Guest: Chris Vagasky, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Few things in weather grab our attention quite like lightning. It’s fast, powerful, a little bit mysterious — and for today’s guest, it’s been a lifelong fascination. Joining us is lightning expert Chris Vagasky, a scientist whose career has sparked everything from groundbreaking lightning safety work to a new chapter with Wisconet, one of the most advanced surface observation networks in the country. While his day-to-day role may have evolved, his passion for understanding and explaining lightning has never dimmed. In this episode, we’ll talk about career pivots in meteorology, why high-quality observations matter so much during severe weather, and how you keep your scientific spark alive even as your job changes. So stay grounded, because this conversation is charged with insight, curiosity, and a whole lot of lightning science.

Chapters

1. 00:00 The Fascination with Lightning
2. 14:30 Break 1
3. 14:33 Career Pivot and WiscoNet
4. 26:36 Break 2
5. 26:54 The Future of Weather Communication and AI

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