WeatherBrains

Big Brains Media LLC
WeatherBrains Podcast

The world's oldest and greatest weather podcast. Join weather geeks James Spann, Bill Murray, Kim Klockow-McClain, Dr. Neil Jacobs, Rick Smith, Aubrey Urbanowicz, Jen Narramore, and Troy Kimmel along with some of the most brilliant minds in the weather enterprise every week!

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    WeatherBrains 975: I Hate Grids

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jay Farlow. Sam Lashley is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with 31 years of experience across multiple offices. He is a member of the Central Region Quick Response Team for EF3+ tornado events and has worked on radar, damage surveys, and storm chasing for major tornadoes, including the Van Wert EF4 (2002), Henryville EF4 (2012), and recent EF3 tornadoes in central Indiana. Mike Ryan is a Senior Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, where he has served since 2009 after starting his career at the Wilmington, Ohio office in 1999. He leads public outreach and decision support through programs like Weather Ready Nation and StormReady, working closely with emergency management, media, and amateur radio. He also heads Indiana's state climate services team. Mike has been involved in operations and storm surveys during significant severe weather events in the Ohio Valley, including the 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2024 tornado outbreaks. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from The Ohio State University. Greg Melo is a Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with over two years of experience. He has worked radar and conducted damage surveys for significant events, including the EF3 tornado outbreaks in March 2023 and March 2024. Originally from New Orleans, Greg's interest in meteorology began after experiencing Hurricane Katrina. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Matthew Eckhoff is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. He began his career at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington in 2015 where he worked until joining the NWS in 2022. His expertise includes severe weather and mesoanalysis. Matthew holds a BS in Meteorology from Millersville University and completed graduate studies at the University of North Dakota. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Tropical trouble in the Gulf/Future Fujiwhara Effect? (01:00) Studying mesoanalysis (30:00) Looking back at 1974 Super Outbreak (35:00) Shaping public perception of severe weather in Indiana (42:00) March 31st 2023 tornado event impacts (47:00) Central Indiana Severe Weather Symposium 2024 (01:01:00) AI European weather model (01:32:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:07:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:09:35) and more! Web Sites from Episode 975: NWS Indianapolis, IN CISWS 2024 Picks of the Week: Mike Ryan - MRCC Purdue Matthew Eckhoff - Tropical Tidbits Sam Lashley - "The Great Tri-State Tornado" by Justin Carter James Aydelott - Real Time Tropical Cyclones - Tomer Burg Jen Narramore - HurricaneTrack Rick Smith - Out Neil Jacobs - Automated Tropical Cycle Forecast Data Directory Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - More than corn in Indiana Beach Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - Jeremy DeHart on X The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 48m
  2. 17 SEPT

    WeatherBrains 974: I'm Going To Break A Lot of Stuff

    This episode of WeatherBrains comes to you live from the NWA Annual Meeting in Irving, Texas. Former Panelist Aubrey Urbanowicz drops in to chat; it's great to see you again Aubrey! Kevin Deitsch is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist of NWS St. Louis and drops by to visit with the panelists. Ken Graham, Director of the NWS, also speaks to panel tonight.  Good to see you Ken! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Service equity/ NWS St. Louis  (15:30) Messaging underserved communities (20:00) Side Lobe Contamination (30:00) Caution surrounding warning decisions (31:00) False Alarm Ratio/POD in St. Louis (34:00) Dealing with burnout in the weather field (48:00) Hurricane season model performance (01:06:00) Hurricane season forecast improvements in recent decades (01:08:30) Community-centric warnings (01:11:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:05) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:44:02) E-Mail Segment (01:45:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 974: Kevin Deitsch on X Dual Pol Radar: Side Lobe Contamination Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Foghorn Jen Narramore - Tales of surviving college football rain delays Rick Smith - Out Neil Jacobs - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn Bill Murray - How Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean break? Two Sibling Scientists Found An Answer James Spann - Dauphin Island Waterspout The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 56m
  3. 10 SEPT

    WeatherBrains 973: Woodpecker on the Rain Gutter

    This episode of WeatherBrains features a Guest WeatherBrain who is a seasoned meteorologist who works in Kansas City, MO as Chief Meteorologist at KCTV.  He's previously worked in Miami Florida and Lincoln Nebraska covering extreme weather.  He holds a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology and was recommended by friend of the show Jeremy Bower.  Luke Dorris, welcome to the show! Fan and listener of the show and weather enthusiast Emily Conklin Foster also drops by tonight to chat with the panelists.  She's an Architectural Historian and Historic Preservation Planner.  Emily, thanks for dropping by! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. TS Francine struggles to develop in the Gulf (04:50) Kansas City's unique weather and it's forecast challenges (21:00) Battling social media weather hype (34:00) Future of broadcast meteorology (39:40) Francine's origins in GOM (43:45) Influencers on why hurricane season has been less active than forecasted (52:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:05:42) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:54) E-Mail Segment (01:08:57) and more! Web Sites from Episode 973: Luke Dorris on X Picks of the Week: Luke Dorris - Cool Weather Emily Conklin Foster - Resilience Guidance for Charleston James Aydelott - Cold-Season Tornadoes: Climatological and Meteorological Insights James Aydelott - The Impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Winter and Early Spring U.S. Tornado Outbreaks James Aydelott - The Gulf of Mexico and ENSO Influence on Subseasonal and Seasonal CONUS Winter Tornado Variability Jen Narramore - 22 Ohio Counties declared disaster areas by USDA due to ongoing drought Rick Smith - SondeHub Tracker Neil Jacobs - Antarctic Vortex Dehydration in 2023 as a Substantial Removal Pathway Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - A lot has changed: NOAA is rewriting the book on how to rank solar storms Bill Murray - "Cracking the Weather Code: How Early Weather Observers Used Encryption to Communicate Information"by Sean Potter James Spann - Tropical Storm Francine Experimental Forecast Cone The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 40m
  4. 3 SEPT

    WeatherBrains 972: Memories of Gnats

    This episode of WeatherBrains features a world-famous hurricane chaser known as iCyclone.  Josh Morgerman is the world's top hurricane chaser.  To date, he's penetrated the inner cores of 74 hurricanes and typhoons on the ground... a world record.  When he's not prowling the globe for cyclones, appearing on TV, promoting products, or spreading the gospel of hurricane preparedness, he lives a quiet life in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi - one block from the Gulf of Mexico, in his specially designed and fortified "Hurricane House".  Josh, it's great to you have on the show with us tonight!   Guest Panelist tonight is renowned storm chaser, entrepreneur and meteorologist Brett Adair.  It's great to have you on the show tonight, Brett.   Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Fluctuating pressures in hurricanes (14:30) Chasing 2024's Hurricane Debby (15:00) Processing of building the Hurricane House (23:00) How should insurance companies deal with fortified coastal homes?  (38:00) Protecting windows during tropical systems (44:15) Riding out Hurricane Dorian in 2019 (01:06:00) Expectations for rest of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season (01:34:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:40:25) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:42:15) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 972: The Story of a Storm Chaser and His Hurricane House Live Storms Media iCyclone on X Picks of the Week: Brett Adair - Real Time Tropical Cyclones - Tomer Burg Josh Morgerman - Historical Hurricane Tracks James Aydelott - Tornado Warning Event Count by WFO as of 9/2/24 Jen Narramore - Rip Currents - Alabama Living Magazine Rick Smith - Out Neil Jacobs - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Out Bill Murray - NWS Mobile on X: Hurricane Elena 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, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 51m
  5. 27 AUG

    WeatherBrains 971: Field of Walking Trauma Cases

    This episode of WeatherBrains features multiple special guests for Show 971. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a suggestion of Friend of the Podcast Ryan Stinnett.  This WeatherBrain has a rich background in meteorology, including a very profound childhood experience with 1992's Hurricane Andrew in South Florida.  She earned her Bachelor's Degree with a from the University of Miami.  She currently resides in Missouri at KQ2-TV in St. Joseph, Missouri.  She has previously worked at The Weather Channel and is an active member of the AMS and NWA.  Vanessa Alonso, it's an honor to have you on with us tonight. Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 is also a very special guest we are excited to chat with on episode 971.  She works in the NOAA Weather Program Office as an Observations Program Coordinator and is here to preview sessions at the NWA Annual Meeting 2024.  Sandy LaCorte, welcome to WeatherBrains. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. NWA Annual Meeting 2024 (12:30) Looking back at 1992's Hurricane Andrew (19:00) Importance of internships in college (40:45) What is astraphobia?  (46:30) Shared experiences in Double Majors in college (47:00) Experiences with 2011 Joplin tornado (01:02:30) AMS Digital Meteorologist Seal (01:17:30) Efforts to recruit Spanish speakers in CBM program (01:25:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:00) E-Mail Segment (01:36:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 971: Meteorologist Vanessa Alonso on Facebook NWA 2024 Annual Meeting Picks of the Week: Vanessa Alonso - How Texas chocolate maker survives the summer heat: WFAA TV Dallas on YouTube James Aydelott - Microburst Footage from McConnell AFB Airshow Jen Narramore - TornadoTalk Podcast On Spotify Rick Smith - ChickFilA Cows Thunderstorm Neil Jacobs - Out Troy Kimmel - NOAA/NWS IDSS Prototype Forecast Points Kim Klockow-McClain - "The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis Bill Murray - Hurricane Carla Hits Texas AKA Hurricane Carla (1961) James Spann - Weathernerds ECENS Data The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 53m
  6. 20 AUG

    WeatherBrains 970: My Mom Is Playing Minecraft

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a highly respected figure in the world of meteorology.  He's known for his extensive experience and expertise in forecasting, broadcasting, and educating the public about weather.  He has multiple degrees in meteorology, including a Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University as well as a Master's Degree from Florida State University.  Over the years, he's been a trusted voice in weather reporting especially along the Gulf Coast.  He's won multiple regional Emmys for his work and is an active member of the AMS and NWA.  Alan Sealls, it's great to have you back on the show! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Looking back at 2004's Hurricane Ivan (17:45)  History of African Americans in meteorology (25:00) "Weather Prophet" (35:00) Importance of the Jackson State and Howard University Meteorology Programs (45:20) STEM field statistical analysis (50:00) Dr. Charles Anderson - first African American to earn a PhD in Atmospheric Science (53:30) Current State of Broadcast Meteorology (01:07:00) Case Study of 2020's Hurricane Sally (01:16:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:21:19) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:34) National Weather Round-Up E-Mail Segment (01:25:20) and more! Web Sites from Episode 970: "A Career in TV Meteorology: From the Best Weatherman Ever" by Alan Sealls "Weather Things You Always Wanted to Know: The Inside Story on the Outside Story" by Alan Sealls "Weather Things In Photos: The Art and Science of the Atmosphere" by Alan Sealls Picks of the Week: Dr. Alan Sealls - Weather To Bounce House Incidents James Aydelott - Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023 -NSF Jen Narramore - Superyacht sinks latest: Daughter, 18, of British tycoon Mike Lynch missing; yacht 'in wrong place at wrong time' Rick Smith - 2024 Lightning Deaths - National Lighting Safety Council Neil Jacobs - Atmospheric Modeling, Data Assimilation and Predictability Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - HooDoo Heritage: A Brief History of American Folk Religion Bill Murray - From Juneteenth to the Sky: African Americans in Meteorology by Alan Sealls James Spann - Severe Thunderstorm footage of damaging winds in Hillsboro, AL The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 43m
  7. 13 AUG

    WeatherBrains 969: Perturbed Tractor

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain shares a name with our fearless leader.  He's a Senior Scientist for the Space Weather Center at NOAA, bringing decades of experience from NASA to NOAA's Office of Space Weather Observations.  We dive into the world of space weather on tonight's episode.  Dr. James Spann, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Record for single day August rainfall shattered in Oklahoma (02:30) Tropical Storm Ernesto aimed for Bermuda (07:00) Model performance with Debby (10:00) Dr. Spann's experiences growing up in Brazil shaping a career in science (18:00) Initiatives to enhance space weather observations (27:10) Difference in policy as it's evolved over the years from NASA to NOAA (41:00) Sun observations (46:15) Solar activities increasing solar drag (01:02:00) Evolution and importance of partnerships in space weather (01:10:00) Intersection of science and faith (01:20:30) When is the next Carrington Event?  (01:23:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:23) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:03) National Weather Round-Up E-Mail Segment (01:32:18) and more! Web Sites from Episode 969: Dr. James F. Spann, Jr Bio Picks of the Week: Dr. James F. Spann - Aurorasaurus James Aydelott - Paul Smith on X: Oklahoma Meteor Shower/Aurora photo Jen Narramore - James Aydelott on X: Dad Joke on FOX23 Rick Smith - Out Neil Jacobs - Full Protection Poncho Troy Kimmel - May 9th, 2024 Large Hail and Damaging Wind Storms in Central Texas/Storyboard by NWS Austin-San Antonio Kim Klockow-McClain - NWS SWPC on X Bill Murray - Weatherwise Magainze - 2023 Hurricane/Tornado Season Issue James Spann - James Spann on X: Aurora Photo from Blue Mounds, Wisconsin The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 46m
  8. 6 AUG

    WeatherBrains 968: Under The Influence of Vodka

    It's a Homegrown show tonight to kick off the month of August. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Rick Smith's cameo in "Twisters" (02:30) What is the purpose of the college experience?  (11:30) Importance of being well-rounded outside of school in building your resume (31:00) How COVID pandemic impacted ability to write and communicate with others (41:00) Increasing relevance of internships as a precursor to employment (59:30) Advantages/Disadvantages of Graduate/Post Graduate school (01:06:00) Honing time management skills (01:20:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:30:11) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:32:23) National Weather Round-Up (01:34:31) E-Mail Segment  and more! Web Sites from Episode 968: The Alabama Weather Blog The Alabama Weather Blog on X  Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Watch Duty Wildfire Map Jen Narramore - Braxton Banks on X: Tornado near downtown Buffalo, NY Rick Smith - No Heat Stroke Neil Jacobs - Out Troy Kimmel - NHC Website Kim Klockow-McClain - Out Bill Murray - Dr. Rick Progressive Insurance Commercial James Spann - James Spann on X: Downtown Buffalo NY tornado video seen from Westin Hotel The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

    1h 48m

About

The world's oldest and greatest weather podcast. Join weather geeks James Spann, Bill Murray, Kim Klockow-McClain, Dr. Neil Jacobs, Rick Smith, Aubrey Urbanowicz, Jen Narramore, and Troy Kimmel along with some of the most brilliant minds in the weather enterprise every week!

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