WeatherBrains
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!
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WeatherBrains 1035: Sass Not Class
11/18/2025
WeatherBrains 1035: Sass Not Class
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: Picks of the Week: Jeff Medlin - Nicholas Dunn - James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1034: A Little Fitz'd Out
11/11/2025
WeatherBrains 1034: A Little Fitz'd Out
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: Picks of the Week: Tom Hultquist - James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1033: Maximum Hemorrhoid Outage
11/04/2025
WeatherBrains 1033: Maximum Hemorrhoid Outage
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: Picks of the Week: Tom Paylor - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - NWS Atlanta weather observation comment controversy Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1032: Wasteland of Nothing
10/28/2025
WeatherBrains 1032: Wasteland of Nothing
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: Picks of the Week: Dr. Jerry Brotzge - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1031: Date With A Razor
10/21/2025
WeatherBrains 1031: Date With A Razor
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: Picks of the Week: Jen Carfagno - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1030: Bad Hombre Not Far Away
10/14/2025
WeatherBrains 1030: Bad Hombre Not Far Away
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: Picks of the Week: Joe Lauria - Bryan Busby - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1029: The Guy That Looks Like Big Bird
10/07/2025
WeatherBrains 1029: The Guy That Looks Like Big Bird
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1028: Spanking Going On
09/30/2025
WeatherBrains 1028: Spanking Going On
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1027: Toilets Were Overflowing
09/23/2025
WeatherBrains 1027: Toilets Were Overflowing
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: Picks of the Week: Randy Bowers - Kevin Laws - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Foghorn Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1026: Together Is The Best Way
09/16/2025
WeatherBrains 1026: Together Is The Best Way
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: Picks of the Week: Melissa Marcelloni - Chris White - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1025: Back Of A Caged Patrol Car
09/09/2025
WeatherBrains 1025: Back Of A Caged Patrol Car
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Foghorn Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1024: Tokin' On A Number
09/03/2025
WeatherBrains 1024: Tokin' On A Number
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: Picks of the Week: Dr. Barbara Boustead - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1023B: Me And 8 Million Bags
08/26/2025
WeatherBrains 1023B: Me And 8 Million Bags
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1023A: NWA 2025 Preview
08/26/2025
WeatherBrains 1023A: NWA 2025 Preview
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1022: Tighter Than A Tick’s Butt
08/19/2025
WeatherBrains 1022: Tighter Than A Tick’s Butt
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1021: I’m Glad You Wear Pants Now
08/12/2025
WeatherBrains 1021: I’m Glad You Wear Pants Now
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: Picks of the Week: Trey Greenwood - James Aydelott - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Official launch of the Alabama Weather Network Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1020: Slashing Tires
08/05/2025
WeatherBrains 1020: Slashing Tires
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: Picks of the Week: Evan Fryberger - Evan Fryberger - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1019: Colon Cleansing
07/29/2025
WeatherBrains 1019: Colon Cleansing
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1018: He Got His Crotch Caught
07/22/2025
WeatherBrains 1018: He Got His Crotch Caught
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: Picks of the Week: David Payne - Barbara Merckx - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1017: Jenny8675309
07/15/2025
WeatherBrains 1017: Jenny8675309
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: Picks of the Week: John Banghoff - James Aydelott - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1016: A Time For Sorrow
07/08/2025
WeatherBrains 1016: A Time For Sorrow
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Samaritan's Purse/Convoy of Hope Texas Flood Tragedy Fundraising Campaigns Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Wine Fish John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1015: Not Clear and Concise
07/01/2025
WeatherBrains 1015: Not Clear and Concise
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: Picks of the Week: Lars Lowinski - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1014: Among the Daywalkers
06/24/2025
WeatherBrains 1014: Among the Daywalkers
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: Picks of the Week: Becca Mazur - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1013: Underwear Older Than You
06/17/2025
WeatherBrains 1013: Underwear Older Than You
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: Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Out Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1012: Regional Hair Club Convention
06/10/2025
WeatherBrains 1012: Regional Hair Club Convention
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: . 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: Picks of the Week: Max Velocity - Kevin Laws - James Aydelott - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1011: Wine Science
06/03/2025
WeatherBrains 1011: Wine Science
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: . 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: Picks of the Week: Matt Lanza - Matt Lanza - Matt Lanza - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1010: Chief Smoothing Officer
05/28/2025
WeatherBrains 1010: Chief Smoothing Officer
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: . 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: Picks of the Week: Bruce Jones - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1009: People Are Complicated
05/20/2025
WeatherBrains 1009: People Are Complicated
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: Picks of the Week: Dr. Jason Senkbeil - Kevin Laws - Bruce Jones - Out James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1008: No Cookies In Cookietown
05/13/2025
WeatherBrains 1008: No Cookies In Cookietown
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: Picks of the Week: Bruce Jones - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - OUT Troy Kimmel - FOGHORN Kim Klockow-McClain - John Gordon - Quantitative intensity forecasts to Spc mesoscale convective discussion text and graphics Bill Murray - FOGHORN James Spann - 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.
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WeatherBrains 1007: I Am Unsettled
05/06/2025
WeatherBrains 1007: I Am Unsettled
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: Picks of the Week: Kati Wylie Ray - Kati Wylie Ray - Bruce Jones - James Aydelott - James Aydelott - Jen Narramore - Rick Smith - Troy Kimmel - Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - 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.
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