Historical Society
"The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley" by Duncan Blanchard
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - AIR7 maps out Altadena damage from Eaton Fire
James Aydelott - Eaton Fire Recovery Information
Jen Narramore - Snowflake Man Bio - Snowflake Bentley
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Watch Duty Wildfire Maps and Alerts
James Spann - AMS 2025 Hashtag #AMS2025
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain of Year 2025 is a Geologist with a passion for studying extreme weather-related surface impacts. His research primarily focuses on the geological aftermath of high-impact weather events. He's known for his field work and engaging video content. His unique perspective bridges the field of meteorology and geology. Phillip Prince, thanks for dropping by to chat.
Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, a position she has held since 2019. The WCM is the NWS's liaison with external customers and oversees outreach and preparedness efforts. Additionally, one of the primary responsibilities of the WCM is to ensure that the NWS office delivers the highest quality weather related products and services to its customers and partners. As a WCM, she also provides high impact weather briefings and supports key decision makers in local, state, and federal government. She has been in the NWS for 25 years, serving as a meteorologist in Little Rock, AR, Raleigh, NC, and Atlanta, GA, before moving to Upstate SC in 2015. She received her B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and her M.S. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University. Trisha Palmer, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Preliminary thoughts on upcoming winter storm late this week (11:00)
- Overview of post-Helene impacts (14:30)
- Old landslides as analogs to Helene-related impacts (39:00)
- Impacts on North and South Carolina tourism and the local economy (01:09:00)
- Failure of the imagination regarding post-Helene impacts (01:30:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:35:22)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:37:22)
- E-Mail Segment (01:39:30)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 990:
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC NWS
Picks of the Week:
Phillip Prince - North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Phillip Prince - Hurricane Helene Damage Assessment Imagery
Trisha Palmer - Flood Damage from the Great Flood of 1916 Asheville, NC
James Aydelott - City of Wichita snowplow tracking map
Jen Narramore - NWA Webinar Series: Hurricane Helene
Jen Narramore - Lawrence Police on X: Snow storms thread
Rick Smith - Summary of the Predecessor Rain Event prior to Hurricane Helene
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - NWA Webinar January 8th, 2025 on Hurricane Helene
James Spann - NCEP SREF Plume Viewer
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight is the annual tradition of the year-ender with recently-retired and former SPC meteorologist Greg Carbin. He was the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma. Since 1996, Greg has performed as a severe weather, fire weather, mesoscale, and lead forecaster at the SPC. Prior to starting his career with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1993, Greg worked in the private sector in New York and Vermont. He earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology from Lyndon State College in 1985 and has completed some graduate course work at the University of Oklahoma while an employee of the NWS. He is a 2011 graduate of the Department of Commerce’s Executive Leadership Development Program. As always, thanks for listening and good to see you Greg!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
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- Jan 10th-13th Winter Storm (13:30)
- Big Bend Hurricanes of 2024 (37:30)
- Hurricane Milton (44:00)
- Lack of high-impact weather events in Alabama in 2024 (01:03:00)
- Athens, Alabama 12/28/24 EF1 tornado (01:04:00)
- Dealing with the difficulties of overnight QLCS tornadoes (01:12:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:14)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:22:12)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 989:
Greg Carbin on X
Picks of the Week:
Greg Carbin - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
James Aydelott - Oklahoma Mesonoet on X: Extreme Graphics for 2024
Jen Narramore - Navarro County OEM on X
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Top 10 Strangest Weather Events of 2024
James Spann - Gage Goulding KPRC 2 on X: EF3 tornado video that tore through Montgomery County, Texas
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Seasoned WeatherBrains veteran Mark Sudduth AKA "The Hurricane Hunter" joins us again to look back on 2024's notable weather events. He is known for his work in tracking and documenting hurricanes. Sudduth has gained recognition for his storm chasing videos and his contributions to weather-related education and research, often sharing his findings and experiences through social media and online platforms. It's great to see you again, Mark.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Analysis of 2024 Solar Eclipse (19:30)
- Looking back at Hurricane Helene (24:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen
- E-Mail Segment
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 988:
Mark Sudduth on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Tornado Tracks Tool - MRCC
Jen Narramore - Snowflake Bentley
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - OU mourns the loss of Dr. Berrien Moore, a giant in meteorology
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Barry Butler Photography on X
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight is a home-grown show between our regulars. Sometimes it's nice to sit around the wooden mahogany table and have a chat. It's a lively discussion as usual, and we are glad you are here to join us for this week's all new episode of WeatherBrains.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Job interview tactics (14:00)
- Notable 2024 weather events (19:30)
- Very active year in Oklahoma for tornado activity (21:00)
- Looking back on the 2024 hurricane season (24:00)
- 2024 Space weather/Geomagnetic storms (32:30)
- New Jersey drone situation (38:00)
- Changing TV business (58:00)
- Conspiracy theory origins and fighting the spread of misinformation online (01:12:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:35)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:22)
- E-Mail Segment (01:33:00)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 987:
The Alabama Weather Blog
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - How Does the U.S. Public Get its Weather Forecasts?
Jen Narramore - Virtual Tornado Memorial Project
Rick Smith - 2024 Oklahoma Tornadoes
Neil Jacobs - 2025 Science Policy Colloquium
Troy Kimmel - Texas Storm Chasers on X: Severe storm over DFW Airport
Kim Klockow-McClain - Support the Houser Family's Fire Recovery
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Iconic Photo after F4 Tornado on December 16, 2000 in Tuscaloosa
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Research Associate at NOAA's NSSL. He was previously an Emergency Manager for almost a decade. He's also previously worked for Kansas State University and even briefly worked in city government. David Hogg, welcome to the show.
Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Program Lead for Warn-on-Forecast, a position created in 2020. Growing up in Oklahoma City sparked his passion for convective storms, and he attended the University of Oklahoma and worked as a student at NSSL where he helped improve algorithms that detect mesocyclones in thunderstorms using radar data. He also participated in several field programs, including the Sub-VORTEX outing on May 3, 1999. Patrick Burke, welcome to the show.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- NSSL's WoFS Forecast System (12:00)
- WSIS Movement/Weather and Society Integrated Studies (17:00)
- Value of Probability Information (46:00)
- Utilizing WoFS (01:01:00)
- How do TV meteorologists utilize WoFS (01:03:30)
- Who makes the decision to run WoFS, and on what days? (01:07:45)
- The dangers of manufactured housing during tornado events (01:16:00)
- Pre-convective initiation (01:19:15)
- Majority of Alabama still in drought conditions (01:37:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:35:22)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 986:
David Hogg on X
Picks of the Week:
David Hogg - Disaster Aid Programs For Farms
Patrick Burke - Egyptian Meteorological Authority
James Aydelott - Under Every Tombstone: Sherman Levine
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Universe Sandbox
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Google says AI weather model masters 15-day forecast
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a 3-time veteran of the show. He's a 1992 graduate of the University of Missouri, where he holds a Degree in Journalism and Atmospheric Science. He has served the National Weather Service in El Paso, Texas for over three decades. He's passionate about innovation and integrating web tools into weather service operations. He also co-developed the National School Outreach Team. Tim Brice, welcome back!
The second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Lubbock, Texas. She has over fourteen years of experience at the NWS and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. She's a former senior meteorologist at the NWS Atlanta, and is a key advocate for the NWS Buddy System. Marissa Pazos, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Our third Guest WeatherBrain began her NWS career as an intern, while she studied at Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. She served north Georgia for over twenty years, and has been the senior Service Hydrologist for the last six years. She directed her focus toward operational hydrology and hydroservices, and co-founded the NWS Buddy System in 2023. Laura Belanger, welcome to the show!
Last but certainly not least, our fourth Guest WeatherBrain is the co-Lead of the Tiger Team Task Force within the NWS Office of Organizational Excellence. She has over twenty years of experience in forecasting and leadership roles. She's a graduate of Iowa State University with Advanced Degrees in Management and Leadership. Lisa Schmit, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is the NWS Buddy System and how does it work? (13:00)
- Tiger Team Task Force/Approach (17:15)
- Limitations of vision in Broadcasting (26:30)
- Structural changes to accommodate life circumstances (40:30)
- The migration away from shift work (01:10:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:35)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:17)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:20)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 985:
NWS National School Outreach
Picks of the Week:
Tim Brice - Google Alerts
Laura Belanger - NWS Peachtree City GA - Drought Whiplash
Lisa Schmit - NWS Organizational Health Toolkit
Marissa Pazos - West Texas Mesonet
James Aydelott - Spann Statue Photoshop at Bryant- Denny
Jen Narramore - Coffee County GA/Damage from Hurricane Helene images
Rick Smith - Get your snow smarts on: 9 forecast tools you can use - NOAA
Neil Jacobs - When do iguanas fall from trees in Florida?
Troy Kimmel - GFA: Prog Chart - Aviation Weather Center
Kim Klockow-McClain - Chuck's Chatter
Bill Murray - An Uncertain Future Requires Uncertain Prediction Skills
James Spann - One of the Greatest Iron Bowl Games Had the Worst Weather of the Series
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is responsible for providing weather forecast and weather safety information to the OU Office of Emergency Preparedness before, during and after weather threats of all types on the OU Campus. He also provides support to the OU Executive Policy Group in severe and winter weather situations in order to facilitate campus protection and closure decisions. He develops and leads high-impact weather safety training on the OU campus for its over 30,000 students, faculty and staff, and for the over 40,000 pre-collegiate students that call OU home during summer sports and academic camps.
In addition, Kevin serves as Director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, one of the largest such Surveys in the country. OCS is charged with providing weather and climate data, analysis and expertise to stakeholders and decision makers throughout the state, and operates the Oklahoma Mesonet weather observing network. He also serves on the State of Oklahoma Hazard Mitigation Task Force. Dr Kevin Kloesel, thanks for joining us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Big event safety during severe weather (29:20)
- Distinction between fan injuries and player injuries (24:00)
- Dealing with severe weather during NASCAR/racing events (37:45)
- Lightning: Time, not distance (41:00)
- Hope Is Not A Plan (50:00)
- Practical advice for youth baseball parks (01:21:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:40)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:36)
- E-Mail Segment
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 984:
Dr. Kevin Klousel on X
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Kevin Kloesel - ANSI ES1.7 - 2021. Event Safety Requirements - Weather Preparedness
James Aydelott - Radar nerdy: Looks like a Da Brie signature
Jen Narramore - NWS Wilmington
Rick Smith - Atlantic hurricane season races to finish within range of predicted number of named storms
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Application Documents For Certification Fee Waiver Lottery
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Meteorologist In Charge at the NWS in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He's an Illinois native. Steve Piltz, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is an engineering professor at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Jamey Jacob, thanks for joining us tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Oklahoma pre-dawn QLCS tornado event (01:00)
- Dealing with surrounding aircraft/conflicts as PIC (Pilot in Command) of a drone (20:30)
- Proper protocol of ultralight aircraft nearby as a drone operator(23:00)
- How does ice form on drones? (37:30)
- When will we stop launching weather balloons? (45:50)
- ISARRA: International Society for Atmospheric Research using Remotely Piloted Aircraft (51:00)
- Developments in using drones in clouds (58:30)
- Difficulty of winter weather forecasting in low-latitudes (01:06:45)
- Real-time model output (01:10:20)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:15:35)
- E-Mail Segment
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 983:
Steve Piltz on X
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Jamey Jacob - Jacob researching solutions to turbulence in unmanned aerial systems
Steve Piltz - SondeHub Tracker
James Aydelott - Wettest all-time November in Tulsa weather records
Jen Narramore - Ryan Hall 24/7 live weather stream
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Tornadoes On This Date
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a long-time industry veteran and is currently the MIC at the NWS in Houston, TX where he's worked at that office for the last 10 years. Jeff Evans, it's great having you with us tonight.
Tonight's Guest Panelist has been an operational meteorologist for over 30 years and currently is the MIC at the NWS Louisville. He received a BS in Meteorology from St. Louis University in 1986 and a Masters in Teaching in Geoscience from Mississippi State in 2002. John Gordon, thanks for joining us!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Difficulty of messaging heat in Houston (10:45)
- Wet bulb globe temperature (16:00)
- Do Emergency Managers understand the extreme heat/cold threat? (32:30)
- Wellness checks for the elderly in a major heat event (37:00)
- Methods for counting heat-related fatalities (43:00)
- Important recent tech advancements in the field (01:10:45)
- November 3rd Oklahoma pre-dawn tornadoes (01:44:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:21:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:24:09)
- E-Mail Segment (01:26:00)
- National Weather Round-Up
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 982:
Jeff Evans on X
Picks of the Week:
Jeff Evans - Aviation Weather Center
John Gordon - "Significant Tornadoes: 1880-1989" by Thomas Grazulis
James Aydelott - The Great Blue Norther of November 11th, 1911
Jen Narramore - Sarah King on X: Halloween photo
Jen Narramore - Symposium on tornadoes: Assessment of knowledge and implications for man
Rick Smith - Automated Data Plotter
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Houston scientist who played pivotal role in leading team during extreme weather retiring
Kim Klockow-McClain - Influences of Space Weather Forecasting Uncertainty on Satellite Conjunction Assessment
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Remembering the 1989 Huntsville "Airport Road" Tornado
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the News Director at WBMA-TV (ABC 33/40) in Birmingham, AL. He's a Macon, GA native and a meteorologist-turned-journalist. He has a Degree in Atmospheric Science from UNC-Asheville. After being an on-air broadcast meteorologist for 17 years, he spent two years working in radio at The Weather Channel. Jeff Cox, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the News Director at KCBD-TV in Lubbock, Texas. He studied Broadcast Journalism at Texas Tech with a Minor in Atmospheric Science. He then earned a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Matt Earnst, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Revisiting the Blizzard of March 1993 (07:15)
- Making the transition from broadcast meteorology to journalism (21:15)
- Importance of content: The changing business model in broadcast television (33:00)
- YouTube weather streamers (47:00)
- Cultivating value in a difficult media environment (01:09:30)
- Oklahoma Severe Weather Event/QLCS Tornadoes 11/3/24 (01:19:10)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:51)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:31:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 981:
Jeff Cox on X
Matt Earnst on X
Picks of the Week:
Matt Earnst - November 2nd, 2004 West Texas Snowfall Event
James Aydelott - Tornado Warning Event Count By State since 11/01/24
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Pre/Post-Conference Training
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Tornado Damage in Oklahoma City - Photo of wooden pole through car windshield
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist recognized for his years at AccuWeather. He became well-known for his expertise in winter storms and severe weather forecasting as well as his engaging approach to delivering weather insights. His career has spanned over thirty years and has contributed to significant advancements in meteorological technology. He's built a loyal following among weather enthusiasts. Henry Margusity, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Birmingham's (AL) October rainfall is still zero as of the 28th (09:00)
- Staffing changes at The Capital Weather Gang/Washington Post (27:30)
- FAA/NWS Memo controversy (28:30)
- Funny stories look back at time at AccuWeather (43:45)
- Change of pace in the weather business over the last few decades (48:30)
- Maintaining situational awareness in the age of advancement of automation (50:30)
- Age demographic and it's challenges (01:10:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:21:31)
- E-Mail Segment (01:23:18)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 980:
Henry Margusity - Weather Madness on X
Picks of the Week:
Henry Margusity - Winter 2024/25: October Update
James Aydelott - Gesman Tamang on X: Top of Mount Everest Photo
Jen Narramore - First barrel ride down Niagara Falls - October 24th, 1901
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - AI is transforming weather forecasting. Is the U.S. falling behind?
Troy Kimmel - Understanding Wyoming's High Winds
Kim Klockow-McClain - IAEM Annual Conference 2024
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Fact Check: Debunking weather modification claims
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Climatologist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), specializing in climate data, analysis, severe weather research, and improving access to historical weather data sets. Jared Rennie, welcome back to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Health of NCEI Database post-Helene (07:45)
- Pre-Helene North Carolina heavy rain event (16:30)
- Limitations on forecasting impacts of significant severe weather (29:45)
- Compound hazards/Cascading disasters (33:00)
- What would a successful evacuation look like in coastal areas? (39:40)
- Public reaction concerning the messaging of Helene's effects (01:09:00)
- Hurricane Oscar and it's surprises with forecasters/modeling (01:22:23)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:18:20)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:20:40)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:21:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 979:
Jared Rennie on X
Picks of the Week:
Jared Rennie - Project Jupyter
Jared Rennie - North Carolina continues to search for Helene victims after monster storm - 60 Minutes
James Aydelott - Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - List of NOAA Open Data Dissemination Program Datasets
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Helene: Storm Decision Fatigue Is Getting to Me
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Spann Says - Substack
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is no stranger to the show. He is a certified consulting meteorologist and a certified Broadcast Meteorologist with a strong focus on weather history. He's a weather historian and author known for his book "Too Near For Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster". He also writes "Retrospect", a regular feature for WeatherWise Magazine, which highlights notable weather events and their impacts in history. Sean Potter, it's great to see you again and thanks for coming by and chatting with us on this week's episode.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- "Cracking the Code" that the US Weather Bureau used in the late 19th Century (04:45)
- Revisiting March 1932 tornado outbreak and Weather Bureau protocol (51:45)
- Reassurances that ASOS data is still being ingested into Asheville/Back-up sites (01:00:20)
- How much of the Code was shared with the public/Was it a novelty? (01:02:00)
- Invest 94L (Atlantic basin) discussion as of 10/14 (01:20:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:40)
- E-Mail Segment (01:19:42)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 978:
SeanPotter.com
"Too Near for Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster" by Sean Potter
Picks of the Week:
Sean Potter - Emotional John Morales updates on Hurricane Milton
James Aydelott - Kyle Benne on X: Aurora photo in Arizona
Jen Narramore - Michael Lowry on X: Peter Dodge Tribute
Rick Smith - Damage Assessment Toolkit
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Aurora Chasing Cheat Sheet
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - End of an Era: Prioritizing Mental Health and Finding Balance
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist and storm specialist with Fox Weather. He joined FOX Weather earlier in 2024 after 32+years at The Weather Channel. He became well known for his extensive live coverage of major weather events. He's reported on over 25,000 live events. He holds a Master's Degree in Meteorology from Penn State. Mike Seidel, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a 21 year old meteorologist and owner of North Carolina's Weather Authority, a popular online weather page. He majors in environmental science with a concentration in Meteorology and Natural Disasters. He's become a reliable and trusted source of weather in the State of North Carolina. Ethan Clark, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Later in the show, weather reporter Charles Peek and legendary meteorologist Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel stop by the chat with the panel as Guest Panelists.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Milton tied for 5th place in intensity for Atlantic hurricanes on record (02:30)
- Planning for a major hurricane in Orlando (06:34)
- Removing significant amounts of debris from Helene aftermath prior to Milton (20:00)
- Covering Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 earlier in the season on Carolina coast (26:45)
- Learning from the disaster response to Hurricane Helene (32:45)
- Visualizing the potential enormous catastrophic damage ahead of time as a Broadcaster (01:03:00)
- Milton's size and wind fields will expand as shear impacts the storm closer to landfall (01:10:00)
- What would a 15-foot storm surge do in Tampa Bay? (01:12:00)
- Comparing 2004's Charley vs. 2024's Milton in Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte area (01:16:00)
- Hurricane Milton vs 2005's Katrina (01:16:50)
- Responding to disinformation spreading online (01:20:00)
- Hail in tropical systems (01:44:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:38:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:39:36)
- E-Mail Segment (01:41:05)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 977:
NCWX Authority
Charles Peek on X
Jim Cantore on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Brian McNoldy on X: Milton rapid intensification on radar
Rick Smith - Hurricane Threats and Impacts Graphic Neil Jacobs - Day of Days in Alabama from Hurricane Helene
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Mis and Disinformation During Hurricane Season: Implications for Emergency Management
Bill Murray - The HDOB Message
James Spann - Flying into Hurricane Milton aboard NOAA's WP-3D Orion "Miss Piggy"
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a weather enthusiast and storm chaser. Mitch West, it's great to have you on the show for tonight's episode.
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. Show veteran, weather enthusiast and famous hurricane chaser Mark Sudduth also joins us on this episode.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Chasing Hurricane Helene on the ground (09:30)
- Forecasting and messaging ahead of Helene inland impacts (37:00)
- Improving communication and risk perception (40:00)
- Comparing Helene to 2005's Katrina and 1969's Camille (43:00)
- Excessive hyperbole with severe weather in the media (50:30)
- Finding a common sense approach to covering weather emergencies (51:55)
- Ham radio/Weather radio coverage (55:30)
- Avoiding dam failures during Helene (01:00:45)
- Integrating faith into content creation (01:22:00)
- How to build a loyal following online as a content creator (01:25:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:13:45)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 976:
Mitch West Weather on YouTube
HurricaneTrack on YouTube
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Stephen M. Strader on X: Tropical Cyclone Inland Flooding Fatalities since 2005
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Rapid Reaction: Historic Flooding Follows Helene in Western NC
Troy Kimmel - Pressure obs log from KFPY during Helene
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Video of Chemical Fire in Conyers, GA
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jay Farlow.
Sam Lashley is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with 31 years of experience across multiple offices. He is a member of the Central Region Quick Response Team for EF3+ tornado events and has worked on radar, damage surveys, and storm chasing for major tornadoes, including the Van Wert EF4 (2002), Henryville EF4 (2012), and recent EF3 tornadoes in central Indiana.
Mike Ryan is a Senior Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, where he has served since 2009 after starting his career at the Wilmington, Ohio office in 1999. He leads public outreach and decision support through programs like Weather Ready Nation and StormReady, working closely with emergency management, media, and amateur radio. He also heads Indiana's state climate services team. Mike has been involved in operations and storm surveys during significant severe weather events in the Ohio Valley, including the 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2024 tornado outbreaks. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from The Ohio State University.
Greg Melo is a Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with over two years of experience. He has worked radar and conducted damage surveys for significant events, including the EF3 tornado outbreaks in March 2023 and March 2024. Originally from New Orleans, Greg's interest in meteorology began after experiencing Hurricane Katrina. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Matthew Eckhoff is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. He began his career at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington in 2015 where he worked until joining the NWS in 2022. His expertise includes severe weather and mesoanalysis. Matthew holds a BS in Meteorology from Millersville University and completed graduate studies at the University of North Dakota.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tropical trouble in the Gulf/Future Fujiwhara Effect? (01:00)
- Studying mesoanalysis (30:00)
- Looking back at 1974 Super Outbreak (35:00)
- Shaping public perception of severe weather in Indiana (42:00)
- March 31st 2023 tornado event impacts (47:00)
- Central Indiana Severe Weather Symposium 2024 (01:01:00)
- AI European weather model (01:32:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:07:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:09:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 975:
NWS Indianapolis, IN
CISWS 2024
Picks of the Week:
Mike Ryan - MRCC Purdue
Matthew Eckhoff - Tropical Tidbits
Sam Lashley - "The Great Tri-State Tornado" by Justin Carter James Aydelott - Real Time Tropical Cyclones - Tomer Burg
Jen Narramore - HurricaneTrack
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Automated Tropical Cycle Forecast Data Directory
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - More than corn in Indiana Beach
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Jeremy DeHart on X
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This episode of WeatherBrains comes to you live from the NWA Annual Meeting in Irving, Texas.
Former Panelist Aubrey Urbanowicz drops in to chat; it's great to see you again Aubrey!
Kevin Deitsch is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist of NWS St. Louis and drops by to visit with the panelists.
Ken Graham, Director of the NWS, also speaks to panel tonight. Good to see you Ken!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Service equity/ NWS St. Louis (15:30)
- Messaging underserved communities (20:00)
- Side Lobe Contamination (30:00)
- Caution surrounding warning decisions (31:00)
- False Alarm Ratio/POD in St. Louis (34:00)
- Dealing with burnout in the weather field (48:00)
- Hurricane season model performance (01:06:00)
- Hurricane season forecast improvements in recent decades (01:08:30)
- Community-centric warnings (01:11:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:05)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:44:02)
- E-Mail Segment (01:45:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 974:
Kevin Deitsch on X
Dual Pol Radar: Side Lobe Contamination
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Foghorn
Jen Narramore - Tales of surviving college football rain delays
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - How Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean break? Two Sibling Scientists Found An Answer
James Spann - Dauphin Island Waterspout
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This episode of WeatherBrains features a Guest WeatherBrain who is a seasoned meteorologist who works in Kansas City, MO as Chief Meteorologist at KCTV. He's previously worked in Miami Florida and Lincoln Nebraska covering extreme weather. He holds a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology and was recommended by friend of the show Jeremy Bower. Luke Dorris, welcome to the show!
Fan and listener of the show and weather enthusiast Emily Conklin Foster also drops by tonight to chat with the panelists. She's an Architectural Historian and Historic Preservation Planner. Emily, thanks for dropping by!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- TS Francine struggles to develop in the Gulf (04:50)
- Kansas City's unique weather and it's forecast challenges (21:00)
- Battling social media weather hype (34:00)
- Future of broadcast meteorology (39:40)
- Francine's origins in GOM (43:45)
- Influencers on why hurricane season has been less active than forecasted (52:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:05:42)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:54)
- E-Mail Segment (01:08:57)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 973:
Luke Dorris on X
Picks of the Week:
Luke Dorris - Cool Weather
Emily Conklin Foster - Resilience Guidance for Charleston
James Aydelott - Cold-Season Tornadoes: Climatological and Meteorological Insights
James Aydelott - The Impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Winter and Early Spring U.S. Tornado Outbreaks
James Aydelott - The Gulf of Mexico and ENSO Influence on Subseasonal and Seasonal CONUS Winter Tornado Variability
Jen Narramore - 22 Ohio Counties declared disaster areas by USDA due to ongoing drought
Rick Smith - SondeHub Tracker
Neil Jacobs - Antarctic Vortex Dehydration in 2023 as a Substantial Removal Pathway
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - A lot has changed: NOAA is rewriting the book on how to rank solar storms
Bill Murray - "Cracking the Weather Code: How Early Weather Observers Used Encryption to Communicate Information"by Sean Potter
James Spann - Tropical Storm Francine Experimental Forecast Cone
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This episode of WeatherBrains features a world-famous hurricane chaser known as iCyclone. Josh Morgerman is the world's top hurricane chaser. To date, he's penetrated the inner cores of 74 hurricanes and typhoons on the ground... a world record. When he's not prowling the globe for cyclones, appearing on TV, promoting products, or spreading the gospel of hurricane preparedness, he lives a quiet life in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi - one block from the Gulf of Mexico, in his specially designed and fortified "Hurricane House". Josh, it's great to you have on the show with us tonight!
Guest Panelist tonight is renowned storm chaser, entrepreneur and meteorologist Brett Adair. It's great to have you on the show tonight, Brett.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Fluctuating pressures in hurricanes (14:30)
- Chasing 2024's Hurricane Debby (15:00)
- Processing of building the Hurricane House (23:00)
- How should insurance companies deal with fortified coastal homes? (38:00)
- Protecting windows during tropical systems (44:15)
- Riding out Hurricane Dorian in 2019 (01:06:00)
- Expectations for rest of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season (01:34:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:40:25)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:42:15)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 972:
The Story of a Storm Chaser and His Hurricane House
Live Storms Media
iCyclone on X
Picks of the Week:
Brett Adair - Real Time Tropical Cyclones - Tomer Burg
Josh Morgerman - Historical Hurricane Tracks
James Aydelott - Tornado Warning Event Count by WFO as of 9/2/24
Jen Narramore - Rip Currents - Alabama Living Magazine
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - NWS Mobile on X: Hurricane Elena
James Spann - Sandblasted to Death - 1935 Labor Day Hurricane
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This episode of WeatherBrains features multiple special guests for Show 971.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of Friend of the Podcast Ryan Stinnett. This WeatherBrain has a rich background in meteorology, including a very profound childhood experience with 1992's Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. She earned her Bachelor's Degree with a from the University of Miami. She currently resides in Missouri at KQ2-TV in St. Joseph, Missouri. She has previously worked at The Weather Channel and is an active member of the AMS and NWA. Vanessa Alonso, it's an honor to have you on with us tonight.
Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 is also a very special guest we are excited to chat with on episode 971. She works in the NOAA Weather Program Office as an Observations Program Coordinator and is here to preview sessions at the NWA Annual Meeting 2024. Sandy LaCorte, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- NWA Annual Meeting 2024 (12:30)
- Looking back at 1992's Hurricane Andrew (19:00)
- Importance of internships in college (40:45)
- What is astraphobia? (46:30)
- Shared experiences in Double Majors in college (47:00)
- Experiences with 2011 Joplin tornado (01:02:30)
- AMS Digital Meteorologist Seal (01:17:30)
- Efforts to recruit Spanish speakers in CBM program (01:25:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:36:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 971:
Meteorologist Vanessa Alonso on Facebook
NWA 2024 Annual Meeting
Picks of the Week:
Vanessa Alonso - How Texas chocolate maker survives the summer heat: WFAA TV Dallas on YouTube
James Aydelott - Microburst Footage from McConnell AFB Airshow
Jen Narramore - TornadoTalk Podcast On Spotify
Rick Smith - ChickFilA Cows Thunderstorm
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - NOAA/NWS IDSS Prototype Forecast Points
Kim Klockow-McClain - "The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis
Bill Murray - Hurricane Carla Hits Texas AKA Hurricane Carla (1961)
James Spann - Weathernerds ECENS Data
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a highly respected figure in the world of meteorology. He's known for his extensive experience and expertise in forecasting, broadcasting, and educating the public about weather. He has multiple degrees in meteorology, including a Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University as well as a Master's Degree from Florida State University. Over the years, he's been a trusted voice in weather reporting especially along the Gulf Coast. He's won multiple regional Emmys for his work and is an active member of the AMS and NWA. Alan Sealls, it's great to have you back on the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Looking back at 2004's Hurricane Ivan (17:45)
- History of African Americans in meteorology (25:00)
- "Weather Prophet" (35:00)
- Importance of the Jackson State and Howard University Meteorology Programs (45:20)
- STEM field statistical analysis (50:00)
- Dr. Charles Anderson - first African American to earn a PhD in Atmospheric Science (53:30)
- Current State of Broadcast Meteorology (01:07:00)
- Case Study of 2020's Hurricane Sally (01:16:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:21:19)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:34)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (01:25:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 970:
"A Career in TV Meteorology: From the Best Weatherman Ever" by Alan Sealls
"Weather Things You Always Wanted to Know: The Inside Story on the Outside Story" by Alan Sealls
"Weather Things In Photos: The Art and Science of the Atmosphere" by Alan Sealls
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Alan Sealls - Weather To Bounce House Incidents
James Aydelott - Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023 -NSF
Jen Narramore - Superyacht sinks latest: Daughter, 18, of British tycoon Mike Lynch missing; yacht 'in wrong place at wrong time'
Rick Smith - 2024 Lightning Deaths - National Lighting Safety Council
Neil Jacobs - Atmospheric Modeling, Data Assimilation and Predictability
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - HooDoo Heritage: A Brief History of American Folk Religion
Bill Murray - From Juneteenth to the Sky: African Americans in Meteorology by Alan Sealls
James Spann - Severe Thunderstorm footage of damaging winds in Hillsboro, AL
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain shares a name with our fearless leader. He's a Senior Scientist for the Space Weather Center at NOAA, bringing decades of experience from NASA to NOAA's Office of Space Weather Observations. We dive into the world of space weather on tonight's episode. Dr. James Spann, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Record for single day August rainfall shattered in Oklahoma (02:30)
- Tropical Storm Ernesto aimed for Bermuda (07:00)
- Model performance with Debby (10:00)
- Dr. Spann's experiences growing up in Brazil shaping a career in science (18:00)
- Initiatives to enhance space weather observations (27:10)
- Difference in policy as it's evolved over the years from NASA to NOAA (41:00)
- Sun observations (46:15)
- Solar activities increasing solar drag (01:02:00)
- Evolution and importance of partnerships in space weather (01:10:00)
- Intersection of science and faith (01:20:30)
- When is the next Carrington Event? (01:23:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:23)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:03)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (01:32:18)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 969:
Dr. James F. Spann, Jr Bio
Picks of the Week:
Dr. James F. Spann - Aurorasaurus
James Aydelott - Paul Smith on X: Oklahoma Meteor Shower/Aurora photo
Jen Narramore - James Aydelott on X: Dad Joke on FOX23
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Full Protection Poncho
Troy Kimmel - May 9th, 2024 Large Hail and Damaging Wind Storms in Central Texas/Storyboard by NWS Austin-San Antonio
Kim Klockow-McClain - NWS SWPC on X
Bill Murray - Weatherwise Magainze - 2023 Hurricane/Tornado Season Issue
James Spann - James Spann on X: Aurora Photo from Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
It's a Homegrown show tonight to kick off the month of August.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Rick Smith's cameo in "Twisters" (02:30)
- What is the purpose of the college experience? (11:30)
- Importance of being well-rounded outside of school in building your resume (31:00)
- How COVID pandemic impacted ability to write and communicate with others (41:00)
- Increasing relevance of internships as a precursor to employment (59:30)
- Advantages/Disadvantages of Graduate/Post Graduate school (01:06:00)
- Honing time management skills (01:20:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:30:11)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:32:23)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:34:31)
- E-Mail Segment
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 968:
The Alabama Weather Blog
The Alabama Weather Blog on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Watch Duty Wildfire Map
Jen Narramore - Braxton Banks on X: Tornado near downtown Buffalo, NY
Rick Smith - No Heat Stroke
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - NHC Website
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Dr. Rick Progressive Insurance Commercial
James Spann - James Spann on X: Downtown Buffalo NY tornado video seen from Westin Hotel
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain is a Forecast Team/Senior Software Engineer at DTN. He has a Masters in Meteorology at OU and a PhD in Meteorology from OU. Dr. Sam Lillo, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Current state of sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasting (10:00)
- Will AI eventually replace forecasters? (14:15)
- Seasonal outlook verification (17:00)
- RadarScope and other DTN products (21:00)
- El Nino Weather Events Research (34:45)
- Problems with forecasting random airmass convection in the summertime (47:30)
- Hurricane season speculation (01:03:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:11:25)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (01:13:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 967:
Dr. Sam Lillo on X
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Sam Lillo - Tropycal Python Package
James Aydelott - MAFFS4 Drops Fire Retardant on "Long Fire"
Jen Narramore - WX History on X: 07/25/2005 Sand Point, Alaska Tornado Photo
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Video of Wet Microburst at Fairview Peak/NWS Reno NV
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - How Jesse Owens' Olympic Teammate Kept the Tuskegee Airmen Safe During World War II
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
This week's episode is all about the long-awaited reboot to the 1996 classic "Twister". Released in movie theaters late last week, "Twisters" is finally here.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain for this very special episode is the Former Director of the Global Systems Laboratory (GSL). He's also the Former Deputy Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Kevin Kellehur, it's good to see you.
The Second Guest WeatherBrain joining us is a meteorologist at NSSL, having been there since 2016. He earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Sean Waugh, thanks for stopping by to chat with us.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Twisters op ening weekend 07/19/24 (11:15)
- Discussions on where to shoot the movie (33:30)
- Real-life meteorological notes from college students used in the movie (41:00)
- Difficulty of recreating realistic-looking tornadoes in film (46:00)
- Fujiwhara effect/science behind dual tornadoes shown in the film (50:00)
- James Paxton's role in the movie (55:30)
- Fostering relationships behind the scenes during filming (01:04:00)
- What to take away from movie for the younger generation of weather enthusiasts (01:16:00)
- When will "Twisters (2024)" be released on streaming services/DVD? (01:29:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:36:06)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:23)
- National Weather Round-Up (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:39:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 966:
Dr. Sean Waugh on X
Picks of the Week:
Kevin Kellehur - Leigh Orf's Thunderstorm Research YouTube Channel
Dr. Sean Waugh - Girls Who Chase
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: 1950s Tornado Warning System
Jen Narramore - TornadoTalk: Fact-checking the 1996 film "Twister"
Rick Smith - 'Twisters' movie: NOAA tornado science and staff behind the scenes
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - CNA: Mis- and Disinformation During Hurricane Season: Implications for Emergency Management
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - The New Madrid Seismic Zone/USGS
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Hydrologic Operations Division with the Harris County Flood Control District and is a Degreed Meteorologist in the Harris County/Houston area. He implements a regular communication with multiple agencies, elected officials and media partners during episodes of severe weather and activations. He oversees the operation of the District's flood operations as well as the Flood Warning System and the flood forecasting efforts. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M. He's also known for his constant reporting and calm demeanor during 2017's Hurricane Harvey. Jeff Lindner, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Dangerous squall line approaching Chicago area (02:00)
- Looking back at Houston derecho event Spring 2024 (08:00)
- Glimpse at ongoing Houston-area power outage issues following Hurricane Beryl (09:00)
- Preparing for extended power outages (15:00)
- Waning attention spans with the public when trying to distribute weather information (36:30)
- Forecasts vs post-event impacts (39:00)
- Revisiting 2017's Hurricane Harvey (01:11:00)
- 183,000 still without power in Houston area as of 07/15/24 (01:36:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:15)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:24:36)
- E-Mail Segment
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 965:
Jeff Lindner on X
Picks of the Week:
Jeff Lindner - Weather Insights Podcast
James Aydelott - USA TODAY: Heat wave death count keeps growing, but true toll is higher
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - CNA National Security Analysis
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Barry Butler Photography on X: Triple Lightning Strike at 1221am
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a professional storm chaser and field weather reporter for The Weather Channel. He's known for his extensive use of drones and live-streaming technology to document severe weather events across the country. He travels over 60,000 miles a year to provide impactful weather coverage and to support local communities and people with his expertise. Charles Peek, it's great to have you with us on tonight's episode.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas (20:30)
- Inland impacts/Houston area aftermath (25:00)
- Witnessing positive help as a photographer after weather disasters (42:20)
- Abnormally active tornado activity in ArkLaTex with remnants of Beryl (58:00)
- Comparing Beryl to 2005's Rita in terms of post landfall tornado activity (01:00:00)
- Importance of empathy in weather forecasting (01:05:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:40:25)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:42:42)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:44:22)
- E-Mail Segment
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 964:
WeatherCall
Charles Peek Reporter/Weather Photography on Facebook
Charles Peek on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - 124F at Palm Springs, CA
Jen Narramore - Waterspout destroys family’s Citrus County fish camp but not the memories made there
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - SARSAT
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - OFF THE GRID: U.S. Power Outage Tracker
Bill Murray - Tropical Tidbits
James Spann - NWS Shreveport on X: Photo of 63 Beryl-related tornado warnings issued
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a NWS meteorologist at Rapid City, SD who turned a childhood fear of thunderstorms into a career focused on public safety, with experience in forecasting and research. Keith Sherburn, welcome to the show.
Last but certainly not least, our Second Guest WeatherBrain on tonight's episode is a NWS meteorologist focused on protecting lives and property by communicating severe weather risks, serving as the Severe Weather Program Coordinator and Lightning Safety Expert for the NWS. He holds a BS in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma and an MS in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State. Aaron Treadway, it's great to see you on the show.
Senior Vice President of WeatherCall Services Bruce Thomas also drops by later in the episode to discuss WeatherCall's products and services.
WeatherCall delivers polygonal warnings on your smartphone and works with many Fortune 500 companies including cruise lines and pharmaceutical companies.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tulsa breaks June record with 118F Heat Index (01:00)
- NOAA Pathways Program (12:30)
- Ernest P Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship (14:45)
- Improving the severe weather warning process/Current warning paradigm issues (26:10)
- NWS Community-centric warnings (27:00)
- Convective Warning Mutual Aid (47:30)
- AI/automation and weather forecasting (52:00)
- Reducing number of SVR warnings/FAR (01:10:30)
- 6/25 Unwarned Nebraska tornado (01:32:00)
- Updated lightning death statistics (01:52:00)
- WeatherCall NexGen (01:53:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:44:45)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (Jen is out this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (02:03:00)
- E-Mail Segment (Jen is out this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 963:
WeatherCall
Keith Sherburn on X
Picks of the Week:
Keith Sherburn - AMS BOGM YouTube Page
Aaron Treadway - "Isaac's Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History" by Erik Larson
James Aydelott - NOAA Aircraft Operations Center on X: Into the eye of Hurricane Beryl
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Aviation Weather Center
Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Epsilon Discussion from December 2005
Bill Murray - Tropical Tidbits
James Spann - Phillip Klotzbach on X
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our first attempt with this very special guest a few weeks back didn't go quite as planned, so we are back for Version 2.0 with tonight's Guest WeatherBrain.
Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a Graduate of Valparaiso University and recently wrote a paper concerning Deviant Tornado Motion. He earned his PhD at Central Michigan University and he's a renowned Storm Chaser, Hodographer and Severe Storms Research Scientist. He's currently a meteorologist in Norman, OK doing data analysis and understanding parameters with significant/weak tornadoes and large/small hail. Dr. Cameron Nixon, it's great to have you join the Panel for tonight's episode!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is a hodograph? (05:30)
- What is deviant motion in a tornado? (07:45)
- Using convective models to forecast holographs (19:00)
- National Storm Chaser Summit 2025 (29:30)
- Constructive/destructive merger research (31:30)
- What is a storm object? (54:00)
- Communicating complex weather solutions to the public (56:30)
- Hail's expanding bullseye/current research (01:10:00)
- Issues with radar-based hail estimation algorithms (01:17:00)
- Lack of public response to severe thunderstorm warnings (01:24:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:58)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:58)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:31:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 962:
Dr. Cameron Nixon on X
Dr. Cameron Nixon on YouTube
WeatherCall
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Seth Kaplan on X: Radian Dam just south of Mankato/Imminent failure condition
Jen Narramore - "The Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland EF4 Tornado-April 27, 2011: Stories from the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak" by TornadoTalk and Jen Narramore
Rick Smith - Storm Chasers capture tornado's 300 mph wind speed
Neil Jacobs - The effect of temperature on language complexity: Evidence from seven million parliamentary speeches
Troy Kimmel - SCIENCE IMPACT: Experimental Warn-On Forecast System yields 75-minute lead time on violent tornado
Kim Klockow-McClain - Link Pending
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Deran Hall on X: Utah lightning photo
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the Community Engagement Specialist for the Unified Forecast System. Good to see you on the show, Allison Gregory!
Also dropping by as Guest Panelist is the Service Coordinator/WCM equivalent for the Space Weather Prediction Center. Shawn Dahl, thanks for chatting with us.
The incoming Chair of the AMS Early Career Leadership Academy also makes an appearance as Guest Panelist. Alex Morrison, thanks for dropping by to chat.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- 1st Annual AMS Broadcast Meteorology and Weather Communication Conference (01:20)
- Publicizing Space Weather (09:30)
- KP Index/Geomagnetic Storms (17:45)
- Carrington Event (26:00)
- AMS Early Career Leadership Academy (42:00)
- Space Weather in the Latino Community (01:04:45)
- Atmospheric Rivers (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:39:42)
- National Weather Round-Up (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 961:
WeatherCall
AMS Early Career Leadership Academy
Alex Morrison on X
Picks of the Week:
Shawn Dahl - NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
James Aydelott - SCIENCE IMPACT: EXPERIMENTAL WARN-ON-FORECAST SYSTEM YIELDS 75-MINUTE LEAD TIME ON VIOLENT TORNADO
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - AMS Summer Policy Colloquium
Troy Kimmel - FORTIFIEDHome.org
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Link pending
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our First Guest WeatherBrain is a forecaster at the National Weather Service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She's also a GIS expert and is involved in several local regional and national GIS projects. She has a Masters and Bachelors Degree in Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Megan Williams, it's great to see you.
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is the WCM/Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge. She also does community outreach, quality control, product improvement, and is largely the face of the forecast office. She holds a Bachelor's in Meteorology and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Lauren Nash, thanks for stopping by to hang out with us tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- 100+ tornadoes in State of Oklahoma so far in 2024 (04:00)
- April 2021 Capsizing of Seacore Power (09:45)
- Wake Low explained (13:10)
- Forecasting Wake Lows (33:00)
- Role of local media after storms move offshore (38:45)
- How do local mariners get weather information? (40:15)
- Improving watch/warning framework (47:15)
- Advice for young meteorologists (51:15)
- Hurricane season preparation for tropical NWS offices (53:00)
- Lessons learned from Hurricane Ida (01:02:30)
- NWS New Orleans/NHC relationship (01:09:00)
- June 8th, 1974 tornado outbreak (01:28:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:36)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:20:36)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:
- E-Mail Segment (01:21:45)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 960:
New Orleans/Baton Rouge NWS
Megan Williams on X
Lauren Nash on X
WeatherCall
Picks of the Week:
Megan Williams - 2 rescued and 1 body recovered from Albuquerque arroyos following flash flooding
James Aydelott - Chris Tomer on X: Cat Watching a Tornado in Northern Lincoln County, Colorado
Jen Narramore - NWS Storm Prediction Center on X: May 2024 Month-In-Review Thread
Rick Smith - Twisters (2024) Movie Tickets and Showtimes Near You
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - June 8th 1974 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Floods
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - A Comprehensive Analysis of the Spatial and Seasonal Shifts in Tornado Activity in the United States
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a Graduate of Valparaiso University and recently wrote a paper concerning Deviant Tornado Motion. He earned his PhD at Central Michigan University and he's a renowned Storm Chaser, Hodographer and Severe Storms Research Scientist. Cameron Nixon, it's great to have you join the Panel for tonight's episode!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- AMS Summer Policy Colloquium (04:00)
- Texas EMA Conference Fort Worth (08:15)
- Meteorologist John E. Hales Jr passes away (11:00)
- 2024 Hot Springs Village, Arkansas EF2 tornado (25:45)
- Destructive and Constructive Cell Mergers (28:00)
- Empty spaces in Tornado Watches (51:00)
- Reinventing the wheel in meteorology (01:01:00)
- Fatality in early-morning line of Alabama severe thunderstorms during Memorial Day Weekend (01:26:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:06:08)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:56)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:26:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:10:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 959:
Cameron Nixon on X
WeatherCall
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Remembering D-Day's Untold Story: How weather impacted military operation
James Aydelott - Photo of Ropeout of second Silverton tornado
Jen Narramore - The Shot: A Buzzer-Beater That Saved Lives
Rick Smith - Don't Fry! Protect Yourself From Dangers of the Sun
Neil Jacobs - Storm Interactions
Troy Kimmel - 70 mph wind gust at Tyler Regional Airport due to severe thunderstorm
Kim Klockow-McClain - U.S. Annual Counts of Tornado LSRs
Bill Murray - BlackBerry (film)
James Spann - Mark J on X: Reply to Weatherman Chris Bailey
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a 14-year-old weather enthusiast from St. Louis, Missouri. He's recently been interviewed on The Weather Channel, Fox News Weather, and other podcasts as well as going viral on X/formerly known as twitter. He focuses on severe weather forecasts and covering severe weather all over America. Most recently, he covered the severe weather outbreak last weekend in Texas and Oklahoma. Beckett Moore, it's an honor to have you on tonight's episode and welcome to the show!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Looking back at North Texas severe weather on 05/25/24
- Beckett's livestream setup for severe weather streams (16:00)
- Advice to younger weather enthusiasts who want to pursue the science (25:45)
- Monetizing weather and social media (38:00)
- Questioning wall to wall coverage of Valley View, TX tornado (43:30)
- Advice for those afraid of severe weather (58:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:36)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (01:18:38)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 958:
Moore Weather on X
Moore Weather on YouTube
WeatherCall
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Beckett Moore - Video of tornado near Windthorst, Texas over Memorial Day Weekend 2024
Bruce Jones - Barnsdall Main Street Well Site
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Twin tornadoes lofting debris near Decatur, AR
Jen Narramore - 1925 Tri-State Tornado Damage Path and Associated Storm System
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Plane Being Blown Away from DFW Gate in Severe Storm
Kim Klockow-McClain - The Great St. Louis Tornado of 1896
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Keenan Willard on X: Multiple deaths in North Texas tornado
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up dreaming of being a meteorologist and has had a passion for weather ever since he was a kid. He was born in Columbus Ohio where he went to high school and has lived there ever since. For college, he first went to Valparaiso for 1 year where he played baseball and took meteorology classes. Then, he transferred to Ohio State, for his final 3 years of college, where he got his undergraduate in Atmospheric Sciences and a minor in Computer science (coding). Since graduating from college, he has worked as a technology consultant for 7 years and has also been a cohost on the Storm Front Freak podcast since its inception. Even though he initially decided to go into consulting after receiving an offer to go into TV meteorology right out of college, his true passion is and always has been weather. He just recently started a Live Severe Weather streaming show (under the alias Storm Cat5) called Outbreak, where he along with other Storm Front Freaks nowcast tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and extreme weather across the U.S.. His goal with Outbreak is to bring my passion for weather to the world to get more people to love and understand weather better instead of being terrified of it. If just one person comes away from their show knowing more about the weather and how to react to it, that's a success in Brady's book. Also, he has had enough with not pursuing my passion for weather, which is really where Outbreak was born from. He loves every second that he is on Outbreak and his goal is to make it a household name. They have had around seven shows so far. Brady Harris, welcome to tonight's show and thanks for joining us.
Also appearing tonight is a dedicated meteorologist and author. She's known for her contributions to the Storm Front Freaks Podcast and has a passion for weather education. She's the author of the "Frances Fox" books for children. Her day job is in marketing for Atmospheric G2. Cyrena Arnold, welcome to WeatherBrains. Last but certainly not least is two veterans of the show. Hurricane specialist/chaser/severe weather expert Mark Sudduth and Mississippi State University professor Greg Nordstrom are here tonight with us to discuss their upcoming hail research in the Great Plains, Hurricane Season Outlook, and other topics. Great to see you both and thanks for joining the show tonight.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- 80 tornadoes so far in Oklahoma in 2024 (05:00)
- Severe thunderstorm/major damage in Houston 5/16/24 (10:30)
- Excessive heat in Atlantic Ocean ahead of Hurricane season (27:15)
- Communicating Hurricane Season forecasts effectively with the general public (28:00)
- Mark Sudduth's hail research (52:00)
- Pending research of temperature gradient of a hailstone (01:04:30)
- Storm Front Freaks Podcast (01:22:45)
- Inspiration/background for "Outbreak" stream (01:26:00)
- Creation of "Frances the Fox" book series and its impact (01:32:00)
- What is GXT Radio? (01:48:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:43:52)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:46:07)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:
- E-Mail Segment (01:54:20)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 957:
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Brady Harris - Blitzortung.org Live Lightning Map
Cyrena Arnold - NOAA/NWS Headline Scores Home
Bruce Jones - Tornado Talk on X: Ruskin Heights F5 Tornado May 20th, 1957
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Photo of Jeff Piotrowski and David Hoadley storm chasing
Rick Smith - May 20, 2013: The day an EF5 tornado struck the OKC Metro
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - NWS HeatRisk
Kim Klockow-McClain - 51st Conference on Broadcast Meteorology and Seventh Conference on Weather Warnings and Communication
Bill Murray - L.A. FLIGHTS YouTube Channel
James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is an old friend of the show. He recently joined Spire, a weather forecasting company that utilizes advanced satellite technology and data analytics to produce highly accurate and timely weather forecasts. He appeared on show No. 303 in November 2011 and show 751 a few years later in 2020. He's a seasoned meteorologist with extensive experience in weather technology data analysis. He co-founded Weather Decision Technologies before it was acquired by DTN. Michael Eilts, welcome to back to WeatherBrains.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Origins/acquisition of RadarScope (17:15)
- WDT acquisition by DTN (20:30)
- What is radio occultation? (23:45)
- Impact of Spire's data/Governmental relationships (28:30)
- Paradigm shift of satellite data from governmental to commercial (35:30)
- Physics of the low Earth orbit of the atmosphere (47:35)
- Differences between artificial intelligence and machine learning (52:45)
- AMS Forecast Improvement Group (58:55)
- What defines a "bust" in the weather community? (01:14:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:57)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:26:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:09:10)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 956:
AI weather modeling: Spire and NVIDIA’s partnership presents true evolution in weather prediction
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Foghorn
James Aydelott - Video of the tornado in the Jemez Mountains
Jen Narramore - Jen appears on "Across the Sky" podcast to discuss Tornado Talk
Rick Smith - April 25-May 10th 2024 Severe Weather Sequence analysis from NWS SPC
Rick Smith - PBS NOVA Tornado! Original Broadcast, 1985
Neil Jacobs - Here come the cicadas! Cicada double brood emerging across eastern states with potential impacts to young trees, no danger to people and pets
Troy Kimmel - Tennessee Valley Weather
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - National Hurricane Center Products and Services Update for 2024 Hurricane Season
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest Panelist is a show regular. He's the SOO at the Birmingham NWS office. Kevin Laws, it's always good to see you on the show.
Our first Guest WeatherBrain tonight is an Emergency Management Officer with the Jefferson County Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Melissa Sizemore, thanks for joining us on this week's episode.
Guest WeatherBrain No. 2. is a former EMA officer with Calhoun County Alabama. He's now a full-time Professor at Idaho State University with the Homeland Security Program. He will soon be joining the faculty at Jacksonville State University with their well-known and respected Emergency Management Program. Jonathan Gaddy, it's good to see you on the show.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is a Science and Operations Officer? (03:30)
- Rapid growth in Emergency Management field (10:45)
- Integrated Warning Team Concept (15:20)
- Excessive hyperbole concern in professional weather enterprise (22:30)
- Potential economic/financial issues as a result of excessive hyperbole (28:00)
- AMS Digital Seal (32:45)
- "Hot Washes" in EMA field (51:40)
- Lack of cohesion in perceiving risk in Social Science's infancy (01:07:30)
- Ongoing severe weather in Kansas and Oklahoma (01:22:30)
- Weather enterprise and its role in Emergency Management (01:38:30)
- How do we make the warning process better? (1:43:15)
- Acceptable FAR/False Alarm Ratio (01:45:30)
- 2024 Hurricane Season (01:54:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:35)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 955:
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Jonathan Gaddy - FEMA Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC)
Melissa Sizemore - CERT
Kevin Laws - Rip Current Awareness
Bruce Jones -
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - Road in Smithville, MS named after Johnny Parker
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Hurricane Awareness Tours
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Conditional Intensity Forecast Verification Using Significant Severe Local Storm Reports
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the NWS office in Pueblo, CO. He got interested in weather as a youngster in elementary school and never got rid of the "bug". He attended FSU's Meteorology program and following graduation had employment stops as a freshman meteorologist in Wilmington, Ohio and Pittsburg, PA. He also worked with the Administrator of NOAA in Washington, DC for two years. He's a veteran of the show and and at the time was the Pacific Regional WCM in Honolulu. It's great to have him back. Charlie Woodrum, welcome!
Our Guest WeatherBrain is a northeast Arkansas native currently attending Mississippi State University as a Graduate student. She's also a Teaching Assistant for the Broadcast Meteorology program and recently presented at the Southeast Severe Storms Symposium 2024. Kristina Balentine, welcome to the show!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in Central Plains (01:30)
- Sulphur, OK extreme damage (06:30)
- Recent Oklahoma tornado fatalities (09:45)
- 105 confirmed tornadoes from last Fri-Sun's outbreak sequence (11:00)
- Influence of Call To Action statements (32:15)
- Correlation coefficient (33:15)
- Dealing with loss of life in mobile homes in severe weather (47:15)
- Do most people have a tornado plan? (55:15)
- Tips on job search in meteorology field (01:29:00)
- What does the future weather forecaster look like? (01:32:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:48)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 954:
Kristina Balentine on X
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Kristina Balentine - Video of tornado crossing interstate in Nebraska
Charlie Woodrum - NWS Lightning Toolkit
Bruce Jones - 2024 EMAT Workshop Conference
James Aydelott - Incredible video of a waterspout on Lake Eufaula
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - The April 27-28, 2024 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Flooding Event
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Manufactured Homes FAQ
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Tornado Outbreak of April 26, 2024
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest Panelist needs no introduction. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University in 2016. Johnny Parker, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Our Guest WeatherBrains tonight consist of the team from the Tennessee Valley Weather network. They are redefining local weather broadcasting. They have a television-quality production with a state of the art studio stationed in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. It's an innovative approach that brings expert community-based weather reporting directly to viewers in their area.
First joining us is the Managing Meteorologist of Tennessee Valley Weather, and his two-decades plus career is defined by deep local ties and a commitment to public safety. Ben Luna, welcome to the show!
Next up to introduce themselves is the Chief Meteorologist of TVW who has extensive experience in the field due to his early fascination with weather. His expertise is complimented by his background in education and community-focused forecasting. Fred Gossage, welcome.
Staff Meteorologist Kelli Rosson is originally from Chicago and she handles the mid-day forecasts for the network. She has a passion for public education and weather safety and boasts an extensive educational background in the field where she earned her Bachelor's from Western Kentucky University. Kelli, welcome to the show.
Last but certainly not least, Weekend Meteorologist of the network is joining us and is a dedicated member of the team and is also a self-proclaimed radar expert. Bryan Wilson, welcome.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- "Forgotten F5" of April 16, 1998 (13:30)
- Generating revenue/business model (33:00)
- Tennessee Valley Weather's relationship with local NWS (39:45)
- DMA switchover process (58:30)
- Countering hype-driven forecasters online (01:10:00)
- Importance of gaining institutional knowledge in the industry (01:29:00)
- Distributing vital information on social media (01:30:00)
- Hiring opportunities (01:40:15)
- Street named after Johnny Parker (01:53:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:45:09)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:47:27)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 953:
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Fred Gossage - Tennessee Valley Weather
Bryan Wilson - Iowa Environmental Mesonet
Bruce Jones - HEAT.Gov
James Aydelott - NWS Norman on X: "Are You Ready for Severe Weather?"
Jen Narramore - 2024 Annual Preliminary Report Summary NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Rick Smith - SPC Severe Weather Outlooks At A Glance
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Experimental NOAA Surf Forecast Matrix
James Spann - Scott Thomas on X: "A powerful read in the NWS FWD discussion today. Everyone should give this a read"
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a familiar face for those who watch The Weather Channel, as she regularly appeared on the network in the early 2000s. She's an experienced broadcast meteorologist and a podcaster. She also has a degree in journalism and worked as a reporter for several years to begin her career. Her first job was as a reporter for WEAR-TV in Pensacola before moving to KIII-TV in Corpus, Christi Texas. She then moved to Brunswick, Georgia to work in TV there, and then took a job in Bangor, Maine in TV news. It was in Maine where she really got interested in meteorology, where she attended Plymouth State University and earned her Degree in Meteorology. Her first major opportunity in weather was WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, before her move to The Weather Channel. Heather Tesch, thanks for joining us!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- "Beyond with Heather Tesch" (10:30)
- Profound stories dealing with near-death experiences (16:45)
- Balancing perspectives in podcasting (35:30)
- People reporting strengthening feelings of compassion after experiencing near-death (01:01:00)
- Neath-death studies and their analysis (01:06:00)
- How these stories have changed the host (01:19:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:24:45)
- Importance of NOAA Weather Radio (01:29:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:33:25)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 952:
Beyond with Heather Tesch on YouTube
WeatherCall
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Heather Tesch - Mitch West Weather on YouTube
Bruce Jones - Readers Share Stories of Their Loved Ones’ Deathbed Visions
James Aydelott - Video of wind in El Paso, TX from Cassie Frey
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Red Cross CPR Training
Troy Kimmel - Latest Disaster for National Weather Service: Paying its Bills
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - SPC Practically Perfect Hindcast
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's episode is a home grown show with the regulars where we will be discussing a hodgepodge of topics in the weather world and beyond. We do these from time to time... thanks for tuning in for an all new WeatherBrains.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Where were you during the solar eclipse? (03:00)
- Fighting eclipse disinformation on social media (11:30)
- What makes a good resume according to Dr. Jacobs (24:00)
- Rapid change in culture concerning FAR/False-alarm ratio (31:00)
- Mitigating loss of life of those who live in manufactured housing during severe weather events (43:45)
- 26th anniversary of April 8th, 1998 Birmingham, AL F5 tornado
- Rampant conspiracy theories appearing online and the dangerous threats experienced by broadcasters (01:03:00)
- Preliminary hurricane season analysis (01:27:40)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:09:00)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 951:
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods - Northern Reaches" by Bruce Bjornstad
James Aydelott - Cloud Meme
Jen Narramore - Xenia, OH F5 Tornado April 3, 1974
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - College of Dupage: Satellite and Radar
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - What About the Dufresnes?
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Through the Eyes of NASA (Official Broadcast)
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight on WeatherBrains we tell the story of a generational tornado outbreak that happened 50 years ago. We look back at the Super Outbreak of April 3rd, 1974.
Our first Guest WeatherBrains for tonight’s episode has a great deal of experience in public service, having worked in libraries for twenty years. Her current position is Executive Director for the Greene County Historical Society in Xenia, Ohio, a position she’s held since January of 2008. She served as a society board member for three years and she stepped into the position when the former Director retired from the position. Catherine Wilson, welcome!
Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Mayor of Guin, Alabama. He’s served over thirty-five years of appointed and elected roles in his hometown and is now serving as Mayor. Beginning with the Park and Recreation Board for twenty years, he then served on the City Council and was then elected Mayor of the City in 2004. During his tenure, he created the first strategic plan for the city and led projects to revitalize downtown. Mayor Phil Segraves, it’s an honor to have you on with us tonight.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
*Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- April 1st, 1974 precursor outbreak (09:05)
- Xenia, Ohio tornado (12:00)
- Audio clip from Episode 114 featuring J. B. Elliott discussing Guin tornado (16:55)
- Looking back at Guin tornado from the perspective of Mayor Segraves (18:00)
- Heroes during the Super Outbreak (23:00)
- Changes in Xenia in the years after 1974 (36:00)
- Guin tornado survivor interview clip (46:50)
- Importance of remembering and reflecting on events like 1974 (49:15)
- Wisdom and lessons learned from 1974 (01:05:45)
- Role of 1974 in the future development of weather radio (01:10:35)
- 50th Anniversary planned events (01:16:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 950:
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones – Remembering the Stories of ’74: The Hoosier Experience of the 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak
James Aydelott – Out
Jen Narramore – Guin, AL F5 Tornado April 3, 1974 – Tornado Talk
Rick Smith – Out
Neil Jacobs – Out
Troy Kimmel – ANA 787 gets struck by lightning climbing out of Seattle airport
Kim Klockow-McClain – Out
Bill Murray – LYK Radio – April 3rd, 1974 disaster
James Spann – 2024 Eclipse Forecasts
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight on WeatherBrains is the topic of a significant anniversary in the meteorological field. Tonight's show focuses on the Super Outbreak of 1974. Fifty years on, its impact is still being felt. The warning process, victim impacts and how the event itself changed the weather community forever from a professional standpoint will all be discussed.
Our first Guest WeatherBrain is a previous alumni of the show, most recently in 2020. He received his Bachelor of Science in meteorology at Penn State University. He received his Master's and PhD at the University of Chicago, where he studied tornadoes and severe storms under Dr. Ted Fujita. He joined the faculty at Penn State in 1978 as an Associate Professor and taught courses in weather analysis and forecasting, natural disasters, as well as other topics. He retired in 2019 after being the severe weather expert at The Weather Channel for over two decades. Dr. Greg Forbes, we are honored to have you join the panel tonight.
Our next Guest WeatherBrain is no stranger to anyone interested in severe weather. He dedicated well over three decades to the National Weather Service, including 22 years as a Lead Forecaster at the SPC. He significantly advanced the field of severe weather forecasting and mesoscale convective system motion. His contributions are recognized with numerous awards and mentorships and have all left a lasting impact on the research and operational forecasting community. Steve Corfidi, welcome to the show.
Guest WeatherBrain No. 3 is making his sixth appearance on the podcast. He serves as the Director of NOAA's NWS Assistant Administrator for Weather Services. He's significantly advanced weather operations in the United States through his extensive experience and pivotal roles he's previously played. His career is distinguished by close collaboration with emergency managers. Ken Graham, welcome to the show.
Last but certainly not least, Guest WeatherBrain No. 4 is a legend in his own right. He received his Degree in Meteorology from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1964. He earned his Masters and PhD in Meteorology at Florida State University. He served NOAA in a number of positions in his over four decades with the government agency in both research and operations including forecasting. He retired from federal service in 2005. He then served as a Senior Research Scientist in the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences until 2009. His career began in Miami in the mid-60s as a hurricane specialist at the NHC. Dr. Joe Golden, thanks for joining us tonight.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Where our Panelists were in 1974 during Super Outbreak (15:45)
- Soundings/CAPE/shear data prior to Super Outbreak (28:00)
- Changing perspectives from mid-70s to today concerning convective outlooks (30:45)
- Pattern recognition role in early meteorology evolution and it's impact felt today (37:15)
- How the Super Outbreak changed the National Weather Service (43:30)
- Role of satellite imagery in Super Outbreak (57:35)
- Experiences of emergency management and challenges of warning the public (01:07:00)
- Myths busted during event (01:17:45)
- Importance of ham radio during Super Outbreak (01:24:00)
- Development/origins of the Fujita scale (01:28:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 949:
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Steve Corfidi - Teletype catalog on Ebay
Bruce Jones - Out
James Aydelott - Zach Stanford on X: "Convergence of the chaser variety is real this afternoon across western Oklahoma where severe storms are expected later today"
Jen Narramore - Online Presentation for 50th Anniversary of the April 1974 Super Outbreak
Rick Smith - March 25, 1948 - The First Tornado Forecast
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Teletype photo
Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center on X
Bill Murray - Photo of Barney Fife and Troy Kimmel in Starkville
James Spann - Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experience of Tornado Survivors and Factors Affecting Community Resilience: A Case Study of an EF3 Tornado in Jacksonville, Alabama
James Spann - User's Guide to the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS)
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight on WeatherBrains is a skilled meteorologist currently working at The Weather Channel and has been there since 2022. Previously she worked for Telemundo Oklahoma and Telemundo Utah. She was born in Havana, Cuba and graduated with a degree in meteorology from the University of Havana. Lorena Lim, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Challenges of studying meteorology in Cuba (12:00)
- Influential tropical weather while studying in Cuba (14:20)
- Weather radar networks in Cuba/Cuban Weather Service (19:30)
- The Weather Channel/resources and audience experiences (45:15)
- Distributing weather information and outreach to underserved communities (51:30)
- Battling confusion with different dialects on the air when giving public forecasts (01:04:30)
- Disaster subculture and translation (01:07:30)
- Upcoming eclipse in April (01:33:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:13)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:30)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 948:
Conexion con el Tiempo/TWC Espanol Youtube channel
Lorena Lim on X
AMS Weather Band
Midland Radio
Picks of the Week:
Lorena Lim - Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam
Bruce Jones - Hurricane Seasonal Lager from Tradesman Brewing Company
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Classic example of sidelobe contamination of the velocity moment distracting from the real circulation and possible tornado threat
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Stumpy, D.C's favorite cherry tree, to be cut down this year
Troy Kimmel - Southeast Severe Storms Symposium 2024
Kim Klockow-McClain - Cherry Blossoms Are Blooming Early From Tokyo to Washington
Bill Murray - AMS Weather Band Zoom: A Day That Changed Tornado Research - A Look Back at the 1974 Super Outbreak
James Spann - Storm of the Month webinar announcement/US NWS Warning Decision Training Division
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight on WeatherBrains is a very special guest. He's a leading expert in severe weather research at the NSSL. He's known for his work on tornadoes and severe weather climatology. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the science and it's an honor to have you with us tonight. Harold Brooks, welcome! It's also Harold's birthday - Happy Birthday Harold!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Pandemic effect on math scores (14:15)
- German Scientist Hans Ertel and his contribution to meteorology in WW2-Era Germany (18:30)
- Ertel/Carl-Gustaf Rossby relationship after WW2 (28:00)
- Chaos in numerical weather prediction (33:40)
- Ertel and the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (46:45)
- Bridging generations in meteorology (01:12:00)
- Complexities/cascade of uncertainty in science (01:15:20)
- Integrating behavioral science with physical science (01:21:00)
- Dealing with the problem of manufactured housing and tornadoes/severe weather dangers (01:27:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:37:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:47:25)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 947:
AMS Weather Band
Midland USA
Harold Brooks on X
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - March 13th, 1990 Hesston KS tornado
James Aydelott - Colorado ranchers sentenced after tampering with rain gauges to increase crop subsidies
Jen Narramore - NHC Tropical Cycle Report on Hurricane Otis (2023)
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Disappearing cities on US coasts
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Workshop on Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe Thunderstorm Research, Held 24-26 April, 2012 in Birmingham AL
Bill Murray - Weatherwise Magazine New Edition
James Spann - St. Elmos fire and lightning/plasma photo from pilot Joshua Cook
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight on WeatherBrains we are thrilled to welcome the dynamic duo of severe weather coverage from Channel 9 in Oklahoma City. Together they have captivated audiences with their commitment to keeping their communities safe and informed. They are both beloved figures in the State of Oklahoma and across the nation.
Our First WeatherBrain has been at the forefront of chasing and reporting on severe weather and other extreme weather in Oklahoma. He's an Oklahoma native and grew up in Edmond. He earned his education at OU and got an internship opportunity at the ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City before his first on-air opportunity at Channel 8 in Tulsa. David Payne, welcome to the show!
Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is an Oklahoma native known for her in depth analysis and engaging story telling. She earned her degree at the University of Oklahoma in Norman and had her internship at News 9 in Oklahoma City and took her first job in TV in Sioux City, Iowa. She brings a unique perspective to understanding the weather and our atmosphere. Lacey Swope, we are honored to have you join us on this week's episode.
Also stopping by the podcast is Zack and Nelson from TornadoTalk.com. Good to see you guys and welcome to the show!
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Upcoming social eclipse (0:30)
- Equipment/tech used by on-air staff at Channel 9 (16:45)
- Work/life balance during severe weather season (26:45)
- Outreach events/public outreach/social media engagement (31:00)
- Past memorable and notable severe weather events (50:20)
- Future of broadcast meteorology in the years ahead (01:01:45)
- 50th anniversary of April 1974 Super Outbreak (01:41:00)
- Southeast Severe Storms Symposium (01:44:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:17:43)
- E-Mail Segment (01:35:15)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 946:
David Payne on X
Lacey Swope on X
Tornado Talk - Get Hooked on Tornado History
Picks of the Week:
Tornado Talk - NWS Forecast Office Wilmington, OH
Bruce Jones - InciWeb Incident Information System
James Aydelott - Alana Brophy on X: Utah tumbleweeds
Jen Narramore - ***See TornadoTalk.com Pick
Rick Smith - NWS: Spring Safety 2024
Neil Jacobs - Environment Subcommittee Hearing: Winning in Weather: U.S. Competitiveness in Forecasting and Modeling
Troy Kimmel - NWS Reno LSR
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - NWS Huntsville building evacuated following fire
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
We're honored to be joined this week by Thomas Grazulis and his wife Doris! Tom is one of the world’s most knowledgeable experts on tornado climatology. He recently published the long-awaited update to Significant Tornadoes.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a former registered nurse with over 20 years of experience in nursing practice and education. He's also been a published author for over 3 decades and has managed the production and publication of numerous healthcare textbooks. He's now written an incredible book published in 2023 entitled "Donora Death Fog: Clean Air and the Tragedy of a Pennsylvania Mill Town", which discusses one of the most fascinating events in weather history from the historic Donora smog event of 1948. Andy McPhee, it's an honor to have you with us.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Value of historical societies in meteorological research(08:15)
- Factors of improvement of air pollution emissions (15:30)
- Industrial vs residential emissions (19:00)
- Geography and history of Donora (31:00)
- Significance of "Cement City" (48:00)
- Start of Oct 26th event/Donnie Dingbat (57:30)
- Origin of Donora town name and its originality (01:36:30)
- NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023 (01:47:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:22)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:45)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:
- E-Mail Segment (01:41:22)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 944:
"Donora Death Fog" by Andy McPhee
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Rancho Palos Verdes seeks emergency declaration as ground erodes4
James Aydelott - Convective Chronicles on X: Chico, CA radar favorable wind profile for tornadoes
Jen Narramore - Brandon Hulse on X: Weather reports
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - SeCAPS 2024
Troy Kimmel - Capital Weather Gang post on jet stream in Mid-Atlantic
Kim Klockow-McClain - Everything to Know About the Great Smog of 1952, as Seen on The Crown
Kim Klockow-McClain - Last Ones Left in a Toxic Kansas Town
Bill Murray - No Name Low storymap of Nov. 15-16, 2023/NWS Key West
James Spann - NWS Baltimore-Washington on X: Weather balloon launch data on upper level wind
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the author of the compelling and insightful book "Death Clouds on Mount Baldy: Tucson's Lost Tragedy". The book discusses and chronicles the harrowing 1958 blizzard in Arizona that stranded a pack of Boy Scouts and the extensive rescue effort that followed. Cathy Hufault, welcome to the show tonight.
Also joining us tonight is Cathy's brother, Ralph Coltrin. He's a key figure in the book as he was one of the boy scouts who decided to return to camp that day and was a survivor of the incident. His first hand experience offers us a profound and unique perspective on the events that unfolded as well as the lasting impacts.
Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can NOW get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- ChaserCon 2024 Summit (1:00)
- Baltimore 2024 AMS Annual meeting review (08:00)
- Discussion on 1958 Arizona blizzard (12:00)
- Enduring relationships following tragedy/Long-term impacts (32:45)
- Memorial erected on mountain (37:45)
- Colorado Emergency Managers Conference 2024/Role of Emergency Management in weather (01:19:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:13:02)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:15:50)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:25:30)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 943:
"Death Clouds on Mount Baldy: Tucson's Lost Tragedy" by Cathy Hufault
Midland Weather Radio
Picks of the Week:
Bruce Jones - Four people went hiking on Mt. Baldy during a mega storm. One is still missing.
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: KC Chiefs photo
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Twisters Official Trailer
Neil Jacobs - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Why Taking Risks Helps You Grow — and How to Do It
Bill Murray - Turbli Flight Turbulence Forecasts
Bill Murray - Weather Band Jamposium 2024
James Spann - 2024 NSCS Rolling Fork Panel
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain currently serves as the Director of the Global Water Security Center and at the Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama. He focuses on providing decision-makers with reliable information and innovative research on water and environmental security. He leads efforts to understand their impacts on society. His career has spanned 27 years as a command meteorologist in the U. S. Air Force, where he provided critical weather forecasting and analysis. Col. Mike Gremillion, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- National Weatherpersons Day 2024 (0:45)
- Applying military and scientific experience to managing water resources (08:00)
- National Water Center and Alabama Water Institute background explained (17:00)
- NOAA integration (19:30)
- Lessons learned from medical science communications applied to meteorology and hydrology (25:00)
- AI/emerging technologies and water management (33:00)
- Water supply vulnerability (38:30)
- Avoiding politics when establishing policy (57:00)
- Estimated rain totals from radar accuracy (01:00:00)
- Future/Vision of Global Water Security Center (01:04:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:33)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:12:52)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:14:55)
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 942:
Alabama Water Institute
Global Water Security Center
Picks of the Week:
Mike Gremillion - Space Weather Prediction Center
James Aydelott - Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Potential Breach Emergency Status increased to WATCH at Arkabutla Dam
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - When the Storm Online Is Worse Than the One Outside
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Our episode tonight is all about the AMS Annual Meeting 2024 live from Baltimore.
First up from the Conference is Ryan Lagerquist, NOAA employee and is a Research Scientist at CIRA (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere). He is a meteorologist by training and is heavily involved in machine learning research.
Joining us next on the show is the Chair for Coastal Artificial Intelligence at Texas A@M University-Corpus Christi and a Co-PI for the National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography, or AI2ES. Dr. Phillipe Tissot, thanks for dropping by tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Early reflections on AMS Annual Meeting (13:15)
- AI and the future of meteorology in general (16:00)
- Broad overview of AI and NWS Operations/Numerical weather prediction models (24:00)
- Community modeling/EPIC/UFS (32:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (53:03)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:02:45)
- E-Mail Segment (55:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 941:
2024 AMS Annual Meeting
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Brian Brettschneider on X: Fairbanks upper air sounding
Jen Narramore - Foghorn
Rick Smith - NWS SPC on X: 9 Years of SPC Outlooks
Neil Jacobs - Foghorn
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - A Change in the Weather: Understanding Public Usage of Weather Apps
James Spann - Kevin Kloesel on X: Rick Smith photo/meme
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a frequent contributor to the show and a friend of the podcast. He's a renowned expert in the field of hurricane tracking and reporting. He's known for his innovative use of technology and social media to deliver real time updates on storm developments. He's made significant contributions to hurricane awareness and safety. His insights and expertise make him a valuable voice in understanding the complexities of these powerful storms. Mark Sudduth, it's wonderful having you on the show tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- First ever hurricane chase online in 2005 (18:45)
- Cultivating sense of curiosity and fostering interests as a parent in the digital age (25:30)
- Preliminary thoughts on 2024 hurricane season (39:50)
- Preview of AMS 2024 Annual Meeting in Baltimore (55:45)
- Last week's Deep Freeze (01:06:45)
- Storm phobia/calming fear from general public concerning severe weather (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (48:55)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (50:55)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (53:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 940:
Mark Sudduth on X
HurricaneTrack.com
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Steve Piltz on X: Blow drying ice video
Jen Narramore - Woman scared of weather calls in fake burglary, police say
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Mesoscale Vortices Embedded within a Lake-Effect Shoreline Band
Troy Kimmel - Kalaloch WA Lodge Live Cam
Kim Klockow-McClain - Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain discusses connection between social science and weather
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - James Spann on X: JeffCo Alabama winter weather fun with canoe
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran of the show. He's a renowned Professor in Geographical Sciences at Arizona State University. He specializes in weather and climate studies and brings a wealth of experience to the field of meteorology. He's joining us tonight to discuss is new book. Randy Cerveny, it's an honor to have you on the show tonight.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Longest duration lightning flash (15:00)
- Controversial records/highest temperature recorded on the planet (17:45)
- Hurricane Katrina misconceptions (29:45)
- Media portrayal of weather events/public perception (44:40)
- NWS c0-op network (49:45)
- Celeste Saulo first female Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organization (55:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:02:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:04:06)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (01:05:55)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 939:
World Weather and Climate Extremes Archive
"Judging Extreme Weather: Climate Science in Action" by Randy Cerveny
Picks of the Week:
Randy Cerveny - NASA analysis confirms 2023 as warmest year on record
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Where this current cold snap ranks
James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "Parents getting that text message that school is out again Wednesday" Meme
Jen Narramore - The South Frankfort to Stamping Ground, KY F4 Tornado and Downburst Disaster of April 3, 1974
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - No joke: Feds banning humorous electronic messages on highways
Kim Klockow-McClain - Highway fatality signs may cause more car crashes
Bill Murray - Jason Goodson James Spann TikTok
James Spann - Rick Mitchell on X: Sunday Night Football cut-in issues
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a researcher and trainer at the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL). They conduct research on severe convective storms across Europe, climatology, forecasting and remote sensing. They gather reports of severe weather in the European severe weather database, organize conferences on severe storms, and facilitate the training of meteorologists on convective storm forecasting through courses and seminars. Tonights's Guest WeatherBrain also chases storms from time to time. Tomas Pucik, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- ESSL background (05:45)
- Memorable recent European weather events (18:45)
- European damage surveys vs American/International Fujita scale (24:00)
- Highlighted European storm chasing locations (32:30)
- European warning dissemination process (49:00)
- FAR/POD numbers in Europe (01:04:00)
- Issues with social media hype/clickbait in Europe vs America (01:06:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:23)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:11:53)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:
- E-Mail Segment (01:14:18)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 938:
European Severe Storms Laboratory
Tomas Pucik on X
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Ryan Hollister on X: Distant photo of Half Dome
Jen Narramore - WPC's Short Range Public Discussion
Rick Smith - Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - United States Power Outage Map
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show will be broken into two halves.
Our first Guest WeatherBrain is a retired Army noncommissioned officer with a background in special operations/weather. He currently does some work for streaming service WeatherNation as a field meteorologist. He's also a part time police officer as well as Founder/Director of the National Storm Chaser Summit. Erik Fox, it's an honor to have you join us for this first show of 2024.
The 2nd half of our inaugural 2024 show focuses on auroras and features a professional aurora chaser. He's a photographer and a PhD student at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He has a passion for space weather and shares his expertise through educational content and sharing his incredible aurora photography. Vincent Ledvina, welcome to the show.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Diving into WeatherNation (16:30)
- ChaserCon (19:00)
- Looking back at El Reno tornado (24:30)
- Dealing with problematic storm chasers on social media (41:30)
- Aurora science and key misconceptions (01:03:15)
- Factors contributing to 2024 auroras (01:06:00)
- How to start chasing auroras and tools needed (01:12:00)
- Upcoming equinox and improving aurora prospects (01:34:00)
- Polar stratospheric clouds (01:38:10)
- Farthest south for observable auroras (01:40:15)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (58:02)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:48:00)
- E-Mail Segment (01:45:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 937:
NSCS 2024
Erik Fox on X
Vincent Ledvina: The Aurora Guy on Facebook
NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center
Dr. Tamitha Skov on X
The Aurora Guy
Picks of the Week:
Vincent Ledvina - X5 Solar Flare Erupts from Sun
James Aydelott - Goodyear Blimp on X: Rose Bowl sunset view
Jen Narramore - Foghorn Wiki article
Rick Smith - Probabilistic Hazards Outlook
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Chris Vagasky on X: Snow Tornadoes
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show features a very special guest. He's been a beacon of knowledge and insight in the weather enterprise for decades. His passion for meteorology has inspired countless people to pursue careers in the weather field. He's a household name and a trusted voice who recently announce his retirement. He's retiring after a 45 year career at WGN-TV in Chicago. Tom Skilling, welcome!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- AI and meteorology (20:30)
- Impacts of high latitude blocking on weather (41:00)
- Teaching patterns and storylines with the public/growing literacy in broadcast meteorology (42:00)
- Dealing with social media communications during active weather (47:30)
- The importance of valuing viewers in broadcast meteorology (01:15:30)
- Historically challenging weather events to forecast (01:21:00)
- Filtering out and discerning misinformation online as a forecaster (01:27:00)
- Future of broadcast meteorology (01:34:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:03)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (01:45:40)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 936:
Tom Skilling on Facebook
45th Anniversary of Tom Skilling's first day on WGN-TV
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott - Kitten experiencing snow for first time, from Buitengebieden on X
Jen Narramore - Eight Minutes in August: The F5 Plainfield Tornado of 1990
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - The Man Who Fell From Space
Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
Kim Klockow-McClain - High Rise Twice the Size of Devon Tower Could Make Its Way To OKC
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Op Product Viewer
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is our annual year-ender with show veteran and weather legend and WPC/NOAA boss Greg Carbin. He's now a 31 year veteran with NOAA, and it's always an honor to have you join us.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Difficult flooding event on Atlantic coast 12/15-17(05:45)
- La Niña winter/Pacific NW snowfall (10:30)
- Ft. Lauderdale April flash flooding event (18:00)
- Summer Canadian wildfires/ridge anomaly (22:30)
- Extreme summertime Gulf Coast heat/records broken (26:00)
- July Vermont flooding (32:15)
- Hawaii/Maui fires (38:45)
- Hurricane Hilary (40:30)
- Rolling Fork MS tornado (45:55)
- Mid-June MS hailstorm (50:15)
- 2023 Atlantic hurricane season analysis (01:13:45)
- January 12th Selma tornado (01:18:45)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:17)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 935:
Subseasonal Forecasts Columbia University
Greg Carbin on X
Picks of the Week:
Greg Carbin - U.S. Streaks
James Aydelott - Irish woman whose forecast saved D-Day dies at 100
Jen Narramore - WX History on X: 12/18/18 Washington State tornado
Rick Smith - Out
Neil Jacobs - Out
Troy Kimmel - SERCC
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Geology Professor Shawn Willsey's Iceland Eruption Livestream
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.
Tonight's show is heading across the pond to talk tornadoes in Great Britain and Ireland. Also a hot topic is the severe weather event on 12/9 across the Southern U. S.
Our first Guest WeatherBrain is a damage site investigator for TORRO. She's been an active member of that organization for 17 years. TORRO’s most productive area of research involves members conducting tornado damage site investigations. Originally a satellite design engineer, she is an enthusiastic amateur meteorologist who tutors students in math for a living. Obsessed with both hiking and tornadoes, tornado site investigations provide an ideal opportunity to combine her interests. Although she lived in Ohio for 18 months as a teenager, she is yet to witness a tornado, though she did have practice in taking shelter in the basement when the tornado sirens went off. She lives in Hampshire with her husband. Sarah Horton, it's an honor to have you on the show!
Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Weather Risk Manager at DTN. He has worked in the organisation (formally MeteoGroup in Europe) for over 23 years, as both a shift forecaster and a line manager. Paul has been a member of both TORRO and the Royal Meteorological Society since the early 1990s, having been interested in weather since an early age. Paul is currently Head of TORRO – the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. He has been storm chasing in the USA 19 times and has witnessed many severe storms and tornadoes. He lives in Reading with his partner Helen (also a meteorologist), and their young daughter, Alana. Paul is a Chartered Meteorologist, as awarded by the Royal Meteorological Society. Paul Knightley, thanks so much for dropping by tonight.
Also joining us as Guest Panelist is show regular SOO Kevin Laws from the NWS Birmingham. He's been busy doing storm surveys the last couple of days after the weekend's severe weather across the South. It's always a pleasure to have you stop by, Kevin.
Last but certainly not least, joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain No.3 is the long team lead forecaster at the NWS Nashville TN. He's warned there since 2011 and next year marks 20 years of service in the NWS. He received his Bachelors Degree in Meteorology at Texas A&M and his Master's Degree from Mississippi State. He specializes in radar and warning operations. Sam Shamburger, it's an honor to have you on tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- 12/9/23 Middle TN tornadoes/analysis (08:45)
- Components/comparison of a damage survey in US vs UK (21:00)
- 12/10/21 vs 12/9/23 (27:00)
- Why doesn't the general public take Severe Thunderstorm Warnings seriously? (38:00)
- What is TORRO? (01:01:00)
- Differences in European tornadoes vs North America (01:02:00)
- Waterspout events in UK (01:14:45)
- Scale for tornadoes developed by TORRO/T-scale (01:20:00)
- Notable Great Britain/Ireland tornado events (01:23:00)
- What is the RMS and how can you get involved? (01:39:30)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:43:58)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:46:16)
- National Weather Round-Up
- E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
- and more!
Tonight's show is all about fire warnings and wildfire forecasting.
Our first Guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer with the NWS Norman. He's previously worked in Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland and Tulsa NWS. He recently received the Charles L Mitchell Award for his years of work in fire weather forecasting. Todd Lindley, thanks for joining us tonight.
Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Deputy Fire Management Chief of the Oklahoma Forestry Services. He's responsible for both fighting fires on the ground as well as prescribed fire management. He's also part of the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team One. Drew Daily, thanks for being a part of the show.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- What is a Deputy Fire Management Chief? (09:10)
- NWS Fire Weather Program (13:30)
- Current state of fire prediction (17:45)
- What are fuels and how do we acquire that information and account for it? (23:00)
- Red Flag Thread Index (27:00)
- Role of media in wildfire preparation and awareness (36:00)
- Invasive species/Red Cedar and fire threat (40:00)
- Outside variables for controlled burns (45:30)
- Diurnal range of energy release component (58:00)
- Satellites and wildfire detection (01:02:00)
- What is column collapse? (01:30:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:41:27)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:43:30)
- National Weather Round-Up (01:49:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:45:30)
Tonight's first WeatherBrain is the suggestion of listener Edward Shaw and is a previous alumni of the show. He's a professor in the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg. He is a native of Roanoke Virginia and studied environmental science as an undergraduate before completing his graduate work through the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State. Dave Carroll, welcome to the show.
Our second Guest WeatherBrain is an associate professor of geography and meteorology at Ball State University in Muncie. He received his meteorology degree with honors from Penn State and an advanced degree in geography from Syracuse University. David Call, welcome to the show.
Also stopping by as our Guest Panelist is Stephanie Zick, an assistant professor and core faculty member for Virginia Tech's B. S. meteorology program. She's a tropical weather expert as well as numerical weather prediction and model forecast verification expert who joined Virginia Tech University in 2016. Thanks for joining us!
Tonight will be a Thanksgiving week homegrown show with the regular panelists.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
Tonight we will be discussing the Weather Pods Disaster Relief Telethon being held this Saturday, November 18th benefitting the American Red Cross. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a former broadcast meteorologist for Birmingham's CBS 42 and now works in higher education. It's an honor to have you on the show tonight. Ashley Gann, welcome to WeatherBrains. Also stopping by as Guest Panelist is the proprietor of the Chaser Chat weather podcast. Gabe Harber, welcome to the show.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. He grew up in Central Florida. He's a TV meteorologist and hurricane specialist. He was previously the chief meteorologist for WTVJ-TV in Miami where he became well-known for his excellent coverage of 1992's Hurricane Andrew, and subequently became Director of Meteorology for WFOR-TV, and a hurricane analyst for CBS News in New York City. He currently works for Fox Weather in NYC. Bryan Norcross, it's an honor to have you on the show tonight.
Tonight's show is the idea of friend of the podcast Jeremy Bower. Tonight's Guest Panelist has appeared on several previous WeatherBrains episodes and is an accomplished photographer. He won 2nd place in the 2022 AMS Weatherband Photo Contest. He owns JRB Storm Photography and is employed by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Jeremy Bower, welcome back. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS Omaha since 1988. He worked directly under the legendary Dr. Ted Fujita as a graduate student at the University of Chicago. He's celebrating his upcoming retirement at the end of this month. Brian Smith, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain served as the WCM at the NWS Seattle from 1977 until 2018, specializing in decision support and enhancing forecast systems. He's remained active in emergency preparedness in retirement and has served on various committees. He teaches at the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center and provides weather support for major events. He graduated from Oregon State University in Atmospheric Science. Ted Buehner, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a long time weather warrior and legend in the meteorology field who is retiring from television. For two decades, he worked as chief meteorologist for WKRG-TV in Mobile, AL. Born in New York, Sealls holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Cornell University and Florida State, respectively. He worked at television stations in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Illinois before settling in Mobile in 1999. Alan Sealls, it's an honor to have you on the show tonight.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain reports the weather on Good Morning Kansas and Good Morning KAKEland. He attended the University of Kansas. Before joining KAKE-TV in 2013, he worked across Indiana and Kansas with a lot of forecasting experience with lake effect snow and tornadoes. He holds a CBM from the AMS and an NWA seal-holder. Frank Waugh, welcome to the show tonight. Also joining the show tonight is WAKE-TV Multimedia Producer Lester Rowe. He's also a filmmaker and has participated in numerous film festivals.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Indiana State Climate Office in the Midwestern Regional Climate Center as well as the Operations Manager of the Purdue Mesonet. With over 25 years of climate service experience, she's dedicated her efforts toward identifying opportunities for climate data to be transformed into decision support tools and resources. Her research interests throughout her career have focused on climate applications and operational climate tools for stakeholders and decision support needs. Dr. Beth Hall, welcome to WeatherBrains.
Tonight's is a homegrown show that's all about numerical weather prediction, led by our very own Dr. Neil Jacobs.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain earned his Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is the Chief Hydrologist of the NWS Southeast River Forecast Center. John Schmidt, welcome to the show! Our Guest Panelist is astronomy guru and Astronomy Outlook host Tony Rice who talks eclipses.
Tonight's podcast comes to you live from the NWA Annual Meeting 2023 in Kansas City. Stopping by to chat includes the MIC at the NWS in Louisville John Gordon, Milwaukee's WISN-12 Chief Met Mark Baden, NWS Norman's Vivek Mahale, SPC's and friend of the show Greg Carbin, Chief Meteorologist for KMBC-TV Kansas City Bryan Busby, MIC for NWS Houston Jeffry Evans, KAIT-TV's Ryan Vaughan, NWS Director Ken Graham, NWS Deputy Director Michelle Mainelli and meteorologist Todd Yakoubian. Thanks so much for visiting with us tonight.
Our Guest WeatherBrain No. 1 this week is the Chief of Science Support at the Storm Prediction Center. Patrick Marsh, welcome back to the podcast! Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 is the Lead Forecaster/Operations Branch at the Storm Prediction Center and has been with the agency for 23 years. Rich Thompson, thanks for joining us!
Our Guest WeatherBrain this week is an Emmy-award winning CBS morning meteorologist for WLNS-TV in Lansing, Michigan. She's a prolific TikToker and YouTuber, and recently became CBM # 918. Katie Nickolaou, welcome to WeatherBrains. Also stopping by later in the show is storm chaser and show regular Mark Sudduth live from the Florida coast ahead of the landfall of Idalia.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a social scientist senior Hazard and Risk Management Researcher at GNS Science in New Zealand. Dr. Sally Potter, welcome to the podcast.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist for Xcel Energy in Denver, CO. He's also a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor's Degree in meteorology. Andrew Markowitz, thanks for joining us tonight!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Senior Forecaster at the NWS in Tulsa, OK. She earned her Master's Degree at OU specializing on heat bursts. Karen Hatfield, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain was a suggestion of listener of the show Jay Farlow. She's a graduate of Valparaiso University. Her first job out of college was as a TV meteorologist at WATE-TV in Knoxville, TN. Tabitha Bartoe, we are honored to have you join us tonight.
Tonight's episode topic relates to current issues and the projected future of the Great Salt Lake. Our first Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a professor in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. He's an air quality expert as well as air quality issues relating to the shrinking of the Great Salt Lake. Dr. Kevin Perry, we are honored to have you on tonight.
Tonight's episode focuses on the important issue of beach safety. Our first Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the Beach Safety Chief for Gulf Shores, Alabama. Joethen Phillips, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a student at Mississippi State University, pursuing a Degree in Meteorology. Scott Brown, welcome! Additionally, we welcome the Beach Safety Chief for neighboring Orange Beach, Alabama. Brett Lesinger, welcome to the show. On deck is a meteorologist at NWS-Wilmington. She's in charge of their surf and rip current forecast products. Victoria Oliva, welcome! Last but certainly not least, we are excited to entertain Morgan Berry, who is a meteorologist at the NWS-Mobile.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a well-known veteran of the show. He's the Science and Operations Officer for the National Weather Service in Birmingham, AL. Kevin Laws, good to see you again! We are also honored to have a fellow meteorologist at the NWS Birmingham featured on tonight's episode. A graduate of UNC-Asheville's meteorology program, he's been with NWS Birmingham since 2015. Gerald Satterwhite, thanks for taking some time to chat tonight.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Emmy-award winning weekend evening meteorologist at WDRB-TV-42 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Alabama native got her degree in meteorology from Mississippi State. Hanna Strong, welcome to the show! Also joining us tonight is the Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference. Greg Sankey, it's an honor to have you tonight.
Our topic on this episode focuses on the National Weather Service's 2nd Annual National Women's Conference. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the new MIC for the NWS in Duluth, MN. She was on the planning committee for this year's Annual National Women's Conference and currently works at NWS El Paso. Laren Reynolds, welcome! Also on deck is the Deputy Regional Director and speaker of the Annual National Women's Conference. She's is currently the Meteorologist in Charge for the National Weather Service (NWS) Southern Region Regional Operations Center (SR ROC) in Fort Worth, TX. Jennifer McNatt, welcome. Next on deck is a former NWS El Paso forecaster and current the Senior Forecaster at NWS Atlanta-Peachtree City. She's the newly-minted Warning Coordination Meteorologist in Lubbock, TX. Marissa Pazos, welcome! WeatherBrains also welcomes as Guest WeatherBrain the current Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Mobile. She also the NWS Southern Region Federal Women's Special Emphasis Program Manager. Jessica Chase, welcome to the show! Our Guest Panelist last appeared on show 822 in October 2021. He's the current Lead Forecaster at the NWS El Paso office. Tim Brice, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a previous guest on the show, appearing on the podcast back in April 2010. He is a professor of geographical sciences at ASU, where he has taught since 1986. He serves as Rapporteur on Extreme Records for the United Nations/World Meteorological Organization, and in this connection is responsible for researching and verifying global weather records. Randall Cerveny, thanks for joining us tonight!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Assistant Chief of Staff for Capabilities and Requirements for the US Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Commander Douglas Pearman, welcome to the show!
Also joining us is a Lieutenant Commander and Public Affairs Officer for the US Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Bobby Dixon, welcome!
We focus tonight on Typhoon Mawar, which recently struck the island of Guam in the western Pacific. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain previously appeared on show 854. He's the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Guam. He's been there since June of 2010 as a Forecaster, and WCM since 2020. Landon Aydlett, welcome! Also with us tonight is the Science and Operations Officer for NWS Guam. He's been with the NWS for 13 years. He's also the NWS Guam's Tropical Cyclone Program leader, and he handles their social media accounts. Brandon Aydlett, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Tulsa, Oklahoma native. He's the Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Dr. DaNa Carlis, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the WCM at the NWS Indianapolis. He graduated with a degree in meteorology from Purdue University. He will be the on-site meteorologist for this year's Indy 500. Sam Lashley, welcome! Also joining us tonight is AlabamaWX Blog's very own Scott Martin. He earned his operational meteorology certificate from Mississippi State University in 2015. In May 2021, he received his Bachelor's in Geosciences Operational Meteorology from Mississippi State. He co-founded Racecast Weather in 2014 as a way to combine his love of racing and weather. Scott, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain works for OU as a Research Associate at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations. His primary role is connecting research to the needs of Emergency Management personnel. He also volunteers with McClain County, Oklahoma EMA. David Hogg, welcome! Also joining us on tonight's episode is special guest and Kansas native Andrea Burns. She's an Extension Agent for K-State Research and Extension. Her background is in Agriculture and Natural Resources and she regularly works with local farmers and those in horticulture. Thanks for joining us. Last but certainly not least, joining us is a meteorologist at Kansas State University. He runs the Kansas Mesonet and works in the State Climate Office. He also works in predictive services for the Kansas Forest Service. He was born and raised in Ohio. Chip Redmond, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center and is formerly with the Environmental Protection Agency. He oversees the NHC’s Storm Surge Unit, which produces official storm surge forecasts during tropical cyclone threats to the United States, and facilitates post-storm response and recovery efforts. Jamie Rhome, thanks for dropping by tonight.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jay Farlow. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He earned his PhD in Atmospheric Sciences and is now a research scientist at the University of Illinois. His research interests include weather analysis and forecasting, computational fluid dynamics / numerical weather prediction, severe convective storms including thunderstorms and tornadoes; the role of microphysical processes in mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), and hurricane track and intensity prediction. Dr. Brian Jewett, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an internationally-renown Atmospheric Scientist with a PhD in Atmospheric and Climate Sciences from Sorbonne Universités – Paris, France, which ranks 35 globally and 1st in France. After her PhD, Dr. Francis worked for more than 10 years in Academia and Scientific Research at different prestigious institutions in Europe including the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique (CEA) and the European Commission (EC). She is presently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Head of the Engeos Lab at Khalifa University in the UAE. Dr. Diana Francis, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Virginian author of eight books, including the nonfiction "Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas"; an account of the 1955 F5 tornado that struck Udall, Kansas. He's also an English professor and a professional farmer. Jim Minick, thanks for joining us tonight!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a renowned speaker, prolific author, and meteorologist at the Bahamas Bureau of Meteorology. He recently published a book about Hurricane Dorian. He previously appeared on the show in early 2020. Wayne Neely, thanks for joining us tonight!
This episode focuses on "OU Nightly", a student-ran and student-lead news program that airs across the state of Oklahoma. Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a senior at the University of Oklahoma studying broadcast meteorology. She's from Silver Spring, Maryland and is a senior weather producer for OU Nightly. Catherine Liberta, welcome. Also joining us as Guest WeatherBrain is senior OU meteorology student and senior weather producer for OU Nightly. Colton Williams, thanks for joining us. Last but not least, joining us as Guest WeatherBrain No. 3 is the research data specialist in the OU school of meteorology. He manages technology for the School of Meteorology and is an advisor for the Oklahoma Weather Lab and is the weather advisor for OU Nightly. Shawn Riley, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a new faculty member in the Department of Geography at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where she teaches forecasting, mesoscale, and synoptic meteorology. She earned her undergraduate degree at Penn State University, and earned her Master's degree and PhD at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She predominately uses mobile radar data to look at supercells and tornadoes, and emphasizes her analysis on tornadogenesis and tornadic rotation. She also investigates the role that terrain and variations in landcover play in tornado modification. Dr. Jana Houser, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has had a lifetime passion for severe weather. She started storm chasing in 2018, and is a self-taught forecaster. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Good Morning America and the Today Show. She has a B.A. in Environmental Communication and an M.S. in Technical Journalism and Communication. She's also a writer, public speaker and educator. Jen Walton, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our show tonight comes on the 30th anniversary of the historic Blizzard of 1993. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain wrote and directed the new movie "Supercell", which will be released March 17th, 2023 in theaters, in digital and on-demand. He completed his MFA and BA from USC School of Film in 2011. He was one of the youngest to ever to direct, edit, and produce an NBC primetime drama show called "Siberia". In 2015, he created Swipemarket, a creative agency focused on bringing entertainment to Silicon Valley. He has directed and produced over 200 campaigns for brands including HP enterprise and Intel. Herbert James Winterstern, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Founder and CEO of Climavision, based out of Louisville Kentucky since mid-2021. He was previously an Aviation Weather Specialist in the USAF, and served in the Washington State and Massachusetts Air National Guard. He also worked for WSI for over 15 years. He also served as CEO of Enterprise Electronics Corporation. Chris Goode, welcome! Our Guest Panelist tonight is a suggestion of friend of the podcast Johnny Parker. He's the Chief Meteorologist at KVUE-TV in Austin, Texas. Hunter Williams, thanks for coming on the show tonight.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an expert on the Global Lightning Mapper. He's a NOAA Physical Scientist who splits time between offices at the University of Maryland and Kent State University. He's a graduate of Ohio State University in 2004 as well as Florida State University in 2007 and 2011. Dr. Scott Rudlosky, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist, oceanographer, and science educator turned historian of science. She authored "Weather by the Numbers: The Genesis of Modern Meteorology". She currently works for the Department of Science Education at the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Kristine Harper, welcome! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is a mesoscale/outlook forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK. She's been at the National Weather Service since 2002, and started her career as a student volunteer at the NWS in Norman. She's also the first woman to ever issue a convective watch at the SPC. Elizabeth Leitman, welcome! Our Guest Panelist this week is is a meteorologist from Texas with a M.S. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is an advocate for the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature and is working with legislators in Texas to educate and implement policy changes across the state for heat safety. In addition, he is a GitHub code developer who has made a a self install script for the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) which has had over 2500 downloads across 80 countries. Will Hathaway, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jeremy Bower. He's the Public Outreach Manager in the Community Engagement section of the American Meteorological Society. We will be focusing our discussion tonight on the AMS Weather Band. Gideon Alegado, welcome to the show.
Our show tonight focuses on forecasting and defining snow squalls and what qualifies as a snow squall, why the public should pay attention, and the difficulty of the science of forecasting winter weather events. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in State College, Pennsylvania. He previously joined us back on show 877. John Banghoff, great to see you again! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is also a 30-year veteran meteorologist at NWS State College PA. He's the Lead Forecaster at NWS State College, and is passionate about winter storms and winter weather forecasting. Greg DeVoir, welcome! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS in State College PA. Michael Jurewicz, welcome!
Tonight's episode focuses on how and why Waymo is essentially employing their fleet of autonomously driven vehicles as mobile weather stations and what it enables. By combining Waymo’s autonomous driving sensor suite — complete with cameras, radar, and lidar —with high-quality ground-truth data from weather visibility sensors, Waymo’s engineers created a new quantitative metric about meteorological visibility that allows the Waymo Driver to generate estimates about the current weather and environmental states it's operating under.
Tonight's show focuses on the tornado outbreak on January 12th, 2023 in Central Alabama. Our first Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at WSFA-TV in Montgomery. Josh Johnson, thanks for coming on the show. Also joining us is WSFA-TV Meteorologist Amanda Curran. Amanda, thanks for joining us. We also appreciate the crew from the NWS Birmingham coming on the show tonight. Kevin Laws (Science and Operations Officer at NWS BHM) and Warning Coordination Meteorologist John De Block, welcome back! Also stopping by to chat from NWS Birmingham is meteorologist Jason Davis. We appreciate you sharing your insight and expertise with us on tonight's show.
Tonight's show focuses on the Penn State Campus Weather Service, which is the oldest and largest student-run forecast organization in the country. Founded in 1972, it has over 100 active members and provides weather forecasts for 11 regions in Pennsylvania.
Tonight we come to you live from the 2023 AMS Annual Meeting in Denver Colorado with a number of special guests dropping in! Along with our regulars, you'll hear from special guests including Dr. David John Gagne, Kathryn Prociv, Dr. Tracey Fanara, Dr. Timothy Gallaudet and many more!
Tonight's show is the suggestion of Honorary Guest Booking Officer Jay Farlow. He suggested our first Guest WeatherBrain, who he says he had the pleasure of meeting at Valparaiso University. Tonight's first two Guest WeatherBrains are WGRZ-TV Buffalo's broadcast meteorologists Elyse Smith and Carl Lam. Also joining us as third Guest WeatherBrain is an expert on Emergency Services and Disaster Response at the University of Buffalo. Dr. Natalie Simpson, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Editor of the Monthly Weather Review and previously appeared on the show back in May and is one of the most well respected and well-known meteorologists on the planet. He is is Professor of Synoptic Meteorology in the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester. Dr. David Schultz, welcome back to the show!
NOAA's Greg Carbin returns for our annual year ender on WeatherBrains with his 10 weather weather events of 2022. Also joining us tonight is friend of the podcast Chris White. Our first Guest WeatherBrain is retiring after 40 years as a TV meteorologist on WDBJ-TV in Roanoke. He previously appeared on WeatherBrains episode 533. Robin Reid, welcome to the podcast!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a Doctoral student at the University Oklahoma. He works as a researcher with the Behavioral Insights Unit at NOAA's NSSL. Joseph Trujillo Falcón, welcome to the show!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is the WCM at the NWS in Paducah, Kentucky. Christine Wielgos, thank you for joining us! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Lead Forecaster at the NWS in Louisville, Kentucky. Dan McKemy. Welcome! Guest WeatherBrain No.3 is the Chief Meteorologist for WPSD-TV Local 6 in Paducah, Kentucky. Trent Okerson, thanks for joining us! Last but certainly not least is WPSD Local 6 TV Meteorologist Noah Bergren. Noah earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State. Welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is friend of the podcast. He previously appeared on the show in 2019 and twice in 2015. He's a former Deputy Chief of Staff of the NWS and Acting Chief of Staff and President of the NWA. He's currently the SOO at the NWS Boulder. Paul Schlatter, welcome! Our second Guest WeatherBrain joined the NWS Boulder in late 2021 after 3 years at the NWS San Diego. Bruno Rodriguez, thanks for joining us tonight!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a previous guest and the owner and caretaker of HurricaneTrack.com. Mark Sudduth, welcome back!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a NOAA Account Manager at Esri. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology from Ohio University and her Master's at the University of Oklahoma in Geoinformatics. Nicole Grams, welcome! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the WCM at WFO-Cheyenne, Wyoming. He previously was a Senior Forecaster at WFO Austin-San Antonio as well as a WFO and student employee at NWS Jackson, MS. He earned his Bachelor's and Masters Degree at Mississippi State University. Jared Allen, welcome to WeatherBrains!
It's a two-part show tonight. Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist at the Central Pennsylvania NWS Weather Forecast Office in State College. John Banghoff, welcome! Our second guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS in Phoenix, AZ. He's been with the NWS since 2002. Paul Iniquez, thanks for joining us! We also welcome several special guests tonight. Loyal listener Rusty Griffith has an incredible story to share. Justin Smith and his newlywed rode out Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida and he is here with us tonight to share his story. Thanks for being on the show tonight!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS in Jackson, Kentucky. Dustin Jordan, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our show tonight is the brainchild of loyal listener and fellow weather geek Rick Haltermon, who will also be joining us as a guest on tonight's show. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up in southwest Oklahoma and has a background in Emergency Management. He has worked extensively with Kansas agriculture producers and has experience communicating weather threats and risk through the lens of farming and ranching. David Hogg, thanks for joining us! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the incoming Commissioner on the Commission on Professional Affairs. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, most recently working as an on-camera meteorologist for WNBC, the flagship TV station of the NBC-owned station group. She also currently serves on the AMS Council, the AMS Board on Best Practices, and the AMS Board on Enterprise Economic Development. Erica Grow, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorology student at Millersville University and is a contributor to TornadoTalk.com. Nelson Tucker, welcome to the show! Also joining us as our second Guest WeatherBrain is KVUE-TV meteorologist Jordan Darensbourg. He has a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from Jackson State University. He also received a Bachelor of Arts and Communication with an emphasis on Broadcasting from Mississippi State University. He's a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Weather and Climate Task Force, and the American Meteorological Society. Jordan, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist from NBC 2 in Fort Myers, Florida. Allyson Rae, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain was a suggestion of listener Harvey Day. He's an Emmy Award-winning TV meteorologist at WTSP in Tampa. He attended the University of Florida and then to Mississippi State University to study meteorology. Rich Fields, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of meteorologist Anna Wolverton. He is the SOO (Science Operations Officer) at the National Weather Service in Jackson, MS. He's held this position since 2015, and he's been with the NWS since 1999. He graduated from Northeast Louisiana University (Now ULM) in 1998. Chad Entremont, welcome to WeatherBrains! Also briefly joining us is the creator of HurricaneTrack.com, Mark Sudduth. Thanks for joining us, Mark!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a weather sensation and well-known YouTuber. He was born and raised in eastern Kentucky. He is an American meteorological analyst and YouTube personality. He is best known for his weather forecast discussions, a weather model commentary show centered on forecasting short term and long term weather events. Ryan started creating weather videos online when he was only 14 years old. He created a website that aimed to predict school closings in his local area and drew thousands of visitors per season. His current YouTube channel, “Ryan Hall, Y’all” was created in 2012. However, no content was actually uploaded to this channel until January of 2021, when he started making his weather themed videos. Ryan Hall, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up in Athens, Alabama. She earned her degree in meteorology at the University of South Alabama, and earned her graduate degree at Mississippi State University. She is the MIC (meteorologist-in-charge) at the NWS Forecast Office in Nashville, TN. She's been employed by the NWS for over 20 years and has previously worked at the NWS offices in Amarillo, Memphis, and Huntsville. Krissy Hurley, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Research Meteorologist for the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University, and works from home in Enid, Oklahoma. He earned is B. S. in Meteorology at SUNY Oswego in 1986 and his M. S. in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University in 1988. Throughout his 34-year career, currently contracted with the National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL), he has been at the forefront of the research-to-operations (R2O) process of new technology for improving NWS severe weather and tornado warnings. He was a NWA Board of Directors member from 2016-2018, and coordinator of the NWA Research Operations Nexus (RON) Meetups between 2015-2020. Greg Stumpf, welcome to the show!
Tonight's show is a suggestion of friend of the podcast Chris White. We are pleased to welcome the producers of the Across the Sky podcast. Meteorologist Kirsten Lang joins us from Tulsa Word. Meteorologist Joseph Martucci is a meteorologist for the Atlantic City Press and is on the show with us tonight. Last but certainly not least, it's a pleasure to welcome Sean Sublette on tonight's podcast. He's a familiar face with many years of service with Climate Central. He's now the Chief Meteorologist at Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Tonight's show comes to you from the NWA Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA. The panel presents several contributors of this year's conference along with our regular contributors. Thanks for listening!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a Fleet Representative at the US Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Ivory Reinert, welcome!
Joining as second Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Watch Officer at the US Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Lieutenant Chris Wilson, welcome to the show!
Tonight is a special show discussing the Lakeland Weather Club. Joining us as the first of several Guest WeatherBrains is author Dorna Schroeter. Welcome! Our next Guest WeatherBrain might have more impact on the field of meteorology than almost any other person. He's had a positive impact on the thousands of students he's had. He was nominated by his former students and recognized with an AMS special award for his innovative leadership in teaching meteorology at the high school level while mentoring and inspiring his students. Jim Witt, welcome! Also joining us is the DIrector of the Hurricane Research Division at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorology Laboratories for NOAA. Dr. Frank Marks, thanks for joining. Karl Silverman retired as a Lead Forecaster in the Space Flight meteorology group at Johnson Space Center. Thanks for joining. Greg Tripoli became the Chair of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a New Jersey based writer and editor who covers sustainability, wildlife and weather for publications like the BBC, Scientific American, Weather.com, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and National Geographic. Ally Hirschlag, welcome to the show! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist for the Washington Post. He does routine forecasts on MPR as well as CTV News. Matthew Cappucci, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an AMS-certified broadcast meteorologist and weather content consultant. Tim Heller, welcome! Guest Panelist tonight is a longtime friend of the show. He's a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Cliff Mass, thanks for joining us!
This week, we introduce our new full-time Panelist to the show. He's been Chief Meteorologist for FOX23 in Tulsa Oklahoma for over 12 years. James Aydelott, welcome aboard!!! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a guest suggestion. He's a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska. He is also the director of TORUS (Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells), where he quite literally flies in the face of storms, seeking the reasons some supercell thunderstorms generate tornadoes while others do not. His project, a collaboration with the University of Colorado, NOAA and the University of Oklahoma, includes manned aircraft, fixed wing drones and on-the-ground instruments mounted in SUVs. His goal is to improve forecasting and increase public safety by reducing false alarms. He is in the midst of a research season, the first since COVID, where for the first time his group will provide real-time data to National Weather Service meteorologists for their forecasts. He attended Texas A&M for his undergraduate studies and attended the University of Illinois for his phD. Dr. Adam Houston, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She was a broadcast meteorologist at WTVM-TV in Columbus, Georgia. Since February 2022, she became the lead Forensic Meteorologist for Atlas Forensic Meteorology. Anna Sims, welcome! Also joining the show as Guest Panelist #1 is meteorologist Sam Lane Gould. He's worked in Tulsa, Joplin and Panama City, Florida. He's now the Senior Forensic Meteorologist at Atlas Forensic Meteorology. Sam, welcome! In addition, welcome Guest Panelist #2 Jim LaDue. He works as an instructor for the National Weather Service Warning Training Division. Welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are the co-chairs of the Joint Conference for Weather Warnings and Communication as well as the Broadcast Meteorology Conference. Tonight's show will be looking at the highlights of the conference and what many in the meteorology community took away from the experience. Robbie Berg is a Senior Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Jennifer Spinney is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Disaster and Emergency Management at York University. Robbie and Jennifer, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the owner of HurricaneTrack.com. Mark Sudduth, welcome back to the show!
Tonight's show is a home-grown discussion with the panel on all things weather. Join our hosts for another episode of the longest running weather podcast on Earth!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain graduated with a degree in environmental geography. He's a storm chaser and weather enthusiast, as well as a photographer. Larry Snow Fleury, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a retired Rear Admiral and Chief Oceanographer for the US Navy. He's also a former NOAA Chief Operating Officer, and Director for the Center of Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, and a professor of meteorology at Penn State. Admiral David Titley, welcome!
Our show tonight focuses on looking back at notable TV meteorologists and their impact on the science of meteorology and broadcasting as a whole. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is is a meteorologist and journalist based in Boulder, Colorado. He has written on weather and climate for the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Weather Underground, and many freelance venues. Bob Henson, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Communication and Public Affairs Officer at NOAA's National Hurricane Center. He's worked for NOAA for over 20 years and prior to that he worked almost three decades as a broadcast meteorologist. He's retiring on June 1st. Dennis Feltgen, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Editor of the Monthly Weather Review. He's at the University of Manchester in the UK. He earned his undergraduate degree at MIT and then studied at the University of Washington for his Masters. He then attended New York State University for his phD. He then worked at NSSL, and then became a Professor of Experimental Meteorology at the University of Helsinki. David Shultz, welcome! Joining as Guest Panelist is meteorologist and weather historian Sean Potter. Thanks for joining us!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up in Rockford, Illinois. He graduated with a BS in meteorology from NIU, and started his career in broadcast meteorology in 1999. He eventually became the Chief Meteorologist at WREX-TV in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois. He has since entered the political arena and is now running for Congress in the state of Illinois. Eric Sorensen, welcome!
Tonight is another "homegrown" show featuring our regulars. Joining the regular panel is an appearance by Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Lindsey.
Our guest WeatherBrain is an up and comer in the NWS. He is the National Science and Operations Officer and National Development Operations Hydrologist for the NWS. He previously worked at NWS offices in Oregon and Amarillo, Texas. Dr. Stephen Bieda, welcome to the show! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Science Operations Officer at the NWS at Birmingham. Kevin Laws, welcome back!
Our guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Wichita, Kansas, where he's held the position since 1995. Chance Hayes, welcome to the show! Joining us as Guest Panelist is KAIT-8 TV Meteorologist Ryan Vaughan. Welcome!
Tonight's show involves a very important and seldom discussed topic in the weather industry. Our guest WeatherBrain and special guest is the Director of the NOAA Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Program. Kelly Bonner, welcome! Also joining us as Guest Panelist is ABC 33/40 meteorologist Taylor Sorrello. Thanks for joining us, Taylor!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain holds his meteorology degree from the University of Oklahoma. He's a member of the NWA and AMS. He is KNWA-TV's Chief Meteorologist Dan Skoff. Also joining the show as Guest Panelist is KNWA-TV meteorologist Mike Susko. He earned his bachelor's degree in meteorology from Penn State University. Mike, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain was raised on a farm in El Dorado, Kansas. He got his first job as afternoon announcer at KOYY radio, and has worked at several radio stations throughout his career. He earned his Broadcast Meteorology certification at Mississippi State in 2006. He is the President and co-founder of The Storm Report. Dan Holiday, welcome to WeatherBrains! Also joining us on this episode is photojournalist Brian Emfinger. He grew up in Arkansas and he's been a photojournalist for 10 years. A few years ago he started storm chasing full-time. Brian, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jeremy Bower. She's a physical volcanologist at the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program and an honorary research assistant at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. She completed her Bachelor's and Master's degree at the University of Waikato. She completed her phD at the University of Pittsburg. Dr. Janine Krippner, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the emeritus senior policy fellow at the AMS from 2000-2021. He founded and then directed the AMS Summer Policy Colloquium for 21 years. He was Director of the Policy Program from 2001-2013 and also served as AMS associate executive director. From 1967 to 2000, he worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and antecedent agencies, including tenures as Deputy Chief Scientist and Acting Chief Scientist of NOAA, and eighteen months as Senior Scientist in the Office of the Secretary of Commerce. Dr. Bill Hooke, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is from St. Louis. She's a master instructor at the NWS Leadership Academy. She studied meteorology at the University of Missouri and earned her Master's degree at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. She's worked at WFOs in St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri. Christina Crowe, welcome!
Tonight's show is a homegrown discussion on numerical weather prediction led by Dr. Neil Jacobs.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a senior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in meteorology and minoring in broadcasting and mathematics. She's the senior weather producer at OU Nightly and is also the weekend meteorologist for News12-TV in Sherman, TX. Mikayla Smith, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are a husband and wife weather team. He is an award-winning meteorologist for The Weather Channel. He's an Ohio native and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Atmospheric Science from Ohio State University. He's been with The Weather Channel since 2003. She's been a CNN and HLN on-air broadcast meteorologist since 2015. She graduated with a degree in Atmospheric Science from Ohio State and received an Emmy nomination for her coverage of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Mike Bettes and Allison Chinchar, Welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the Deputy Division Directors of the National Science Foundation. She attended Iowa State University and was a recipient of the George Washington Carver Scholarship. She is the first African American woman to receive an undergraduate degree in meteorology from Iowa State. She also received a double masters in both meteorology and water resources. Dr. Kandis Boyd, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado. She's also the Director of the Natural Hazards Center. She's also a principle investigator for the CONVERGE Facility, which is a facility dedicated to improving research coordination and disaster research. Dr. Lori Peek, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist who writes for the Capital Weather Gang. Camden Walker, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio. He's a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Paul Huttner, welcome! Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is a professor of meteorology at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Steven Businger, welcome to the show!
Tonight is yet another homegrown show. Tonight we discuss the recent winter weather event and the challenges of snow forecasting for the meteorological community in general.
Tonight's show is a homegrown roundtable discussion of all things weather related. Join us!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has appeared on shows 203, 513, 609, 655 and 712. He's the science operations officer for the NWS in Paducah, Kentucky. He also served as the Commissioner of Committees for the NWA. Pat Spoden, welcome! Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is from New Zealand and has provided life-saving information regarding wildfires in California. Michael Sylvester, welcome!
Enjoy a Weatherbrains Christmas gift to you with a heartwarming story all ages will enjoy, "Christmas Eve with The Weather Lady", written by Janet L. Chestnut. "Christmas Eve with The Weather Lady" is the first story in The Weather Lady stories written by Janet L. Chestnut from Nashville. The stories were inspired by Janet's memories of growing up in the Midwest and her love of weather.
Our Guest WeatherBrains are both Dr. Bob Henson and Greg Carbin. Greg Carbin is the Chief of Forecast Operations for the WPC. Welcome back both Bob and Greg! Tonight's Guest Panelist has been a member of the First Alert Storm Team at WBKO-TV at Bowling Green, KY since 2001. He's a member of the NWA and earned his Broadcast Seal of Approval in November 2006. He's been honored 4 times by the Kentucky AP for Best Weather Anchor in TV Division 2. Shane Holinde, welcome!
Our Guest WeatherBrain was the first African-American female to receive an undergraduate degree in Meteorology from Iowa State University, and she entered NOAA as an operational meteorologist at the Des Moines Weather Forecast Office. She's held many positions over her 27 year career in federal government including 13 years as an operational hydrologist and operational meteorologist with the National Weather service. Dr. Kandis Boyd, welcome back to the show! Also joining us as Guest Panelist is TV meteorologist at Action New 5 in Memphis. He started his career at KAIT in Jonesboro, Arkansas, which is a sister station of Action News 5. Spencer came to Memphis from WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama where he was the chief meteorologist. Prior to that, he worked at the CBS station in Huntsville as a weekend and morning meteorologist. Spencer Denton, welcome! In addition, one of the main writers and researchers for Tornado Talk joins us for this discussion. He's a student at Millersville University. Nelson Tucker, welcome!
This week's guest WeatherBrain attended the University of Wisconsin where he earned his phD. He has spent over 50 years in the field of meteorology and 43 years as a public servant. Tonight, we celebrate the career of this legend of the weather community. Dr. Louis Uccellini, welcome to the show! Tonight's Guest Panelist has been the Chief Meteorologist for KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington for the last ten years. Morgan Palmer, welcome to the show!
This week's guest WeatherBrain is a Phoenix based professional photographer, spending half the year shooting weddings and doing family portraits, and the other half chasing storms across the central plains of the United States and then back home in Arizona for monsoon season. He loves his wife Jina and three kids, Asher, Eli and Lyla, and enjoys drinking an old fashion while watching Succession on down days. Specializing in time-lapse and storm photography, Mike's work has been licensed by major companies like Marvel Studios, Nat Geo, Al Gore, the BBC, Microsoft, Canon, Pearl Jam, Blake Shelton, Amblin Entertainment just to name a few. Mark Olbinski, welcome to WeatherBrains!
This week's guest WeatherBrain is a writer, navigator and an explorer. He is the Sunday Times bestselling author of "The Walkers Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs", one of the world's only books related to natural navigation. He's written for Sunday Times, New York Times, and the BBC. He recently wrote a book called "The Secret World of Weather". Tristan Gooley, welcome to WeatherBrains!
This week we welcome two friends of the podcast. Dr. John Knox, who is a Professor at the University of Georgia, and Nick Walker, Retired On-Camera Meteorologist from The Weather Channel.
This week's guest WeatherBrain is a Dr. Peter Thuesen, a Professor of Religious Studies and Adjunct Professor of American Studies at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). A historian of American religion, he is author, most recently, of Tornado God: American Religion and Violent Weather (Oxford, 2020), which received the 2021 Christianity Today Book Award for History/Biography.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Travis Farncombe, one of the executive producers on the film Thirteen Minutes . He is also an avid storm chaser.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are two legends. Our first WeatherBrain is an American meteorologist and prolific severe convective storms researcher. He is a seminal contributor to the modern conception of the supercell thunderstorm. Charles Doswell, welcome to WeatherBrains! Joining us as second Guest WeatherBrain ranks among the world's foremost experts on wind damage to the built environment. In addition to being a structural forensic engineer and meteorologist, he is a pioneering storm chaser. He has conducted more than 10,000 damage surveys of hailstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes over the past 40+ years. Dr. Tim Marshall, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Meteorologist Investigator for the NTSB. He's been with the NTSB since January 2011, serving in the Office of Aviation Safety. He has served as a Meteorologist Investigator in more than 500 accidents including Spaceship 2, Flight 214 in San Fransisco, and the Caribbean Flight 523 in Guyana. He has a B.S. in Meteorology and M. S. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University. Paul Suffren, welcome back to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of longtime friend of the podcast, Tim Brice, who also will be onboard tonight as Guest Panelist. He's a Senior Forecaster for the NWS in El Paso, TX. Welcome Tim! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the country's premier crisis communications and media response experts. He trains thousands yearly and is award-winning television director and former news anchor. His seminar "Crisis Communications And Media Response Training For Today's Leaders" is still being discussed to audiences around the world including National Weather Service meteorologists. Richard Brundage, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the current President of the AMS and is the new director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Dr. Mike Farrar, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest Panelist has been on the show several times prior. He runs a weather blog and a chaser convention, among other things. We welcome back friend of the podcast, Chris White! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an award-winning journalist and author. He's written several books, and in 2019 received the Overseas Press Club Award for the best Human Rights Reporting in any medium. He also won the Amnesty International Award for Foreign Reporting. Jeff Stern, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a legend in the field of meteorology. He grew up in northwestern Kanas. He he attended Southwestern College with the goal of becoming a basketball couch. He served in the U. S. Air Force and was eventually assigned to Okinawa. He earned his Masters Degree and phD at Florida State University and soon became a forecaster for the National Hurricane Center in 1961, and made Director from 1974-1987. He then worked as Chief Meteorologist at KHO-TV in Houston, Texas until 2008. Dr. Neil Frank, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist chases extreme weather like hurricanes. He's also a veteran the the show. Mark Sudduth, welcome back to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest Panelist is a lifetime member of the National Weather Association. She's also a recipient of the 2020 NWA Special Act Award. Dr. Kandis Boyd, welcome to the show! Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma and holds a PhD in Meteorology. Dr. Caleb Fulton, welcome! Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, focusing on radar development. Dr. David Bodine, welcome! Our Third Guest WeatherBrain is MIT's Jim Kurdzo. Welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has worked for NOAA for nearly 18 years, with most of that time being with the National Weather Service in various roles. Her current acting role is the Acting Deputy Director for the National Weather Service Office of Organizational Excellence. She has a Bachelor's in Meteorology from Penn State and a Masters in Science Technology Studies from Virginia Tech and is pursuing a Certification in Facilitation from Georgetown University. Andrea Bleistine, welcome! Our Second Guest WeatherBrain has worked for the National Weather Service for over 30 years. She spent 15 years at the National Hurricane Center in Miami as a Hurricane Specialist. She has a Bachelor's in Meteorology, a Master's in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and a MBA in Technology Management. Her current role is Director of the National Weather Service Office of Dissemination.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a former NWS employee who led the agency in developing innovative ways to communicate high impact weather threats to decision-makers and the general public. Gary Szatkowski, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an American scientist and former government official who served as the acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He's previously appeared on the show. Dr. Neil Jacobs, welcome back! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is a WeatherBrains alum and an American structural and forensic engineer as well as meteorologist, concentrating on damage analysis, particularly that from wind and other weather phenomena. He is also a pioneering storm chaser and was editor of Storm Track magazine. Dr. Tim Marshall, welcome back to the show! Last but certainly not least, we welcome Special Guest founder of the legendary band Wet Willie. Jimmy Hall, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest Panelist is the founder of NashSevereWX, the definitive source for Music City weather information. David Drobny, welcome back! Tonight's second Guest Panelist is a legend of The Weather Channel fame. He spent 33 years as a Lead Forecaster and on-camera meteorologist for The Weather Channel. Tom Moore, welcome to the show! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains were a suggestion of Richard Cooke. They are the co-founders of Tornado Trackers. With a background, our first WeatherBrain made it possible to make a career out of capturing storm footage. Residing in Georgetown, Texas, we welcome Gabe Cox! Our second Guest WeatherBrain grew up in Austin, Texas. He spent 23 years as a Pastor, and just last year made the transition to broadcast meteorology. He's currently enrolled in Mississippi State's meteorology program. Jeff Mangum, welcome! Tonight's third Guest WeatherBrain resides in the State of Colorado. He grew up fascinated by severe weather growing up in Nebraska. Jeremy Hamann, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a United States Army veteran. He was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He's a storm chaser, and he founded the Pawnee Storm Chasers in Colorado. He's also a photographer, vidoeographer as well as a mental health advocate. Parker Koppes, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an award-winning TV meteorologist and storm specialist for the Weather Channel. He has a Bachelor's Degree in meteorology and environmental science physics from Rutgers University. He holds a Master's Degree in atmospheric sciences from Georgia Tech. Mark Elliott, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up in Massachusetts. He got his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and his phD from the University of Washington. He's been a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for almost three decades in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences . Dr. Jonathan Martin, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Project Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research as part of the Research Applications Laboratory Weather Systems and Assessment Program, specializing in research at the intersections of transportation, weather, climate and artificial intelligence. Dr. Curtis Walker, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an American treasure. He has been a fixture of journalism in the U.S. since the mid-1960s with a long career at CBS and in a variety of other positions. He earned his JD from Washburn University School of Law in 1966, but a tornado sent him in a different director. Bill Kurtis, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first WeatherBrain is a lifelong weather enthusiast, storm chaser and a photographer. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He's also a former TV meteorologist. Chris Manzeck, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a research meteorologist at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. She specializes in collecting observations in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. In her free time, she volunteers at the National Weather Museum and Science Center in Norman, OK. Elizabeth Smith, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Harold Brooks, welcome back! Also joining us tonight as our second Guest WeatherBrain is originally from Poland and is a phD student at the University of Oklahoma. She's also a classically trained musician. Paulina Cwik, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a storm chaser, photographer, hiking addict and rock climber. Aaron Rigsby, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is famous for reverse engineering The Weather Channel's amazing technology, the WeatherSTAR. Mike Bates, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist of FOX 23 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He got his meteorology degree from OU, and started his career at KXII-TV in Sherman, Texas. He's also worked in Savannah, Georgia and Wichita, Kansas. James Aydelotte, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains were a suggestion by loyal WeatherBrains listener Steve Holmes. Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain has been the Chief Meteorologist at KOAM in Joplin, MO since 2003. He holds the NMA and AMS seals of certification. Doug Heady, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain works at the National Weather Service Headquarters as IDSS Coordinator (Impact Based Decision Support Services). Prior to that, he worked at Central Region Headquarters as IDSS Program Manager. Prior, he worked the NWS Springfield Missouri for roughly 20 years. Andy Foster, welcome to the show! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is no stranger to the show, having appeared on several prior episodes. Storm chaser Jeff Piotrowski, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggested of fan of the show Ken Hogle. He's a former Air Force Meteorologist and is now an Adventurer/Photographer. Michael DeYoung, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains feature two SOOS (Science and Operations Officers). From North Platte's NWS office, welcome John Stoppkotte! We are also honored to have as our Guest WeatherBrain the SOO for the NWS in Dodge City, Kansas. Aaron Johnson, thanks for joining us. Tonight's Guest Panelist appeared on show # 671 "Facebook Brains". He's the owner of JRB Storm Photography. Jeremy Bower, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Systems Analyst for the Department of Agronomy for Iowa State University. He is also Program Assistant at Iowa State University and Higher Education Consultant. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Meteorology from Iowa State University in 2001. Daryl Herzmann, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain led a panel discussion at the 101st Annual Meeting of the AMS this year about a multidisciplinary approach to reduce the astronomical cost of certain weather disasters. He's a team lead instructor at the Warning Decision Training Branch at the NWS in Norman. James LaDue, welcome back to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain has written several books on the economics of tornadoes. He also has researched the economic impact of the WSR 88-D radar network. Dr. Kevin Simmons, welcome! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of Public Affairs and Economic Development, to help provide Moore's ongoing story with community resilience. She's been through all of Moore's major tornadoes and had a part in helping with Moore's response from its disasters. Deidre Ebrey, Welcome! Our fourth Guest WeatherBrain is a structural and wind engineer from Trinidad and Tobago. For over twenty years, his research addresses the widening gap between poor performance of residential structures in high wind events and the limited structural engineering within these structures. His research identifies engineering solutions that reduces wind damage to buildings from tornadoes and hurricanes. He is a professor at the University of Florida. Dr. David Prevatt, welcome! Our fifth Guest WeatherBrain is the Managing Director of Research at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Dr. Tanya Brown-Giammanco, thanks for joining us!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Chief Meteorologist for WHNT-19 TV in Huntsville and a former meteorologist for ABC 33/40. Jason Simpson, welcome back! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the former MIC at the NWS in Birmingham who was working on 4/27/11. Jim Stefkovich, welcome! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is the SOO for the NWS Birmingham. Kevin Laws, welcome! Our fourth Guest WeatherBrain is the MIC for the NWS Birmingham. Chris Darden, welcome back! Also joining the show is former ABC 33/40 TV meteorologist John Oldshue. Lastly, the Head of the Warning Research and Development Division of NOAA's NSSL joins the show. Alan Gerard, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at WJHL-TV in Johnson City, Tennessee. Mark Reynolds, welcome! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Paul Bayrs, welcome! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee. David Hotz, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at ABC 11 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's been in broadcast meteorology since 1991. He was named Chief Meteorologist in in 2007. Chris Hohmann, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Emergency Coordinator for central Carolina amateur radio Skywarn. She's been volunteering with the NWS since 2005. She's also a SKYWARN class instructor. Virginia Enzor, welcome! Our third guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Raleigh. He's been with the NWS since 1999. He's worked at the NWS offices in Newport, Morehead City, Tampa, Flagstaff and Raleigh, where he's been since 2012. Nick Petro, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a leading authority on weather, climate and human affairs. He served as a contributing author and expert reviewer for the IPCC. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Meteorological Society. Awards include the Eduard Bruckner Prize for interdisciplinary climate research and the Sally Hacker and Louis J. Battan book prizes. He studied astronomy and atmospheric science before earning his phD in history from Princeton University. Dr. James Fleming, welcome! Tonight's first Guest Panelist is the Head Weather Ready Nation Ambassador. Doug Hildebrand, welcome! Also returning to the show as Guest Panelist is friend and former regular of the show, Dr. John Scala. Welcome back! Coral Arroyo and Cory Demko also join the panel to discuss the AMS Weather Band.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is John De Block, who is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Birmingham. Welcome back to the show! Also joining us as second Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Meteorology at at the University of Georgia. He's made several prior appearances on WeatherBrains. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. John Knox, welcome back to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has done more things in meteorology than we can mention, but we will say that he won the National Weather Association Lifetime Achievement Award for improving marine safety through increasing the number of marine weather observations. David Gilhousen...welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Director of Research and Modeling at WeatherFlow, Inc. An engineer and meteorological scientist by trade, He leads WeatherFlow’s forecast systems and severe storm product development, overseeing a talented team capable of turning innovative ideas into functioning systems. An avid outdoorsman and observational meteorologist, He brings a unique blend of academic and applied skills to the company since joining in 2011. Dr. Marty Bell, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the world's leading experts on tornadoes from an engineering perspective. He's a veteran and friend of the podcast, having appeared in several prior episodes. Tim Marshall, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the General Manager for the Hampton in Fultondale. Her hotel was destroyed by an EF3 tornado in January. Lisa Stone, welcome! Also joining the show as Guest Panelist is Jason Davis, the General Forecaster at the NWS in Birmingham. He is the one who issued the warning on the night of the EF3 in Fultondale.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain earned his PhD in atmospheric and space sciences from the University of Michigan. He was part of the team that transitioned the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) from research to operations at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center - the first such transition of a physics-based numerical geospace model. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a developer for the SWMF and studies both the physics of space weather and advancements in space weather forecasting. Dr. Daniel Welling, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the suggestion of Friend of the Podcast Jay Farlow. Our Guest Panelist is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Indianapolis. Sam Lashley, welcome!
This week's Guest WeatherBrain is the former Director of NOAA. Dr. Neil Jacobs, welcome to WeatherBrains!
This week's Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. He last appeared on August 27, 2015, on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. He was the MIC at the NWS in Slidell then. He has since gone on to become the Director of the National Hurricane Center. Ken Graham: Welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University where she studies the human side of meteorology. She is also this year’s president-elect for the National Weather Association.
Dr. Kathy Sherman-Morris, welcome to the Show! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is a Lecturer in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University and the Chief Meteorologist at KAGS TV. His research interests are diverse and include public perception of weather information and public response to hazards. Christopher Nunley, welcome to the Show! Tonight's Guest Panelist is no stranger to the show, and former regular panelist, Rick Smith. Rick is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Norman, OK.
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Director of the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Rebecca Morss, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is a research scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) Lab with the Weather Risks and Decisions in Society (WRaDS) research group. Julie DeMuth, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's third Guest WeatherBrain is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He has his Ph.D. in Quanitative Psychology. Stephen Strader, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's final Guest WeatherBrain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at Villanova University. His appearances are becoming sort of an annual Spring occurrence. Stephen Broomell, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is NOAA's Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and the Director of the National Weather Service. In that role, he's responsible for all the day to day civilian weather operations for the United States territories and adjacent waters. Dr. Louis Uccellini, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our Guest Panelist is Jamie Morrow, who is the Executive Officer at the National Weather Headquarters. Jamie, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a friend of the podcast. He's appeared on show 437 back in 2014 and show 339 in July 2012. He's the Chief of the Statistical Modeling Branch at the Meteorological Development Laboratory. He's also a former President of the NWA. Jeff Craven, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Lead Forecaster in the Operations Branch at the Storm Prediction Center. He appeared on show 410 in December 2013. Roger Edwards, welcome back to the show! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain retired as a Chief of the SPC's Science Support Branch in July 2018 after an amazing 46 year career. Also joining us as Guest Panelist is the new morning meteorologist joining Aubrey at WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, VA. John Stevens, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist for WGN-TV in Chicago. He earned his degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tom Skilling, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are the two co-chairs for the overall planning committee for the AMS annual meeting, which begins on January 10th. Our very own Nate Johnson joins Tanja Fransen this week. She's the MIC at the NWS in Glasgow, Montana. Tanja, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Greg Carbin with our annual year-ender. Greg is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Earth System Science Engineering at the University of Michigan. He received his Master's in Meteorology from Penn State in 2017. He is now working on his Doctorate and his areas of research include convective storms and cloud microphysics. Scott Loeffler, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University, where he specializes in severe storms research. He is recipient of NWA's Fujita Award and AMS's Editor's Award. He served as Chief Editor of the AMS Journal of Weather and Forecasting. He is the Associate Department Head at Penn State and oversees the Master's and PhD programs in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. Paul Markowski, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Marketing Manager for Reach Cyber Charter School in Harrisburg, PA. He's also adjunct instructor in meteorology at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. He also is a part time broadcast meteorologist for WNEP-TV in Scranton, PA. Scott Stuccio, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Marketing Manager for Reach Cyber Charter School in Harrisburg, PA. He's also adjunct instructor in meteorology at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. He also is a part time broadcast meteorologist for WNEP-TV in Scranton, PA. Scott Stuccio, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a friend of the show, having appeared on shows 331, 292, and 254. Those shows were named "JB push the blue button", "It looks like a Vienna Sausage" and "What's that smell", tree of the more notoriously named shows. He pens the monthly weather history column Retrospective in Weatherwise magazine and has recently penned a book for AMS books about Cleveland Abbe. Sean Potter, welcome back to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a civil servant and a meteorological instructor for NOAA's National Weather Service. Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in northern Indiana. Michael Lewis, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the evening meteorologist at Iowa's News Now, a CBS and Fox affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He studied meteorology at Western Illinois University and has been working in television since 2015. Nick Stewart, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain retired last year after 45 years as a television meteorologist in the midwest. He's the former Chief Meteorologist at Iowa's News Now and operates the weather website TSwails.com. Terry Swails, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. He's a graduate of Ohio State University. Brad Panovich, welcome! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is a graduate of NC State University. He works at WGHP-TV in Greensboro, NC. Van Denton, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of Tony Rice. He earned his Bachelor's in Meteorology from Virginia Tech University. He's served as a Forecaster at the NWS offices in Raleigh and Blacksburg and currently is the Executive Officer at the NWS HD. James Morrow, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a West Virginia born, raised, and schooled aerospace engineer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hurricane Hunters. Since 2016, Nick has served as an aircrew member aboard NOAA’s fleet of research aircraft supporting a number of science missions including Arctic sea ice surveys, marine mammal surveys, atmospheric river reconnaissance, and hurricane research and reconnaissance. To date, he has flown into 16 hurricanes across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, including Hurricanes Irma, Florence, and Dorian. Nick is also pursuing a master’s degree in physical oceanography at the University of South Florida. He is passionate about sharing NOAA’s mission of environmental stewardship, promoting hurricane awareness, and STEM education. Nick Underwood, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is one of the organizers of the Annual Indiana Storm Chasers Convention in Indianapolis. She has a B.S in Professional Meteorology and Climatology from Ball State University, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. She interned under Chief Meteorologist Brian Wilkes at FOX59 WXIN Indianapolis for a year, and also interned at the National Weather Service Indianapolis. She's a co-owner and consulting meteorologist at Thermdynamic Solutions LLC (TDS Weather). She issues daily forecasts for various industries in the Mid-West including snow removal and landscaping, hospitals, sporting and outdoor venues, golf courses, agriculture, and more. Beth Carpenter, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain #1 is a meteorologist and Sounding Solution Manager at Vaisala. Chris Vagasky, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain #2 is also a meteorologist at Vaisala. Ron Holle, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Chief Scientist for Weather Operations in the United States Air Force. He's also the 2020 President-elect of the AMS. Mike Farrar, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Chief Meteorologist at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. Betsy Kling, welcome back!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Phd candidate at Penn State University and an alumni of the University of Nebraska. Dylan Steinkruger, welcome to the show! Tonight's Guest Panelist is an alumni of Penn State University. She is a former broadcast meteorologist for WDEF-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is Public Affair Manager for the Insurance Institute for Businesss and Home Safety. Christina Gropp, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest Panelist is the owner of The Guardian Canary. He is a meteorologist who earned his degree from the University of South Alabama and is a former NWS employee. Scott Elmore, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a native Texan who grew up in Belton, Texas. He earned a Law Degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He then became a broadcast meteorologist on KWTX-TV and retired in 2011. He worked as a police legal advisor and a criminal prosecutor for 24 years in Bell County, Texas. Lon Curtis, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Chief Meteorologist at FOX 23 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He's working on his Master's Degree and is even a pilot! James Aydelott, welcome t o the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has over 40 years experience in broadcast meteorology. He currently works at WIVB-TV in Buffalo, NY. Don Paul, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is former ABC 33/40 broadcast meteorologist and longtime friend of the show John Oldshue. He discusses the recent landfall of Category 2 Hurricane Sally in Baldwin County, Alabama.
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is known as the "Sprite chaser". He travels around North America to document this phenomenon and holds workshops to help others enjoy the beauty of this phenomenon. He is originally from the UK and moved to Canada in 2000. Paul Smith, welcome! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is a musician, songwriter, filmmaker and professional storm chaser from Houston, Texas. Hank Schyma, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain was suggested by ABC 33/40 meteorologist Taylor Sarallo. He's a meteorologist, storm chaser, computer scientist and innovator. He's the Data Services Manager at Baron services. Matt Havin, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, LA. Donald Jones, welcome!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain appeared on show 616 in November 2017. He is a Senior Meteorologist at Cheniere Energy in Houston and a Managing Editor for Space City Weather. Matt Lanza, welcome back to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist has appeared on the show twice in 2014 and 2015. She is Vice President of Customer Success of at Athenium Analytics, a risk assessment company that provides weather peril analysis. Cyrene-Marie Arnold, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Storm Surge Unit at the National Hurricane Center. Jamie Rhome, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is earned his Master's and Doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University, and finished his undergraduate study in math and physics at the University of South Carolina. He is the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, performing the duties of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Dr. Neil Jacobs, welcome to the show! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is an Associate Professor at Ohio State University, where he also earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Dr. Jay Hobgood, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Science and Operations Officer for the NWS in Birmingham. Kevin Laws, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is the Severe Weather Services Program Leader for the National Weather Service. Greg Schoor, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain for this episode is Todd Lericos, the Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) of the National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Las Vegas, NV, a position he has held since November, 2012. Todd grew up in Southwest Florida and began his career in meteorology by joining the Air Force in 1991 as a Weather Observer. His first assignment was Homestead AFB, arriving just eight months before Hurricane Andrew hit the base in August, 1992. Welcome! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is Alan Gerard, the President of the Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on the education and scholarship aspects of the National Weather Association.
Tonight's show is the suggestion of friend of the show Jay Farlow. Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is Chief Meteorologist for WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio. She's originally from upstate New York and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology. McCall Vrydaghs, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is an insurance industry meteorologist and operations analyst. He works for Assurant Specialty Property in the Dayton, OH area. Bryan Wood, welcome to the show! Guest WeatherBrain #3 tonight is a Forecaster at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, NC. Andy Hatzos, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a graduate of Yale, Brown, and MIT. He earned his PhD in Environmental Policy from MIT. He is also an accomplished author. Eric Jay Dolin, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is the head of Golden Gate Weather Services in the Bay Area of California. He's a certified consulting meteorologist, lecturer, and forecaster. He worked at the NWS from 1974-1997. Jan Null, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Meteorologist in Charge at the NWS in Louisville, KY. John Gordon, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a friend of the show. He's a current meteorology student at Mississippi State University. Alex Forbes, welcome back to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is Chief of the Forecast Services Division of the National Weather Service. Eli Jacks, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a 20 year veteran in broadcasting and has experience working with the EMA in Texas. Brian Swiatowy, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Special Guest is the lead singer and harmonica play for the legendary Alabama-based band Wet Willie. He was born in Birmingham and grew up in Mobile. Jimmy Hall, welcome! Our Guest WeatherBrain is the Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service Office in Juneau, Alaska. A veteran of the show, he was last on the podcast in 2012. Jeff Garmon, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a long-time member of the National Weather Association and American Meteorological Society. He's currently the Deputy Program Manager of the ASOS Program for the NWS. Ken Carey, welcome!
Our Guest WeatherBrain is an Air Force Hurricane Hunter. He grew up near Manassas, Virginia and graduated from James Madison University. Captain Kelsie Carpenter, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's first Guest Panelist is a friend of the show, having appeared on shows 447, 653, and 702. He's a storm chaser and runs his own weather blog. Chris White, welcome to WeatherBrains! Also joining us as Guest Panelist is ABC 33/40 meteorologist Taylor Sarallo. Welcome to the show!
Our first Guest WeatherBrain is the Emergency Management Specialist with the Atlanta-Fulton County EMA. He's also a member of the NWA and AMS. Chayne Sparagowski, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Meteorologist In Charge of the NWS in San Diego, where he's been in that role since October 2017. Previously he was the MIC in Key West FL, New Orleans, Houston and Galveston TX. He's a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Matt Moreland, welcome back to the show! Our third Guest WeatherBrain is a Meteorologist and Implementation Manager at AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions in Wichita KS. Thomas Bedard, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our first Guest WeatherBrain on tonight's show has her background in psychology and sociology. She's the President and Chief Executive Officer for Smart Home America. Julie Shiyou-Woodard, welcome to the show! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is a PhD from Texas Tech. He's the Senior Director of Product Design and Lead Meteorologist at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety Research Center. Dr. Ian Giammanco, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a retired Operational Satellite meteorologist who worked for 36 years for NOAA/NESDIS. He still provides support for Broadcast Meteorologists all over the country who rely on his knowledge of satellite data to improve their forecasts. Sheldon Kusselson, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain founded Weather Decision Technologies, creator of RadarScope, in April 1999. Before that, he worked at NSSL for 18 years, with the final 7 years as Assistant Director. Today, he's Senior VP for DTN, the largest private weather service in the world. Mike Eilts, welcome to the show!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mobile. She earned her Undergraduate Degree from Ball State University. Morgan Barry, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is also a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mobile. He previously interned at the NWS offices in Shreveport and Tulsa. Cody Lindsey, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer from the NWS in Birmingham, Alabama. Kevin Laws, welcome to the show! Also joining us as our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Meteorologist In Charge for the NWS Birmingham. Chis Darden, welcome!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Robbie Berg, welcome to the show! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is Storm Surge Specialist and Team Lead at the National Hurricane Center. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Meteorology from North Carolina State University. Jami Rhome, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain received his Bachelor's Degree in meteorology from Penn State University, and earned his Master's and Doctorate Degrees at the University of Chicago, where he studied tornadoes under Dr. Ted Fujita. He joined the Weather Channel in 1999 and became their tornado and severe weather expert. Dr. Greg Forbes, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain has spent the last 19 years producing, directing, shooting and editing national programs for public television. Michael Rossi, welcome to WeatherBrains! Guest Panelist tonight is a Research Scientist who works at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. She studies the social issues that emerge alongside weather and climate hazards and is currently writing a biography about Dr. Ted Fujita. Jen Henderson, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief of the Climate Monitoring Section of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, NC. Deke Arndt, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain has been a meteorologist at the National Weather Service forecast office in Norman, Oklahoma for over 26 years. Doug Speheger, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at KTUL-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While covering the history May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak, he was working at KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, OK. Dan Threlkeld, welcome to the show! Our final Guest WeatherBrain served as the Chief Meteorologist at KWTV News 9 in Oklahoma City from 1972 to 2013. Gary England, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is an Assistant Professor in Engineering at Auburn University. Dr. David Roueche, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest WeatherBrain is an Assistant Professor in Geography at Villanova University. Dr. Stephen Strader, welcome! Tonight's third Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Scientist at the University of Oklahoma Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms. Dr. Daphne LaDue, welcome to the show!
Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain was recommended by listener Jay Farlow. He is the principal of Salem High School in southern Indiana. Troy Albert, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's second Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of Public Relations for Vestavia Hills City Schools. He is also an Executive Officer with the Alabama School of Public Relations Association. Whit McGhee, welcome to the show!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a radio meteorologist for The Storm Report. She gives daily forecasts for almost 60 different cities around the United States. She's also the owner of TornadoTalk.com, which is a dynamic and information packed website all about tornado history. Jen Narramore, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Senior Research Scientist with the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) and since 2000 has been an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Mississippi. His Bachelor's degree is in mathematics from the University of Chicago and his Master's and PhD are from Columbia University. Dr. Roger Waxler, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our Guest Panelist was the 2016 NWA Broadcaster of the Year. He's the Chief Meteorologist at KAIT-TV 8 in Jonesboro, AR. Ryan Vaughan, welcome to the show! Tonight's second Guest Panelist is from the Carolina Weather Group. Shea Gibson, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a recent return guest to the show. He is the former Chief Meteorologist and current broadcast meteorologist and forecaster at NBC10 in Philadelphia, PA. He is also now a published author. Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our Guest Panelist is a former television broadcast meteorologist and producer. He now works as an Emergency Management Meteorologist for Tenet HealthCare, which is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Brian James, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our second Guest Panelist joins us from the Storm Front Freaks weather podcast. Brady Harris, welcome to the show!