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Tonight's show is all about radar and reflectivity.  Guest WeatherBrain Charles Kuster works in the radar division of NSSL.  He started his career at the OU Cooperative Institute.  Then, moved to NSSL and has been there ever since.  He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in 2012 and eventually his Master's in 2014. Charles was a Graduate Research Assistant with OU CIMMS before securing a position as Research Associate in January of this year.  Charles, welcome to WeatherBrains! Second Guest WeatherBrain Jami Boettcher came to CIWRO/NSSL after retiring from the National Weather Service, comprised of about 10 years in operations, and 25 years as an Instructor for the Warning Decision Training Division. Her first area of expertise as a trainer focused on the WSR-88D system updates, with the most significant being the conversion to dual polarization. Developing and delivering training that focused on the needs of the NWS operational community was always the priority. Her

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Melinda Beerends.  She is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of Grand Forks, ND.  Welcome! Our Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 tonight is meteorologist Carl Jones.  He's a forecaster for the NWS in Grand Forks, ND.  He earned his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University.  His professional focus remains operational forecasting and photography.  Thanks for joining us tonight! Last but certainly not least, Guest WeatherBrain No. 3 is a meteorologist from the NWS office in Grand Forks, ND.  He is a St. Cloud State graduate and is seasoned photographer who previously worked in the private sector for several years before entering government service.  Tyler Thomas, welcome to the show! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Deep South Valentine's Day Weekend QLCS controversy (01:15) Importance of being connected with the people you serve!  (06:00) Environmental setup for June 2025 EF5 event (13:

Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist and author who is President and CEO of NorCast Media Group.  Focusing on the Northeast, NorCast is known for combining detailed forecasting with storytelling.  He recently released a book inspired in part by the influence of his grandmother and his lifelong fascination with weather.  Nick Pittman, thanks for joining us tonight!  Our Guest WeatherBrain for this week's episode is an on-air broadcast meteorologist for FOX Weather.  He's known for combining sharp forecasting, energetic and engaging on-camera style.  He's covered major hurricanes, high impact severe weather, and winter storms.  Bob Van Dillen, thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Photogenic tornadoes (11:30) Entry level TV met pay rates in early 90s (14:00) Retrospective advice from a seasoned veteran in broadcasting (30:00) Toxicity of social media comments (33:30) Working at FOX We

Tonight's show is all about the OTUS Project.  It's a nonprofit research mission lead by President Nelson Tucker, Drone Builder and Ops Coordinator Louis Tucker, Lead Engineer Tanner Beard, and chasing expert Eric Fox.  The OTUS Project was founded by engineering and meteorology students, and is pioneering the use of cutting edge UAV technology, software and sensor engineering to investigate tornadoes in ways never before possible.  Their goal is to protect life and property by improving our understanding of wind forces for structural resilience and collecting thermodynamic data to enhance computer models. Also, they prioritize hazard prediction through advanced drone deployment and strategic partnerships as well as real-time field work.  Thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Meet the OTUS Team!  (05:00) How did OTUS Project start?  (11:30) Drone design development (14:30) What does an OTU

Tonight's show celebrates 20 years of WeatherBrains, still going strong in January 2026! Former show regulars join the panel to reflect on memorable moments, including Aubrey Urbanowicz, Nate Johnson, Dr. John Scala, and Dr. Neil Jacobs.  Over the years, WeatherBrains has covered nearly every topic in meteorology, and panelist Jen Narramore shares audio highlights from some of the most memorable episodes. Thanks for being part of the celebration tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs (14:00) Dr. John Scala life update (16:00) Resolving global ensemble model as a prediction system?  (24:30) NVIDIA weather model announcement at AMS (26:00) WeatherBrains Episode 1 - January 31st, 2006 (29:00) J. B. Elliott funny moments (31:00) Groundbreaking weather radar with early broadcast meteorology in the late 1950s (36:00)    Improving providing warnings to immigrant populations (45:30) Lo

Tonight's show is dedicated to a deep dive into avalanches!  Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Dr. Ethan Greene from Colorado Avalanche Center.  He's also served as the Director of the NW Pacific Avalanche Center.  We will cover a basic understanding of avalanches, the geographic responsibility of the Colorado Avalanche Center, launch of forecasting avalanches and how they try to prevent avalanches during the off-season.  We will examine how they prepared in this work with the citizens of Colorado and who they collaborate with make this happen.  Dr. Greene joined CAIC as the Director in 2005.  He grew up in Boulder and learned to ski when he was three. He has worked with snow and avalanches since 1990. He worked as a ski patroller (Big Sky Ski Resort) and as a backcountry avalanche forecaster (Utah Avalanche Forecast Center). He studied meteorology (B.S., University of Utah), mountain weather and snow-drift formation (M.S., Colorado State University), and snow metamorphism and microstructure (Ph.D., CSU). In 20

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Canadian meteorologist Ken MacDonald.  He started his career way back in 1975, and has been an instructor, a forecaster, and a researcher.  He is the former Executive Director of Environment Canada.  Our second Guest WeatherBrain James Abraham is a veteran meteorologist with almost four decades of experience who has forecasted in British Columbia, the U. S. East Coast and even was former and first Director of the Canadian Hurricane Center.  Ken and James, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Environment Canada basics (08:00) Modernization process at Environment Canada (14:00) Reformatted warning polygons (19:00) Recurring issues with zone forecasts (22:30) Canadian meteorology employment/recruiting (28:30) Details of 18 month internship after initial hire (34:00) Canadian Hurricane Center (35:00) The Perfect Storm of 1991 (48:00) Total number of TV meteorologist

Our Guest WeatherBrain couldn't make it tonight, so our panel holds a homegrown episode to kick off 2026.  Discussions include storm-based vs county-warnings, public storm reports, and a deep-dive into fundamentals of modern-day radar. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Severe storms possible on Friday in Deep South 1/9/26 (05:00) Storm-based warnings vs county-wide warnings (26:00) Pete Wolf Charitable Foundation (38:00) Helping the general public with radar interpretation (48:00) Public storm reports and how often they are used in NWS warnings (53:00) MPING (57:30) NWS app is needed (59:00) Protecting people living in mobile homes during severe weather (01:06:00) Threats-In-Motion (TIM) (01:08:00) Threat Confirmation Defined (01:14:00) Social media AI engagement farms (01:16:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:24:00) and

On WeatherBrains this week this our annual year-ender episode with Greg Carbin.  Greg needs no introduction; tonight we look back at 2025's notable weather events, and what the meteorology community has learned in the past year.  Greg has presented his "Year-in-Review" presentation to the NWA Annual Meeting every year since 2004. His professional society memberships have included the NWA, AMS, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Greg currently serves as Chair on the NWA's Professional Development Committee.   Thanks for joining us this week for this year's WeatherBrains finale! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Looking back at 2025 (11:45) 2025 Gulf Coast snowstorm (19:30) Legendary meteorologist Chuck Doswell passes away (21:00) 17 tornadoes in Alabama in 2025 (42:00) Mid-May tornado outbreak near St. Louis (53:00) July 2025 Texas flooding tragedy (55:30)

On WeatherBrains this week are two special guests.  Friend of the show and WeatherBrains veteran Mark Sudduth is the owner of HurricaneTrack.com and has over three decades of experience documenting landfalling hurricanes and other high impact weather events.  He founded the Hurricane Intercept Research Team, which pioneers the use of unmanned camera systems to safely capture severe weather.  Welcome to the show! Last but certainly not least is our second Guest WeatherBrain Bruce Thomas.  He's the President of WeatherCall and is the former spokesman of Midland Weather Radio and is a former broadcast meteorologist.  He covered the 1997 Jarrell, TX tornado and has even worked with the Red Cross.  Bruce, it's great to have you on the show. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Mark's major projects in 2025 (08:00) 2025 Hurricane season's overall unexpected lack of activity (13:30) Launch of Mark's new podcast (18:00) Self-a

On WeatherBrains this week are meteorologist Jim Abraham with Environment Canada and meteorologist Ken MacDonald.  Jim actually started the Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax, and has been working in meteorology for over four decades.  Ken MacDonald has been in the weather field for over 48 years.  He launched his career in 1975, and has been an instructor, a forecaster, and a researcher in areas all over Canada.  It's great to see you both and thank you for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Origin of "Boomer Sooner" (07:15) NWS vs Canadian forecast offices (12:00) Canadian forecast offices and their relationship with the Canadian military (18:00) Monitoring/Observational networks across Environment Canada (21:00) Importance of cloud typing in Mexican and Canadian forecast offices vs NWS (27:00) US and Canadian weather radio equivalents (33:30) Environment and Climate Change Canada (56:00) June

On WeatherBrains this week, we're diving deep into the Weather Prediction Center's Winter Program - how they forecast snow and ice, the challenges of nailing accumulation totals, the coordination calls with NWS field offices, and what the future may hold for winter weather headlines. Joining us are two of WC's best: Peter Mullinax, a lead winter forecaster who produces national snow and ice guidance, Key Messages, and a wide range of surface, short-range, rainfall, and tropical products; and Dr. Owen Shieh, WPC's Warning Coordination Meteorologist, providing national-level decision support for winter storms, flooding, and extreme temperatures. He returns after last week's episode, bringing his deep background in emergency management, training, and operational meteorology from JTWC to the U.S. Navy Reserve. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. How many people work at the Weather Prediction Center?  (15:30) WPC Ops Progr

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is WPC's WCM Warning Coordination Meteorologist Dr. Owen Shieh.  He holds a B.S. in Atmospheric Science from Cornell University, an M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.  We talk tonight about how Owen landed this position and all of the aspects of his role.   He's also a talented gardener and an accomplished musician.  Welcome to the show and thanks for joining us, Owen! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Owen's origin into meteorology (11:00) Path heads from OU to Hawaii (17:30) What is the baseline understanding of weather and emergency management?  (27:15) Discussing the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (34:00) Current and future warning process for Pacific Super Typhoons (41:00) Defining the strength of a tropical cyclone (01:04:00) Geopolitics and meteorology (01:18:00) Battling trolls and misinformation onli

Tonight, the Panel takes a deep dive into Hurricane Melissa and the devastation it brought to Jamaica and the Caribbean.  The Panel analyzes the complexities of this natural disaster and the historical precedent of the landfall strength of Melissa.  Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode! Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a FOX Weather Correspondent based in Atlanta, Georgia who has covered major events including Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Idalia.  Recently, he covered historic Hurricane Melissa as it made landfall.   He's a veteran reporter and previously helped launch Fox Business Network and has worked for the Associated Press.  Robert Ray, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. FOX Weather launches in October 2021 (08:00) Robert Ray's career journey (11:45) Logistical complexity of 2025's Hurricane Melissa (23:30) Aid process in aftermath of Hurricane Melissa (37:00) Dealing with mass ca

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 Weathe

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 wit

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist and trader focused on weather risk management, currently with Munich Re Trading LLC. His career includes experience with the National Weather Service, energy trading, and weather derivatives—blending forecasting expertise with financial market knowledge. Welcome, Tom Paylor! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Correct weather ballon launch procedures (25:00) What are weather derivatives?  (35:30) What is a weather derivative sales group?  (40:00) Weather/Power price triggers (44:15) AI implementation (01:22:15) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:55) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:26:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1033: Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Tom Paylor - Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) has reached a new record weekly negative value James Aydelott - Nick Gilby on X: Large hail photo in Inglesid

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, 20

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 p

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 m