All Prediction, No Production

In one of the more difficult episodes to record, Jarod and Walker explain ways that you (the consumer) can better consumer weather information. They talk about their main goals when delivering weather information, even some of their pet peeves from viewers. Later, one of the common questions asked by anyone who works in the television: What do you do during commercial breaks? Well, it depends. Take a listen! 1:00 - We're not trying to sound like jerks 1:55 - Know where you live 3:55 - We are the only ones running our social media accounts 8:20 - We can't answer your specific questions 9:50 - Every storm will be covered, but not every storm is created equal 10:17 - Cut-ins are for everyone or no one 12:20 - Advanced notice is the whole point of severe weather coverage 13:35 - Some questions can't be answered 14:15 - "How bad is it gonna get in ______?" 15:30 - Forecasts are all about possibilities 16:55 - Most severe threats are quite conditional for any one area 17:20 - "When is it going to hit my house?" 18:10 - We are as specific as we can be 19:55 - Read the information 22:20 - Again, we're not trying to sound like jerks 22:35 - We take pride in our work 24:25 - Stay up to date with the forecast 26:00 - Forecasts are designed to change 32:20 - We don't mean anything personally 35:40 - The anatomy of a commercial break 38:25 - There is downtime in a show 39:20 - Extraneous conversations happen, but it depends on the day 42:40 - Shows aren't always perfect 43:35 - Tense times happen 46:00 - Hitting your groove for the week

High pressure and summer usually mean oppressive heat and humidity in the southern United States. So far, 2022 is no different than any other year. Jarod and Walker discuss the science behind summer heat, and compare it to an especially brutal summer from just over a decade ago. After that, we all have a TV show (or two) that we know an embarrassing amount from. They'll discuss theirs, but what's yours? 0:40 - "Heat domes" are normal 2:15 - Counting the records of June 2011 3:10 - Summer heat's usual suspects 4:00 - Humidity just makes things worse 5:20 - The most extreme temperatures experienced 6:00 - That time the air conditioner died in the studio... 6:45 - Some records are a little sketchy 7:50 - Relative humidity bad, dew point temperature good 10:10 - Accidentally altering the climate of your home 11:30 - Walker's most quotable television show 12:10 - Walker's Spongebob ally 13:45 - Jarod is obsessed with The Office 15:40 - Learning the state capitals for no reason 16:20 - Honorable mention TV shows 17:30 - Quotable movies 18:15 - Remembering Gilbert Gottfried with a horrible impression

In this episode, Jarod sits down with one of his best friends, Phillip Smith. Phil is a former active duty officer in the U.S. Navy, and now lives near Philadelphia with his wife and kids. The two discuss his many stops during his service, their appreciation of golf, with some other nonsense mixed in. 1:00 - Phil's background 2:15 - U.S.S. New York 6:50 - Making the move to becoming a weather officer 7:45 - Anti-submarine warfare 8:45 - Offutt Air Force Base 9:20 - Getting married on base 10:45 - Moving to Monterey 11:30 - Living in Philly, cheesesteaks 14:25 - Learning the game of golf 16:15 - Remembering the former Selman Field Golf Course (Monroe, Louisiana) 17:10 - Weather forecasting for "national assets" 19:30 - Nuclear fallout prediction 21:30 - Using the same information in different ways for the same goal

The 2022 Spring Severe Weather Season produced numerous, violent tornadoes across the central and southern United States. However, it's one violent tornado that *didn't* happen that's received a lot of attention over the past several weeks. Walker and Jarod discuss erroneous storm damage reports, Tornado Emergencies, and the verbiage they prefer to use on air when discussing tornadoes. After that, who doesn't love a good dipping sauce? (Walker, apparently.) The two dive into a dipping sauce/condiment discussion that goes from ketchup to cream cheese. 1:30 - What is a Tornado Emergency? 2:30 - Erroneous report prompts a Tornado Emergency 4:00 - False reports happen, and most aren't intentional 5:20 - Reviewing the Swartz (Ouachita Parish) tornado 7:00 - Tornadoes: Possible, apparent, confirmed 10:20 - Straight-line winds vs. tornado 13:00 - Even meteorologists make mistakes 13:30 - Need. More. Radars. 14:50 - Shortening tornado warnings 19:10 - Ketchup: The Crutch Condiment 21:00 - Walker despises ranch dressing 21:50 - Walker's love affair with Cane's and/or Zaxby's sauces continues 22:55 - A salute to honey mustard 25:10 - Mayo, Miracle Whip, and the like 26:00 - Walker *gasp* hates sour cream 27:05 - Is barbecue sauce underrated? 28:15 - A less than flattering discussion on relish 28:45 - Teriyaki for Mr. Snowden 29:20 - Sweet and sour sauce 30:05 - Using/not using steak sauce 30:55 - Other assorted condiments 34:00 - Hot sauces!

It's been a busy several weeks. Scheduling changes, severe weather, and a studio remodel have kept Walker and Jarod busy... but, they'll catch you up on some of the new items in their newscasts. They also briefly discuss the new Doctor Strange movie (no spoilers given), before deep-diving into their ideal movie snacks. Season 2 is off and running! 1:00 - The news/weather/sports teams have a new set! 3:40 - Working together more within newscasts 4:20 - New additions coming to MyArkLaMiss.com/extra 9:20 - Recapping the severe weather season 12:50 - Jarod, Walker see the new Doctor Strange movie (again, no spoilers) 13:30 - Official movie ratings (out of 10) for Doctor Strange 15:20 - Popcorn deserves its own category 16:40 - Nachos are not an ideal movie snack 17:00 - Sneaking cereal into a movie theater 21:00 - Walker needs his Icee 21:50 - Who doesn't snack at a movie theater? 23:10 - Jarod's sweet snacks 24:30 - Approaching candy burnout 25:00 - The diet of a middle schooler 26:45 - Kit-Kats should just taste like Kit-Kats

Jarod and Walker discuss working a major severe weather outbreak while in the midst of a studio demolition and remodel. Also, the adrenaline and fast pace of severe weather coverage can leave them both feeling puny afterward. Aaaaaaand, yes... it's been one year since Jarod lost his cool on the ArkLaMiss, scolding viewers who were calling the station as they cut into "The Masked Singer" for tornado warning coverage. Both he and Walker discuss the event. 1:50 - A brief background on NWS storm surveys 2:40 - If you have tornado evidence, send it to the NWS 3:35 - EF-Unknown tornadoes 5:10 - Our station is getting a new news set/studio 5:40 - The limitations of a temporary set 6:55 - A brief pat on the back for the meteorology community 7:40 - NWS works through their own limitations, too 10:00 - Just watch someone and be informed 11:15 - Comfort levels in the temporary studio 13:06 - Sweating during severe weather 13:40 - Coming down from severe weather adrenaline 16:10 - Respectable fear of Mother Nature, "perfect sleeping weather" 18:00 - 25-year-old Jarod vs. 35-year-old Jarod 18:35 - Batteries do die sometimes 19:15 - Tornado Whack-a-mole 20:45 - Timing makes a big difference 22:20 - We've seen them before, and we'll see them again 25:00 - Making it to r/PublicFreakout 25:22 - "The Rant" 27:05 - Wasted time 28:30 - Don't call the weather center during severe weather 29:25 - People hate to miss Primetime, some people don't want to stream 30:15 - Live sports make us nervous 30:25 - "We don't wanna do this" 31:05 - FCC requires the delivery of life-saving information 32:00 - "Dad-ing" the ArkLaMiss 34:50 - Our viewers are awesome! 35:50 - Would you do it again? 36:30 - Dateline viewers will turn you into Dateline episode if you cut into Dateline 38:00 - Lotta memes 40:40 - The viewers will swoop in! 41:20 - Our society is very short-term memory-based 42:20 - Brian's reaction 43:18 - Walker says something in French

Severe weather season is here, so Episode 9 pivots in that direction. Jarod and Walker discuss tornado warning trends from each National Weather Service office over the last fifteen years. Which area do you think issued the most warnings? The answer may surprise you. Plus, Walker covered his first on-air tornado warning in late February. Jarod and Walker reflect on how severe weather coverage works, the emotions behind it, and the team effort that is involved. 1:35 - Discussing the data we're using 3:00 - Who is #1? 3:25 - Tornado warnings don't necessarily translate to tornadoes 4:25 - Discussing the rest of the top offices 6:45 - Traditional "Tornado Alley" 7:20 - Storm chasing in the Southeastern U.S. 9:30 - Coastal states stay busy 10:00 - Remembering the Hattiesburg tornado 11:10 - Areas prone for violent tornadoes 12:40 - Zero tornado warnings in fifteen years 15:15 - Tornadoes in landfalling tropical systems 20:00 - Walker's first tornado warning 20:20 - The best kind of tornadoes 21:05 - Walker's initial reactions, jumping into the pool 22:35 - Furious viewers 26:30 - Jarod can't recall his first tornado warning 27:50 - The television tightrope 28:30 - Severe weather can produce severe anxiety 31:15 - Treat all tornado warnings the same 34:10 - The steps of severe weather coverage 37:50 - Production Appreciation Time

Jarod and Walker discuss a recent tweet that struck the ire of many in the weather world. Are meteorologists going to be replaced by our cell phone apps? Plus, the geographical/economical disconnect that often shows in social media across the country. Later, who does their hair and make up? Do they really build their own forecasts? Don't you guys just read a teleprompter? Jarod and Walker discuss the some of the things you may not know about their profession. 1:15 - Snippy on Twitter 2:25 - The conversation-starter 3:30 - TV news is changing 4:30 - Social media changed everything 5:00 - "Nobody cares what anybody else has to say about anything" 6:20 - Apps vs. Meteorologists 8:20 - Differing opinions are still allowed 11:00 - What do viewers want out of their weather team? 12:00 - Who is Aunt Elda? 13:40 - The "lost signal" of the Flyover States 15:30 - Everyone's dealing with something 16:40 - TV meteorologists still have a loyal following 17:30 - You're gonna be old one day 23:15 - Jarod almost got a technical foul at a Christian basketball tournament 25:00 - Your own personal hair/make up artist 26:00 - Bargains are a wardrobe staple 27:05 - Using a teleprompter during newscasts 29:00 - Building your own forecast 31:30 - Viewer feedback is encouraged 32:20 - Guys like Target, too 34:40 - No purple hair 35:40 - "It's not about you" 37:25 - Companies don't like morons and terrible people

A viewer wrote in on this topic, so Episode 7 discusses how the team knows "who works when" during breaking weather events. As you'll hear, there isn't a lot of rhyme or reason... it just sort of depends on the situation. Also, when severe weather is over, Walker and Jarod tend to crash... but, not before chowing down on their favorite "crash meals". What are your favorites? 0:35 - Not much severe weather lately 2:30 - Main working shift times at our station 4:00 - Chief Meteorologists are almost always available 5:05 - Operations for the "Ruston Tornado" 6:45 - News production is critical to informing you 7:45 - Technical director appreciation time 10:45 - When to use a "crash meal" 11:40 - West Monroe has a Waffle Neighborhood 12:15 - Remembering the West Monroe Shoney's 13:20 - Memories of Cici's Pizza 14:00 - Accelerated reading, limousine rides, pizza parties, and a cat meowing in the background 14:25 - Book It! and personal pan pizzas 15:05 - Jarod's cat seriously starts to throw a tantrum 15:55 - Zaxby's Sauce vs. Cane's Sauce 16:30 - Walker thinks all ketchups are created equal 17:55 - Walker's Waffle Special 19:00 - Waffle House and the March 2016 Floods 24:00 - Breakfast food is your BFF 25:15 - Eggs are a cross-species breakfast

Jarod and Walker discuss how their confidence in a forecast can impact how they relay information to viewers. After that, they discuss their favorite board games... and that spirals into a hodge-podge of memories, stories, and parental guidance. You'll just have to listen to see what we mean. 1:05 - What is forecast confidence? 2:50 - High confidence Harvey 3:30 - Confidence in winter weather forecasting 4:05 - Feast or famine forecasts 6:20 - No sympathy can be expected 8:25 - Jarod and Walker sorta look the same 9:45 - Weather treasure maps 11:15 - Weather 'Clue' 13:30 - Are you a 'Monopoly' person? 14:20 - Walker is a railroad magnate 15:25 - Three reasons why Credit Card Monopoly is better 17:00 - Candyland appreciation 17:30 - Jarod's in-laws are highly competitive 18:25 - Dominoes appreciation 20:35 - Classic "non-board" board games 20:55 - DON'T CONSTRUCT THE MOUSE TRAP! 22:22 - We won't Wordle 24:05 - Other rec room games 25:30 - 'Sting Ping' [if you have a ping pong table and teenagers, proceed with caution] 26:45 - Brothers are psychological manipulators

Episode 5 ends the Pilot Pack, and starts off discussing how the weather team works with three different National Weather Service Forecast Offices to relay breaking weather information to you. Also, online sportsbooks are now legal in Louisiana. Jarod and Walker discuss the hypothetical wagers of a "weatherbook". 3:25 - County warning areas and television markets 4:20 - There are 122 National Weather Service offices...  5:00 - How television markets split Arkansas 5:45 - How NWS offices split Arkansas 8:05 - Working with SEVEN NWS offices 9:15 - Meteorologists don't always agree 11:15 - Warning/advisory criteria varies 15:20 - Watches have to end somewhere 21:30 - The ultimate goal of severe weather coverage 24:00 - Sportsbook ads in your sleep 25:15 - Walker's Weather Wagers 26:50 - Overnight low curling 32:15 - Jarod's Weather Bets 36:55 - "Rain in the winter is like your birthday..."

In Episode 4, Walker and Jarod discuss the science and typical methods behind building a weather forecast... from computer modeling to upper-air observations. They also discuss the ever-present role of human forecasters. In the second segment, the two discuss the differences between handling winter weather in the South versus the Northeast. 2:00 - Where to start a weather forecast? 3:05 - Computer forecast modeling 5:00 - Different types of computer models 9:00 - When to use certain model guidance 10:15 - Weather happens above ground, too 12:55 - Upper-air observations (a.k.a. weather balloons) 15:55 - Weather forecasting just keeps getting better 16:55 - Forecasting extreme weather events 21:40 - No magic pill for winter weather 23:25 - De-icing the ArkLaMiss 25:20 - How the Northeast preps for winter weather 26:25 - College Walker had to shovel his own snow 27:00 - Shoutout to roommates named Grady 27:50 - Sliding over Bayou DeSiard 29:20 - Biscuits and gravy

In Episode 3, Walker and Jarod discuss (by listener request) the educational journey to becoming a meteorologist. Yes, it involves math and physics and chemistry... no big surprises there. And, as broadcast meteorologists, nerves are something that everyone has to combat. How comfortable do Jarod and Walker feel on television? 2:30 - Learning about colleges in New York 6:00 - The path to a degree in atmospheric sciences/meteorology 13:10 - Breaking university equipment (on accident) 16:50 - Jarod and Walker's scholastic struggles 19:35 - A message to all college students 23:15 - Discussing comfort on-air 26:45 - Stages of a broadcast career 27:30 - Ryan Seacrest is legit 28:10 - Crutch phrases 30:25 - Hating your own voice 33:15 - Potty-mouth problems

Episode 2 takes listeners through the new ArkLaMiss Weather Extra page on MyArkLaMiss.com. Jarod and Walker discuss the thought process behind creating the page, and what you can find. Jarod and Walker also discuss what they would be doing if meteorology didn't exist. Everyone has to have a back up plan, right? 2:50 - Planning a new website 3:45 - The frustrations of social media 9:20 - Exploring "Extra" 11:30 - Introducing "Ag Central" 17:45 - What is "Mark the ArkLaMiss"? 25:00 - What would you be doing without weather? 26:40 - Walker was a swimmer, and a pretty good one 28:45 - Walker and Jarod were almost quitters... almost 29:45 - Some meteorologists are jerks 33:15 - Working in Alaska

Our first episode is a simple "hello" to the platform, letting folks know what to expect from this podcast, some quick ground rules, and a background of who we are as meteorologists. 2:33 - Who we are and where we're from 6:20 - A running list of our "rules" (there are only two of them) 8:05 - Possible future subjects of the podcast 9:40 - A tease to changes coming to MyArkLaMiss.com

Extreme weather events are unavoidable, but they are also very difficult to forecast. In this episode, Jarod and Walker discuss the aspects of preparing the public for impactful weather events, plus certain scenarios that are almost impossible to predict. And, later... you may not know this, but meteorologists are human. A television station is really no different than your workplace, and we all have bad days. The guys will talk about how they get through a day when they're not feeling their best. 0:30 - Flash flood event from July 3, 2022 in southern Arkansas 1:15 - Background on the event 4:45 - Some flood, others stay dry 7:30 - Forecasting the March 2016 Floods 8:30 - If we put it in the forecast, yes... we think it's going to happen. 9:10 - We just wanna get it right/'Price is Right' rules 11:00 - 'Weather extremists' 11:45 - Harvey's outlandish rain totals 13:30 - Drawing the line in winter weather events 14:05 - Winter systems in New York 16:00 - Meteorologists have to make the final decision 17:10 - Be a better weather consumer 20:05 - Everyone has bad days at work 22:00 - Cutting social corners 25:05 - Personal issues happen, and we all have to deal with it 26:00 - Being introverted in broadcast

As the Atlantic Hurricane Season continues to pick up pace, Jarod and Walker go through some of the basics of tropical meteorology. Not a lot of super nerdy, deep-diving here... simply because hurricanes and tropical systems are quite complex. Tropic talk doesn't stop there, as Jarod and Walker recount some of their most vivid memories from past hurricane seasons. 1:15 - Areas most likely impacted from tropical systems 2:45 - Why can't hurricanes survive over land? 3:10 - Hurricanes are heat engines 4:30 - Worst impacts are in isolated areas 6:40 - Most likely ArkLaMiss impacts from landfalling tropical systems 8:00 - Landfalling tropical systems' impacts on local agriculture 9:00 - Tropical moisture and the rain it can produce 10:45 - Inland, tropical tornadoes and where they typically occur within a storm 15:20 - Ray Stevens and 'The Mississippi Squirrel Revival' 16:35 - Walker evacuating from Katrina 22:00 - Walker recounts Hurricane Michael 23:50 - Young Jarod learns about Andrew 25:30 - Watching family impacts from a major hurricane 28:00 - Jarod's "Deal or No Deal" fiasco 34:00 - Jarod over-caffeinates for Isaac