Across the Sky

Thunderstorms are common this time of year, so we're focusing on lightning in this week's episode. Present in every storm, it's a weather threat that sometimes gets overlooked.

Chris Vagasky is a meteorologist and lightning applications manager at Vaisala, one of the leading weather instrumentation manufacturers worldwide, known throughout the weather industry for their lightning detection hardware and network. He joins the Lee Weather Team to explain the science and dangers of lightning, including wildfires. They also debunk some of the myths about lightning and discuss the best ways to stay safe. "When thunder roars, go indoors"...and listen to this electric episode!

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should you try to outdrive a tornado? Are you safe from tornadoes if you live in the mountains? The Lee Weather Team talks about some of the biggest myths when it comes to tornadoes. Tornadoes aren't limited to the open plains of the Midwest, so give this episode a listen to understand more about the destructive weather event.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lee Weather Team is finally reunited in person! Sean Sublette, Matt Holiner, Kirsten Lang and Joe Martucci attended the American Meteorological Society's 49th Broadcast Meteorology Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where meteorologists from across the country gathered to share research, stories and ideas in an effort to improve weather communication.

In this week's episode, the team gathers around the same microphone to describe what it's like to attend a weather conference. They summarize the presentation they delivered on digital weather coverage and what the response was from the audience. They also discuss some of their favorite talks at the conference, including an effort to replant trees that are wiped out after natural disasters and a recap of the last five hurricane seasons.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people associate the Great Plains with Tornado Alley. But where exactly is it and has it been shifting?

Our guest this week Harold Brooks, is a senior scientist in forecast and research development with the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma. He talks about the history of the term, the location and intensity of violent tornados and more.

Originally from St. Louis, Brooks received his Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois in 1990. Shortly after graduation he joined the NSSL as a research meteorologist.

His main focus of research is in forecast verification, climate change, severe thunderstorms, extended range forecast of thunderstorms, and the shifting of Tornado Alley.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're talking weather as usual, but taking a bit of a biblical approach on this one. And by biblical, we mean the actual Bible. Anthony McCullough and Dan Palmeri from JMJ Missions in New Jersey talk about some of the stories in the Bible where weather played a key role. Palmeri and McCullough list their Mount Rushmore of top four weather events in the bible. McCullough, who has a meteorology degree from Rutgers University, discusses with the Lee weather team if there's a basis of truth for each one.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer is near and this week marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. That makes this the perfect time to turn our attention to the topic.

Our guest this week guides us through the upcoming season. Joel Cline is the tropical program coordinator at National Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, and previously worked at the National Hurricane Center from 1987 to 1996, serving as a forecaster during Hurricane Andrew.

He was part of a team which completed a service assessment of Hurricane Michael in 2018, and is working with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology to study 2017's Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

He is leading efforts to improve a variety of National Hurricane Center products, including better ways to convey forecast uncertainty.

Cline earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorology and Computer Science at NC State, and a Master’s Degree in Meteorology & Physical Oceanography from the University of Miami.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We offer a bit of a summer weather outlook and are joined by special guest Matt Lanza, who is managing editor and meteorologist for Space City Weather. He is a meteorologist in Houston’s energy sector and previously worked as a broadcast meteorologist. Lanza discusses what goes into making long-range forecasts, the role that meteorologists play for the energy industry and his background covering Hurricane Harvey.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Environmental hazard risk and vulnerability expert Dr. Stephen Strader of Villanova University joins the podcast during the peak of tornado season. In this episode, Strader explores the lack of sheltering options for residents of mobile and manufactured homes. Beyond the lack of a solid foundation, Strader explains how in many rural parts of the country, the scattered nature of these homes makes finding a location for community shelters challenging.

Strader, an assistant professor and geography program director in the Department of Geography and the Environment, is a hazards geographer, atmospheric scientist and geographic information systems analyst with interests in severe and local storms. His research is primarily concentrated on the spatial and temporal changes in meteorological hazards and potential future changes in severe weather risk and exposure.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tornado season is here which has us thinking how people react to bad conditions. Kim Klockow-McClain from the University of Oklahoma studies how people respond to severe weather alerts, and joins us to discuss the risks of over-warning and how social media has impacted the communication of critical weather information.

Klockow-McClain is a research scientist and Societal Applications Coordinator with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at the University of Oklahoma and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

Her research involves behavioral science focused on weather and climate risk, and specifically explores the effects of risk visualization on judgment, and perceptions of severe weather risk from place-based and cognitive perspectives.

Before joining CIMMS/NSSL, Klockow-McClain was a UCAR Postdoctoral Researcher and Policy Advisor at the NOAA OAR Office of Weather and Air Quality. She completed her undergraduate education at Purdue University and graduate education at the University of Oklahoma.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we are now in an active tornado season, the Lee Weather Team talks about their experiences with the divesting weather event and the stories that have stuck with them the most over the years. They discuss being part of storm chasing teams, the planning of live tornado coverage and severe weather systems, and experiencing the devastation first hand after a tornado passes through.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.