Weather Geeks

Guest: Mike Bettes

2020 was, to put it lightly, an insane year.  Mother Nature didn’t care about a global pandemic either, as she lashed out during every single season.  From deadly tornadoes in the Spring, to raging wildfires in the summer, to a record number of tropical cyclones, to finally ending the year with a bonafide nor’easter!  Phew…  Well, I’ve got someone with me today who was in the studio talking about all of these events this year: The Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes!  We are going to go down the list to discuss the weather events that shaped our 2020. 

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Guest: Brian Cizek, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron

With new frontiers developing in spaceflight, it’s more important than ever to make sure we get the forecast right. There are many variables meteorologists have to monitor: cloud cover, precipitation chances, even cloud height and electric potential! To make sure every launch goes off without a hitch, you need a team of skilled, dedicated forecasters like those found at the 45th Weather Squadron. Today we’re happy to welcome Brian Cizek who serves as a launch weather officer. He’ll offer us an inside look at how these forecasts are made and why they need to be so accurate. Let’s get started in T minus 3...2...1...

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Guest: Dr. Juliane Gross, Rutgers

Like searching for needles in a haystack, searching for meteorites on Earth is not an easy feat! How about searching for those meteorites while in the frigid wasteland of Antarctica? Well that is what my guest today did this past winter! Dr. Juliane Gross is an associate professor at Rutgers University and she studies the formation and evolution of the planets in our solar system. What do meteorites in the Antarctic have to do with her research? We are going to find out about that plus what living in the true frozen tundra is like!

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Guest: Paul Pisano

Introduction: Ground transportation is something we all deal with on a daily basis, whether it’s in our cars, on a bus, or the subway. Navigating poor road conditions during inclement weather can be very treacherous, but new technologies and innovating thinking are working to keep people safe. Today we’re joined by Paul Pisano from the Road Weather Committee of the Transportation Research Board. Paul understands that ground transportation infrastructure is a vital asset that can’t be neglected.  With extreme weather conditions becoming more prevalent, we must ensure that the meteorological & transportation communities are working together to pave the way for smarter, safer, and more sustainable methods of travel.  

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Guest: Mike Nelson

Introduction:

Have you been struggling to understand climate change and what it means for you and your family?  What if I told you that in just 10 easy steps, YOU would be able to understand our Earth's changing climate?  Well today, we’re talking to meteorologist and author Mike Nelson who has written the book that answers those questions.  Mike Nelson has spent more than 40 years serving his local community as a broadcast meteorologist, and his work has helped revolutionize the industry.  We’ll discuss his amazing career and the journey that led to his writing this book.  Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our world today, and it’s important to have a messenger like Mike to help people understand how it works and how we can work together to reverse its effects.  

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Guest: Mike Eilts

Introduction:

When you hear the name, Mike Eilts, a few words may come to mind: storm chaser, atmospheric scientist, journal author, entrepreneur, pioneer of weather radar...and they’re all right! Today, we’re pleased to welcome Mike Eilts who currently serves as the Vice President of the Weather Business Unit at the Data Transmission Network, or DTN. His impressive career spans nearly 4 decades, and his innovative thinking has helped both government agencies and private companies to better serve their respective communities and clients.  We’ll discuss his early contributions to severe weather forecasting and verification, and we’ll also learn about his companies’ visions of using big data solutions to provide weather analytics and improved hazardous weather prediction to customers across the globe.  

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Guest: Eric Jay Dolin, Ph.D.

Introduction: 

Over the past several decades, the way we consume weather information and receive our latest forecasts has been revolutionized.  Millions of people can tune in to watch The Weather Channel during an impending tornado outbreak or approaching hurricane. With all this information so readily at our fingertips, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come in our knowledge of weather and how it can shape our future. Today’s guest hasn’t forgotten the past. In fact, he loves to write about it… We’re excited to welcome best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin who has authored 14 books and more than 60 articles.  Today we’ll be discussing his latest book, A Furious Sky: The 500-Year History of America’s Hurricanes, and we’ll learn what his inspiration has been for his many acclaimed works. 

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Guest: Dr. Craig Clements, SJSU Fire Weather Research Laboratory

Introduction:

We’ve seen a record number of acres of beautiful countryside go up in flames in 2020, and we’re not done yet. In recent years, many across the West have seen some of the deadliest & most destructive wildfires that our country has ever experienced. Whether they have been accelerated by climate change or extreme drought conditions, there is no denying that millions of lives have been changed forever as these millions of acres are scorched beyond repair. Today on the show, we are talking with someone who wants this trend to stop and wants to forecast the wildfires before they cause their destruction. His name is Dr. Craig Clements from the SJSU Fire Weather Research Lab in California and we are so excited to sit down with him today...

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Guest: Margaret Crane, Child Psychologist

Introduction: 

I have had many Meteorologists come on this show and when I ask them how they got a passion for weather, a good number of them were scared of Mother Nature’s wrath at a young age. But that fear catapulted them into a passion for learning about the science behind what is happening in the sky. However, for some people, that fear doesn’t turn into passion and could even develop into a phobia. My guest today is Margaret Crane, who is a psychology PhD student specializing in anxiety disorders like storm phobias.

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Guest:  Dr. Jamese Sims, NOAA Senior Physical Scientist

Artificial Intelligence…or AI... When you hear that term, it’s likely that your mind is flooded with images from the latest Sci-Fi flick you’ve seen, or maybe you have visions of robots taking over the world!  Well fear not, because the AI we’re focusing on today revolves around its applications to meteorology and earth sciences. We’re sitting down with Dr. Jamese Sims, senior physical scientist with NOAA, who currently serves as the agency’s Special Assistant for Artificial Intelligence.  We’ll discuss the goals of NOAA’s AI strategy and how we can use machine learning to help improve everything from numerical forecasts to interpreting the chemistry of exoplanets!  And with all the opportunities AI has to offer, we’ll discuss how agencies are working together to access the latest technology and greatest minds to help us achieve our goals.

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