100 episodes

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!

WeatherBrains Big Brains Media LLC

    • Science
    • 4.6 • 150 Ratings

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!

    WeatherBrains 957: Bird Eggs and Limes

    WeatherBrains 957: Bird Eggs and Limes

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain grew up dreaming of being a meteorologist and has had a passion for weather ever since he was a kid.  He was born in Columbus Ohio where he went to high school and has lived there ever since. For college, he first went to Valparaiso for 1 year where he played baseball and took meteorology classes.  Then, he transferred to Ohio State, for his final 3 years of college, where he got his undergraduate in Atmospheric Sciences and a minor in Computer science (coding).  Since graduating from college, he has worked as a technology consultant for 7 years and has also been a cohost on the Storm Front Freak podcast since its inception.  Even though he initially decided to go into consulting after receiving an offer to go into TV meteorology right out of college, his true passion is and always has been weather.  He just recently started a Live Severe Weather streaming show (under the alias Storm Cat5) called Outbreak, where he along with other Storm Front Freaks nowcast tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and extreme weather across the U.S.. His goal with Outbreak is to bring my passion for weather to the world to get more people to love and understand weather better instead of being terrified of it.   If just one person comes away from their show knowing more about the weather and how to react to it, that's a success in Brady's book.  Also, he has had enough with not pursuing my passion for weather, which is really where Outbreak was born from. He loves every second that he is on Outbreak and his goal is to make it a household name.  They have had around seven shows so far.  Brady Harris, welcome to tonight's show and thanks for joining us.
    Also appearing tonight is a dedicated meteorologist and author.  She's known for her contributions to the Storm Front Freaks Podcast and has a passion for weather education.  She's the author of the "Frances Fox" books for children.  Her day job is in marketing for Atmospheric G2.  Cyrena Arnold, welcome to WeatherBrains.
    Last but certainly not least is two veterans of the show.  Hurricane specialist/chaser/severe weather expert Mark Sudduth and Mississippi State University professor Greg Nordstrom are here tonight with us to discuss their upcoming hail research in the Great Plains, Hurricane Season Outlook, and other topics.  Great to see you both and thanks for joining the show tonight.
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    ****Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25****
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    80 tornadoes so far in Oklahoma in 2024 (05:00) Severe thunderstorm/major damage in Houston 5/16/24 (10:30) Excessive heat in Atlantic Ocean ahead of Hurricane season (27:15) Communicating Hurricane Season forecasts effectively with the general public (28:00) Mark Sudduth's hail research (52:00) Pending research of temperature gradient of a hailstone (01:04:30) Storm Front Freaks Podcast (01:22:45) Inspiration/background for "Outbreak" stream (01:26:00) Creation of "Frances the Fox" book series and its impact (01:32:00) What is GXT Radio?  (01:48:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:43:52) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:46:07) National Weather Round-Up (01: E-Mail Segment (01:54:20) and more! Web Sites from Episode 957:  
    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Brady Harris - Blitzortung.org Live Lightning Map
    Cyrena Arnold - NOAA/NWS Headline Scores Home
    Bruce Jones - Tornado Talk on X: Ruskin Heights F5 Tornado May 20th, 1957
    James Aydelott - Out
    Jen Narramore - Photo of Jeff Piotrowski and David Hoadley storm chasing
    Rick Smith - May 20, 2013: The day an EF5 tornado struck the OKC Metro
    Neil Jacobs - Out
    Troy Kimmel - NWS HeatRisk
    Kim Klockow-

    • 2 hr 7 min
    WeatherBrains 956: From One Swamp To Another

    WeatherBrains 956: From One Swamp To Another

    Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is an old friend of the show.  He recently joined Spire, a weather forecasting company that utilizes advanced satellite technology and data analytics to produce highly accurate and timely weather forecasts.  He appeared on show No. 303 in November 2011 and show 751 a few years later in 2020.   He's a seasoned meteorologist with extensive experience in weather technology data analysis.  He co-founded Weather Decision Technologies before it was acquired by DTN.  Michael Eilts, welcome to back to WeatherBrains.
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    ****Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25****
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    Origins/acquisition of RadarScope (17:15) WDT acquisition by DTN (20:30) What is radio occultation?  (23:45) Impact of Spire's data/Governmental relationships (28:30) Paradigm shift of satellite data from governmental to commercial (35:30) Physics of the low Earth orbit of the atmosphere (47:35) Differences between artificial intelligence and machine learning (52:45) AMS Forecast Improvement Group (58:55) What defines a "bust" in the weather community?  (01:14:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:57) National Weather Round-Up (01:26:00) E-Mail Segment (01:09:10) and more! Web Sites from Episode 956:  
    AI weather modeling: Spire and NVIDIA’s partnership presents true evolution in weather prediction

    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Bruce Jones - Foghorn
    James Aydelott - Video of the tornado in the Jemez Mountains
    Jen Narramore - Jen appears on "Across the Sky" podcast to discuss Tornado Talk
    Rick Smith - April 25-May 10th 2024 Severe Weather Sequence analysis from NWS SPC
    Rick Smith - PBS NOVA Tornado! Original Broadcast, 1985
    Neil Jacobs - Here come the cicadas! Cicada double brood emerging across eastern states with potential impacts to young trees, no danger to people and pets
    Troy Kimmel - Tennessee Valley Weather
    Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
    Bill Murray - Foghorn
    James Spann - National Hurricane Center Products and Services Update for 2024 Hurricane Season
    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.

    • 1 hr 41 min
    WeatherBrains 955: Potato Guns And Fire Alarms

    WeatherBrains 955: Potato Guns And Fire Alarms

    Tonight's Guest Panelist is a show regular.  He's the SOO at the Birmingham NWS office.  Kevin Laws, it's always good to see you on the show.
    Our first Guest WeatherBrain tonight is an Emergency Management Officer with the Jefferson County Alabama Emergency Management Agency.  Melissa Sizemore, thanks for joining us on this week's episode.
    Guest WeatherBrain No. 2. is a former EMA officer with Calhoun County Alabama.  He's now a full-time Professor at Idaho State University with the Homeland Security Program.  He will soon be joining the faculty at Jacksonville State University with their well-known and respected Emergency Management Program.  Jonathan Gaddy, it's good to see you on the show.
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    *Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25*
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    What is a Science and Operations Officer?  (03:30) Rapid growth in Emergency Management field (10:45) Integrated Warning Team Concept (15:20) Excessive hyperbole concern in professional weather enterprise (22:30) Potential economic/financial issues as a result of excessive hyperbole (28:00) AMS Digital Seal (32:45) "Hot Washes" in EMA field (51:40) Lack of cohesion in perceiving risk in Social Science's infancy (01:07:30) Ongoing severe weather in Kansas and Oklahoma (01:22:30) Weather enterprise and its role in Emergency Management (01:38:30) How do we make the warning process better?  (1:43:15) Acceptable FAR/False Alarm Ratio (01:45:30) 2024 Hurricane Season (01:54:15) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:35) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) National Weather Round-Up E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 955:  
    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Jonathan Gaddy - FEMA Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC)
    Melissa Sizemore - CERT
    Kevin Laws - Rip Current Awareness
    Bruce Jones -
    James Aydelott - Out
    Jen Narramore - Road in Smithville, MS named after Johnny Parker
    Rick Smith - Out
    Neil Jacobs - Hurricane Awareness Tours
    Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
    Kim Klockow-McClain - Conditional Intensity Forecast Verification Using Significant Severe Local Storm Reports
    Bill Murray - Out
    James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones
    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.
     

    • 2 hr 1 min
    WeatherBrains 954: Toxic Wasteland

    WeatherBrains 954: Toxic Wasteland

    Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the NWS office in Pueblo, CO.  He got interested in weather as a youngster in elementary school and never got rid of the "bug".  He attended FSU's Meteorology program and following graduation had employment stops as a freshman meteorologist in Wilmington, Ohio and Pittsburg, PA.  He also worked with the Administrator of NOAA in Washington, DC for two years.  He's a veteran of the show and and at the time was the Pacific Regional WCM in Honolulu.  It's great to have him back.  Charlie Woodrum, welcome!
    Our Guest WeatherBrain is a northeast Arkansas native currently attending Mississippi State University as a Graduate student.  She's also a Teaching Assistant for the Broadcast Meteorology program and recently presented at the Southeast Severe Storms Symposium 2024.  Kristina Balentine, welcome to the show!
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    ****Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25****
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in Central Plains (01:30) Sulphur, OK extreme damage (06:30) Recent Oklahoma tornado fatalities  (09:45) 105 confirmed tornadoes from last Fri-Sun's outbreak sequence (11:00) Influence of Call To Action statements (32:15) Correlation coefficient (33:15) Dealing with loss of life in mobile homes in severe weather (47:15) Do most people have a tornado plan?  (55:15) Tips on job search in meteorology field (01:29:00) What does the future weather forecaster look like?  (01:32:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:48) National Weather Round-Up  E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 954:  
    Kristina Balentine on X
    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Kristina Balentine - Video of tornado crossing interstate in Nebraska
    Charlie Woodrum - NWS Lightning Toolkit
    Bruce Jones - 2024 EMAT Workshop Conference
    James Aydelott - Incredible video of a waterspout on Lake Eufaula
    Jen Narramore - Out
    Rick Smith - The April 27-28, 2024 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Flooding Event
    Neil Jacobs - Out
    Troy Kimmel - Manufactured Homes FAQ
    Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
    Bill Murray - Out
    James Spann - Tornado Outbreak of April 26, 2024
    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.

    • 1 hr 45 min
    WeatherBrains 953: Doing This For The Chemtrail Paycheck

    WeatherBrains 953: Doing This For The Chemtrail Paycheck

    Tonight's Guest Panelist needs no introduction.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University in 2016.  Johnny Parker, welcome to WeatherBrains.
    Our Guest WeatherBrains tonight consist of the team from the Tennessee Valley Weather network.  They are redefining local weather broadcasting.  They have a television-quality production with a state of the art studio stationed in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.  It's an innovative approach that brings expert community-based weather reporting directly to viewers in their area.
    First joining us is the Managing Meteorologist of Tennessee Valley Weather, and his two-decades plus career is defined by deep local ties  and a commitment to public safety.  Ben Luna, welcome to the show!
    Next up to introduce themselves is the Chief Meteorologist of TVW who has extensive experience in the field due to his early fascination with weather.   His expertise is complimented by his background in education and community-focused forecasting.  Fred Gossage, welcome.
    Staff Meteorologist Kelli Rosson is originally from Chicago and she handles the mid-day forecasts for the network.  She has a passion for public education and weather safety and boasts an extensive educational background in the field where she earned her Bachelor's from Western Kentucky University.  Kelli, welcome to the show.
    Last but certainly not least, Weekend Meteorologist of the network is joining us and is a dedicated member of the team and is also a self-proclaimed radar expert.  Bryan Wilson, welcome.
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    ****Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25****
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    "Forgotten F5" of April 16, 1998 (13:30) Generating revenue/business model (33:00) Tennessee Valley Weather's relationship with local NWS (39:45) DMA switchover process (58:30) Countering hype-driven forecasters online (01:10:00) Importance of gaining institutional knowledge in the industry (01:29:00) Distributing vital information on social media (01:30:00) Hiring opportunities (01:40:15) Street named after Johnny Parker (01:53:15) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:45:09) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:47:27) National Weather Round-Up E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 953:  
    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Fred Gossage - Tennessee Valley Weather
    Bryan Wilson - Iowa Environmental Mesonet
    Bruce Jones - HEAT.Gov
    James Aydelott - NWS Norman on X: "Are You Ready for Severe Weather?"
    Jen Narramore - 2024 Annual Preliminary Report Summary NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
    Rick Smith - SPC Severe Weather Outlooks At A Glance
    Neil Jacobs - Out
    Troy Kimmel - Foghorn
    Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
    Bill Murray - Experimental NOAA Surf Forecast Matrix
    James Spann - Scott Thomas on X: "A powerful read in the NWS FWD discussion today. Everyone should give this a read"
    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.

    • 2 hr 7 min
    WeatherBrains 952: On His Fourth Life

    WeatherBrains 952: On His Fourth Life

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a familiar face for those who watch The Weather Channel, as she regularly appeared on the network in the early 2000s.  She's an experienced broadcast meteorologist and a podcaster.  She also has a degree in journalism and worked as a reporter for several years to begin her career.  Her first job was as a reporter for WEAR-TV in Pensacola before moving to KIII-TV in Corpus, Christi Texas.  She then moved to Brunswick, Georgia to work in TV there, and then took a job in Bangor, Maine in TV news.  It was in Maine where she really got interested in meteorology, where she attended Plymouth State University and earned her Degree in Meteorology.  Her first major opportunity in weather was WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, before her move to The Weather Channel.  Heather Tesch, thanks for joining us!
    Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information.
    ****Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25****
    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
    "Beyond with Heather Tesch" (10:30) Profound stories dealing with near-death experiences (16:45) Balancing perspectives in podcasting (35:30) People reporting strengthening feelings of compassion after experiencing near-death (01:01:00) Neath-death studies and their analysis (01:06:00) How these stories have changed the host (01:19:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:24:45) Importance of NOAA Weather Radio (01:29:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) National Weather Round-Up (01:33:25) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) and more! Web Sites from Episode 952:  
    Beyond with Heather Tesch on YouTube
    WeatherCall
    AMS Weather Band
    Midland Radio
    Picks of the Week:
    Heather Tesch - Mitch West Weather on YouTube
    Bruce Jones - Readers Share Stories of Their Loved Ones’ Deathbed Visions

    James Aydelott - Video of wind in El Paso, TX from Cassie Frey
    Jen Narramore - Out
    Rick Smith - Out
    Neil Jacobs - Red Cross CPR Training
    Troy Kimmel - Latest Disaster for National Weather Service: Paying its Bills
    Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
    Bill Murray - Out
    James Spann - SPC Practically Perfect Hindcast
    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.

    • 1 hr 48 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
150 Ratings

150 Ratings

Jaybird6925 ,

Can’t miss it

You have my rapt attention every Monday evening. I first started listing just because I was interested in tornadoes but I learn something new about weather every week. The discussions are fascinating to me, no matter who the guests are.I also appreciate your levelheaded insights and knowledge. I love the non-political, comfortable, easy and humorous conversation between the regulars. And James, I bought weather radios for my family for Christmas, even though we don’t live in the Plains or Deep South (Betsy Kling is my fave where I live). Enjoy all of you so much.

DavidCWatson1990 ,

Wonderful Podcast

I so thoroughly enjoy this podcast. I’m a truck driver and I also have a background in weather myself from the army and love listening to this as I’m traveling the states. I love all the interesting topics and funny antics that make me laugh along the way. I hope this podcast can last forever! -David W.

It awsomer ,

Great podcast

Makes me feel normal for being a weather nerd. Great guests, great hosts. The honorable James Spann with a cast ranging from Bill Murray (no not that one), Nate, and Aubrey. Guests including storm chasers, NWS employees both past and present, and those who were directly involved in the storm. I can’t recommend this enough! It’s a great watch and listen.

Ps. Can Bill’s random hotel background be a cast member officially

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