Weatherbrains

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an award winning journalist and author who runs the New England Historical Society.  She's been sharing of New England's past since 2013.  With a background in reporting, she brings history to life through the lenses of food, travel, scandal, immigration, and weather.  She joins us to discuss their new book, “New England Weather: Historic Storms, Twisters, Floods, Droughts, Nor’easters, Hurricanes and Heat Waves.” The Landrigans explore how New England’s wild weather has influenced history and shaped communities—from killer hurricanes to brutal snowstorms to legendary heat waves.  Leslie Landrigan, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Fetching aerial shots when needed after a severe weather episode (03:29)  1997 Jarrell, Texas tornado 28th anniversary (06:30) 1973 Centreville, AL tornado anniversary (9:40) Looking back at exceptional and extended New England 196

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. Sout

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 att

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

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain has a 25-year history in aviation. He is an experienced skydiver with over 700 jumps, a fixed-wing pilot with a seaplane rating, and a commercial hot air balloon pilot. His company, Champagne Sunrise, operates out of Meridian, Mississippi, and has safely taken hundreds of passengers on unforgettable balloon rides over the years.  Beyond commercial operations, he uses Champagne Sunrise for community outreach, including delivering letters to the North Pole for Santa with local schools and donating tethered balloon rides to the local children’s museum.  During the week, he serves as the General Manager of Peavey Electronics, one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional audio equipment in the world, with sales in over 136 countries. Additionally, he is a Board Member of the Balloon Federation of America (BFA).  Fred Poole, welcome to WeatherBrains! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to sav

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an Associate Professor at Villanova University, specializing in severe weather risks, societal impacts and hazard mitigation.  His research focuses on tornado and lightning exposure at large outdoor gatherings.  In addition, it focuses on urbanization effects on disasters and improving public safety strategies.  Dr. Stephen Strader, welcome back to WeatherBrains. Brandon Skalniak is a senior emergency management major at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He is passionate about all things weather, having gained an interest in the field when he stumbled upon the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers in second grade. Brandon loves weather history, and cataloging the country's significant weather events on radar is his main hobby.  Welcome to the show as tonight's Guest Panelist, Brandon! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the in

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and Weather Communications Coach whose mission is to keep communities safe and help people live better lives through effective, viewer-focused weather communication. A four-time Emmy winner, Tim brings decades of major-market experience and was among the first in the nation to incorporate augmented reality into daily forecasts. Tim Heller, welcome back to WeatherBrains! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Significant severe thunderstorm activity in West Virginia (01:10) Lack of relevant online weather content by local TV stations (08:00) Tech early adopters and its influence on the field (15:00) Death of newspapers and other products of a bygone era (17:10) Issues with corporate meddling in local meteorologi

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a prolific author and Southern preparedness expert who has written over 75 novels that blend gripping survival scenarios with real world lessons drawn from his professional training in emergency management.  His work spans everything from tornadoes and hurricanes to grid-down solar flare events.  His storytelling offers a uniquely grounded, Southern approach to self-reliance and resilience.  Ron Foster, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is Jared Rennie, research meteorologist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in North Carolina.  He's an AMS-certified consulting meteorologist who is passionate about data, accessibility, climate services and applying new technologies like AI and machine learning in the world of meteorology. Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a fast-rising YouTube creator known for her deeply researched and emotionally resonant documentaries on high-end tornadoes.  Her channel goes beyond the radar and statistics in order to tell the human stories behind these devastating events.  Born and raised in East Tennessee, she combines strong narrative skills with a unique interest in global severe weather, particularly in undeserved regions like India and China.  Her work bridges science communication and empathy in a way that resonates with a new generation of weather enthusiasts.  Carly Anna, welcome to the show!   Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Record highs in the South later this week?  (01:55) QLCS tornado hits Dothan, AL school (04:45) Origins of Carly Anna YouTube channel (15:25) 1

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is one of the most respected voices in the field of broadcast meteorology. He celebrated his 45th anniversary with WGN-TV in August 2023, and officially retired from WGN-TV at the end of February 2024.  Tom Skilling, it's great to see you tonight!   Meteorologist and Former Director of NWS (2013-2022) Louis Uccellini also joins us tonight as a Guest Panelist. He was also director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and served as the Permanent Representative of the United States for the World Meteorological Organization.  Thanks for joining us tonight, Louis!    Joining us as Guest Panelist is a brilliant researcher and recently tenured Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment at Northern Illinois University. His research umbrella covers a wide range of topics related to severe weather, particularly the relationship between severe convective storms and climate change by utilizing dynamical downscaling.  Dr. Victor Gencini, welcome to the sh

Tonight's WeatherBrains is a celebration.  Nineteen years and 1000 shows! We are looking back on our journey and celebrating all of these years together, and we wouldn't be a podcast without our most important asset - our listeners!  Tune in for this is a one-of-a-kind episode.  We are also excited to announce our new permanent Panelist, meteorologist John Gordon!  Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Montage of David Black's work on early WxBrains episodes (05:10) Happy 1000th Episode Greetings (09:45) Dancing With the Stats:  Most Guest Appearances (12:45) Favorite Clips From Listeners (14:30)  First Ever WeatherBrains 101 with Professor Peters (36:26) Former Panelist Kevin Selle Congrats (40:15) Marshall Shepherd Congrats (41:50) Favorite Panelist Guests (49:30) Tom Skilling Gu

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist at Bluewater Forecasting in Montgomery, Alabama.  He's got almost five decades of experience in the field, and formerly served as the Chief Meteorologist at WSFA-TV in Montgomery for 34 years, before transitioning to radio.  Rich Thomas, welcome to WeatherBrains!  Brooks Garner of FOX 35 TV in Orlando also stops by to discuss the tornado that made a direct hit on their studios on March 10th, where he covered the tornado live on air and warned his viewers, and in this case, his co-workers!  Brooks, thanks for hanging out with us.  Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Tornado hits FOX 35 TV studio in Orlando (06:30) Strong unexpected tornado hits Orlando in area that wasn't outlooked/forecasted for severe weather (12:00) Disc j

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a retired meteorologist with thirty-five years of experience at the NWS.  That includes twenty-six years as a SOO, and he's been a leader with forecaster training, mesoscale analysis and radar interpretation, which helps NWS offices improve proving warning decision-making and lead times for severe weather hazards.  Pete Wolf, welcome to WeatherBrains!   Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Critical Fire Danger for several areas around the country (05:15) Petersburg, VA F4 tornado/outbreak on August 6th, 1993 (9:45) Key changes seen with Doppler radar/Warning systems since the early 1990s (13:45) WoFS (Warn on Forecast System) (15:25) Appreciating the important tools of hodographs and soundings (18:00) SW Oklahoma sounding analysis (Live on 03/03/25)

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a retired Lead Forecaster for the Storm Prediction Center with nearly four decades of Federal service, specializing in severe convective storms and tornado forecasting.  He's a passionate storm chaser, researcher, and an advocate for weather safety.  He co-founded the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology and remains an influencial voice in meteorology.  Roger Edwards, it is great to see you! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Roger's arrival at OU and opening horizons in meteorology (20:30) Connections between operations, research, and visual conceptualization (34:00) Importance of critical thinking in the science (35:00) Importance of growing, building, and passing on knowledge gained in the field of meteorology (40:30) Witnessing rapi

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a seasoned broadcast meteorologist and weather anchor at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon.  He brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for weather to his viewers daily.  His forecasting career has spanned nearly 30 years, taking him from the hurricanes of south Texas to the lake effect snows of Michigan, the tornadoes of the Ohio valley and yes, the hard to predict weather of the Pacific Northwest.  Rod grew up in Missouri and graduated from Mizzou. He later earned his certificate of broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State. Soon after, Rod earned the seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. He later served on the NWA certification board for more than five years.  Rod Hill, it's great to see you and thanks for joining us! Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming mess

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is an Atmospheric Scientist and a Research Meteorologist and Managing Director of the FARM (Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets).  With a passion for fieldwork, she's collected data from over 100 tornadoes and 9 hurricanes.  Karen Kosiba, thanks for joining us. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Active weather pattern ahead for Southeast (01:45) Increasing attention on hail production (19:00) The importance of field research for the emerging generation (20:30) Vortex 2 Project (24:30) Steps forward in understanding tornadogenesis (27:00) Next big steps in the warning process (41:00) Significance of cold pools (01:04:45) Real time upper air data in the future? (01:06:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:13:42) E-Mail Segment (01:15:20) National Weather Round-Up and more! Web Sites from Episode 995: Karen Kosiba FARM: H

Angela Mason, author of Death Rides The Sky, The Story Of The 1925 Tri-State Tornado, is our guest this week! Next month is the 100th anniversary of the deadly tornado that killed almost 700 people.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a storm chaser, and is the driver and equipment technician for storm chaser Brett Adair.  He has over twelve years of experience, and he's chased 22 tornadoes and 9 hurricanes across 39 states.  He's a Pell City, AL native.  Heath Lollar, welcome to the show! Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a WeatherBrains veteran and the founder of Girls Who Chase, a movement empowering women in storm chasing.  A self taught chaser and forecaster, she has been chasing since 2018.  Jen Walton, thanks for joining us! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. January snow on the beach (01:30) Close to 8 inches of snow fell on New Orleans on Jan 21st (05:30) Rating a tornado based on wind speed/Explaining EF-Scale (19:00) Learning lessons from getting too close when storm chasing (35:00) Dealing with devastating/violent scenes when storm chasing (36:30) Pets and other animals after destructive tornadoes (51:00)

It's a somber episode tonight as we look back on the life and legacy of a legend in the field of meteorology, Dr. Chuck Doswell. We look back at Dr. Doswell's career and his impact on the science today.  Our Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Scientist in the Forecast Research and Development Division  at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and a prior veteran of the show.  Dr Harold Brooks, welcome to the show. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Remembering Dr. Doswell (03:30) Multiple layoffs in TV meteorology and looking forward from here (09:27) Changing business model in modern radio (21:00) The Early Life of Dr. Doswell (30:00) How Dr. Doswell elevated the field of meteorology (42:00) Looking back at a 2009 WeatherBrains appearance (01:02:25) What is the role of a human being in forecasting?  (01:09:00) Riding the coattails of past generations in this science (01:24:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice

Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the great grand-niece of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the Vermont farmer who first photographed snowflakes.  Sue Richardson, welcome to the show! Wilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont. A farmer by trade, he attracted worldwide attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in his life long work with rain, dew and frost, was his extensive work with snowflakes. On January 15, 1885 he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. He would go on to photograph well over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two the same), and his documentation of this work advanced the study of meteorology in his time.  His photomicrographs were acquired by institutes of higher learning all over the world and his writings on these subjects were published in many journals and magazines including Scientific American, National Geographic and The National Weather Service Research Journal. In November of 1931, his book “Sno