WeatherBrains 1035: Sass Not Class
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1034: A Little Fitz'd Out
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1033: Maximum Hemorrhoid Outage
WeatherBrains
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?...
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WeatherBrains 1032: Wasteland of Nothing
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1031: Date With A Razor
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1030: Bad Hombre Not Far Away
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1029: The Guy That Looks Like Big Bird
WeatherBrains
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....
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WeatherBrains 1028: Spanking Going On
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1027: Toilets Were Overflowing
WeatherBrains
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...
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WeatherBrains 1026: Together Is The Best Way
WeatherBrains
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...
info_outlineOur 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:
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.