WeatherBrains

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: Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Randy Bowers - NSSL Warn-On Forecast Kevin Laws - Texas Tech University Dr. Ted Fujita Archival Records James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Snowplow photo Jen Narramore - Foghorn Rick Smith - Weather Safety Information For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Troy Kimmel - WPC Experimental Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD) Kim Klockow-McClain - U.S. Senate: Nominations Confirmed (Civilian) John Gordon - UPS Fog Technique Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Experienced hunters found dead in Conejos County last week were struck by lightning, authorities say 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.

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: Alabama Weather Network Chris White on X Melissa Marcelloni on Instagram Picks of the Week: Melissa Marcelloni - Tornadoes destroy multiple homes in Utah Chris White - Sterling, VA September 17th, 2004 tornadoes James Aydelott - An incredible tornado intercept in Caragabal, NSW, Australia Jen Narramore - Aaron Rigsby on X: Tornado video in Dakotas Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Helene in Southern Appalachia story map Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Mark Gray on X: Saturday splashes at sunset in Bonavista NL John Gordon - Gord Follett Photography on X: Unique coastline photo near Madrock Bay Roberts Newfoundland Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - PolarWx 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.  

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: Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - James Aydelott photographed in back of patrol car Jen Narramore - Foghorn Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - A New Spin On Waterspout Forecasting (Published August 2014) John Gordon - A Waterspout Forecasting Technique Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - FCC Proposes Modernization of the Nation's Alerting Systems 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.

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: Alabama Weather Network Wilder Weather "Wilder Weather: What Laura Ingalls Wilder Teaches Us About the Weather, Climate, and Protecting What We Cherish" by Dr. Barbara Boustead Picks of the Week: Dr. Barbara Boustead - "The Beautiful Snow" by Cindy Wilson James Aydelott - Meteogram for Camargo, OK/90+mph winds Jen Narramore - Merry violent phenomenon in Morbihan on 2 September Rick Smith - Here's one of the first photos of a tornado ever Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - NWA 50th Annual Meeting in Huntsville, AL John Gordon - ATR-72 nearly flipped over from 99 mph winds in Corsica John Gordon - Reagan's near-death experience in 1983 Bill Murray - "The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign" by Jon M. Nese and Jeffrey Harding James Spann - Sandblasted to Death: 1935 Labor Day Hurricane 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.

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: Waveland's Ground Zero Museum Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Ray Caldwell, pitching for Cleveland Indians, struck by lightning on pitchers mound - 1919 Jen Narramore - Alabama Weather Network Daily Briefing! Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - "Children of Katrina (The Katrina Bookshelf)" by Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek John Gordon - Michelle Cowbourne on X Bill Murray - Katrina: South Mississippi's Story (Full Documentary on YouTube) James Spann - Robert Ricks - On The Ground During Katrina (YouTube) 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.

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: 2025 NWA Annual Meeting September 6-10th, 2025 Huntsville AL Alabama Weather Network Alabama Weather Network on Facebook Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Cool noon temperatures in Oklahoma Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - The OCS/Mesonet Ticker 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.

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: Penn's Predictive Intelligence Lab Alabama Weather Network on Facebook Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Dr. Cameron Nixon on YouTube: Cell Mergers and Nudgers Jen Narramore - "Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991" by Thomas Grazulis Rick Smith - USA Jobs Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Live Recon in the Atlantic Basin Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Weather Lab: Cyclones 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.

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: Storm Chaser Coaching Gabriel Harber on X Alabama Weather Network on Facebook Picks of the Week: Trey Greenwood - Convective Chronicles on YouTube James Aydelott - Shea Gibson on Facebook: Mt. Pleasant, SC video James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Meade, KS heat burst Jen Narramore - Mongolian supercells Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Official launch of the Alabama Weather Network Kim Klockow-McClain - Congressman Eric Sorensen on Defending Climate Science, Depoliticizing Weather and Bringing Scientific Rigor To Capitol Hill John Gordon - NWS ABQ - Heat Bursts Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Mount Pleasant PD on X: Lightning strike outages/delays 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.

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: Alabama Weather Network on Facebook Evan Fryberger on YouTube Evan Fryberger on X Picks of the Week: Evan Fryberger - SPC Mesoscale Analysis Pages Evan Fryberger - NASA Worldview Satellite Data James Aydelott - SPC Average Number of Tornadoes Per State By Month (All tornadoes 2000-2024) Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - Tropical Storm Dexter Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Coral Reef Watch Eastern Persian Gulf Regional Products Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Alabama Weather Network main site 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.

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: Alabama Weather Network on Facebook Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - FlightAware MiseryMap Jen Narramore - Mid-Year Recap and Chat With Storm Chasers - HurricaneTrack YouTube Rick Smith - After The Flood: Finding Hope In The Aftermath Troy Kimmel - Texas flooding: Kerr county's emergency management coordinator was likely asleep in critical morning hours, sheriff says Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - NWS Monsoon Stats Bill Murray - SPC Sounding Climatology Page James Spann - Weather Prediction Center (WPC) Home Page 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.

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: David Payne on X OU Nightly on YouTube Meteorologist Lacey Swope on Facebook Picks of the Week: David Payne - Drummond charges Oklahoma City man for damaging TV station's weather radar Barbara Merckx - Willie Gillespie on LinkedIn James Aydelott - "Those Terrible Twisters And The Weather Of Oklahoma" by Gary England Jen Narramore - Guin, AL F5 Tornado Series Rick Smith - Oral history interview with Gary England: Oklahoma Mesonet YouTube Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Senate Report Kim Klockow-McClain - House Report John Gordon - HDSC World Record Point Precipitation Measurements Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory 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.

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: John Banghoff on X "Cloud Warriors" by Thomas E Weber Picks of the Week: John Banghoff - "The Weather Gods Curse The Gettysburg Campaign" by Jon Nese Jeffrey J. Harding James Aydelott - Grand Canyon National Park James Aydelott - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Jen Narramore - PA Storm Trackerz Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA nominee Neil Jacobs testifies at confirmation hearing amid deadly Texas floods John Gordon - Pulse and Multicell Storms Conceptual Model Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Sarah Marsh Obituary 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.

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: Samaritan's Purse Responding to Deadly Floods in Texas Convoy of Hope Response to Texas Deadly Floods Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Texas Flood Tragedy Discussion Jen Narramore - Samaritan's Purse/Convoy of Hope Texas Flood Tragedy Fundraising Campaigns Rick Smith - Cuts to NOAA increase the risk of deadly weather tragedies - Yale Climate Connections Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Wine Fish  John Gordon - July 23rd, 2020 Rainbow Wash Flash Flood Bill Murray - How one Texas summer camp successfully evacuated from the floods James Spann - James Spann on Facebook: Texas Flood FAQ and answers 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.

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: Lars Lowinski Photography Picks of the Week: Lars Lowinski - Monster HP supercell in France (06/13/2025) James Aydelott - James Aydelott on Facebook: Three feet of rain in Tulsa, OK since January 1st/Wettest April 1-June 30 on record in Tulsa (Back to 1931) Jen Narramore - Lightning strike injures 2 at Northland HS soccer field in Columbus Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Earth's Clouds on the Move John Gordon - Kyle J Gillett on X: Panhandle, TX boundary collision John Gordon - Ronca-HohnWx on X: Memphis, TN boundary collision Bill Murray - Out James Spann - June 28th, 2025 Deuel County, South Dakota tornado 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.

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: 2025 Annual Meeting in Huntsville, AL - National Weather Association National Weather Association on X Isaac Williams on X Matt Beitscher on X Kendra Kent on X Picks of the Week: Becca Mazur - Terrifying video of the deadly Enderlin, ND tornado James Aydelott - My Perfect Weather Jen Narramore - Cass County Sheriff's Office identifies victims in deadly Enderlin tornado Jen Narramore - Tornado kills three in upstate NY, including twin sisters Rick Smith - Automated Data Plotter Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - MetLink - Royal Meteorological Society Local Winds Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Brian Emfinger on X: Site of deadly tornado from east of Enderlin, ND 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.