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. 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) Te

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

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

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 ou

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

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,

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 hu

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)

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) R

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.

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) Prepari

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 fa

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

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 f

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

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

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 Universi

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

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

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) Se