Weather Geeks

Guest: Sean Potter

Every big idea or organization has to get its start somewhere and the National Weather Service is no exception! More than 150 years ago, Congress established the U.S Weather Bureau in 1870, which would go on to eventually become the National Weather Service we know today. Our guest today dug into the life of the man who would become known as the Father of the National Weather Service. Sean Potter is the author of Too Near for Dreams, The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster. We’ll discuss Abbe’s life and passion as well as what motivated Sean to dive into the world of writing in addition to being a meteorologist..

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Guest: Matt Lanza

Introduction: Texas just experienced one of the worst weather disasters in its history as temperatures plunged into a deep freeze. All-time cold temperature records were broken, sub-freezing streaks set new records, and the energy industry learned some very hard lessons. Houston is no stranger to extreme weather, and they were hit particularly hard with this event too. Today’s guest, Meteorologist Matt Lanza, was directly affected by the weather as his family was left without power. He joins us today to discuss the range of extreme weather conditions the Space City has seen through the years, and we’ll get his perspective on forecasting for day-to-day and extreme weather events for the region. 

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Guest: Valerie Trouet

Forests can offer us picturesque views, but did you know they also offer us a look at the past? Why is that important? To better understand our climate, we need to study the past, and inspecting tree rings is a great way to do that! We’re ringing in the new year by talking to Valerie Trouet from the University of Arizona. She uses tree rings to study past climates, forest ecosystems, atmospheric circulation patterns and more. We’ll discuss what tree rings can actually tell us about our planet’s history and how we can use that to protect future generations.

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Guest: Dr. Genevieve Guenther

Introduction: 

Climate change and its impacts are becoming a regular part of conversations among scientists and even the general public at large, but are we giving it the true attention it deserves? Should the media be doing a complete overhaul of how they tackle this issue? Today we’re talking with Dr. Genevieve Guenther, founder of End Climate Silence, who’s working to change how we talk about extreme weather and its connections to climate change in both the media and in our daily lives. With the majority of Americans now wanting to learn more about climate change, there’s never been a more opportune time to educate and call people to action.

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Guest: Jim Coker, EMA Director

Today’s guest has spent his life serving the Alabama community through multiple branches of law enforcement, and now, he’s taking that experience to the office of emergency management. Jim Coker is the Emergency Management Agency Director for Jefferson County, Alabama, and we’re sitting down with him to discuss the effectiveness of outdoor sirens when severe weather is approaching. We’ve heard countless stories of how people did or didn’t hear sirens before being hit by a tornado, but should an OUTDOOR siren be their main warning sign? Let’s discuss...

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Guest: Zack Labe

Remember when you were anxiously awaiting your report card? It’s very likely that these events were met with mixed emotions as you awaited the results. Well when it comes to grading the health of the Arctic, we should be nervous. This region of the world is seeing some of the worst impacts from climate change, and today, we’re chatting with one of the report’s authors, Climate & Atmospheric Scientist Zachary Labe who specializes in Arctic ice conditions. He’ll reveal some of the alarming results from the latest report, and we’ll discuss what the declining health of the Arctic means for the future of our planet.

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Guest: David Pogue

One of the major topics when discussing meteorology is climate change, and we’ve certainly heard a great deal about it over the past decade. With destructive Western wildfires and stronger hurricanes, it seems climate change manages to become a major part of the conversation, and rightly so. Today we are talking with author David Pogue, who wants us to know how to prepare for the effects of climate change in our personal lives. From planning your diet, to personal investments, to how to build and fortify your home, and even how to talk to your kids about climate change, his new book outlines it all. Let’s dig in...

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Guest:  Deanna Apps, Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Introduction:

When you hear people discussing rising water levels, you probably only think of SEA-level rise. But what about LAKE-level rise? Today’s guest is Deanna Apps, a Physical Scientist with the Detroit District of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. She analyzes and forecasts water levels in the Great Lakes and produces weekly and monthly forecasts. As the region continues experiencing record water levels, we’ll ask her about the factors at play and how local agencies are working to mitigate impacts like coastal flooding and erosion. Let’s discuss...

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Guest: Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook

Weather forecasting has made leaps and bounds in recent decades, and it’s hard to remember a time when we couldn’t get the latest forecast update with just a swipe of the finger on our phone.  But wouldn’t it be great if we could get an idea of what to expect MONTHS in advance? Well, you’re in luck because today we’re talking with Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook who has been a pioneer in understanding and improving seasonal forecasts, especially those for tornadoes.  We’ll find out how these forecasts are made and how events like La Nina and El Nino can affect them. 

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Guest: Dr. Phil Klotzbach, Colorado State University

If you are a purveyor of weather twitter, this man needs no introduction! Odds are you have seen at least one of his incredible and easily digestible hurricane stats during this past hurricane season as well. Today’s episode is with Dr. Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University! We are going to discuss this monumental hurricane season and all of the records that it shattered. We will also talk about Dr. Klotzbach’s seasonal forecasts from CSU that he championed after the legendary Dr. William Gray’s passing. 

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