Tonight's show is all about Tampa Bay and the west central gulf coast of Florida. We are excited to have Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay from Spectrum Bay News 9 and Brian LaMarre former NWS MIC from Tampa Bay for many years!

This is second of many upcoming WeatherBrains episodes focusing on various media weather markets around the country. On Episode 1030 last October we focused on Kansas City with Bryan Busby and Joe Lauria. On June 15, we will have a show dedicated to the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex weather enterprise.

Mike and Brian will discuss forecasting sea breezes, marine weather, Tampa Bay tropical cyclone challenges and much more. Mike and Brian, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Origins of Inspire Weather (11:30)
• Prolific Florida lightning shows (20:00)
• Magnetrons vs Klystrons explained (22:30)
• Relationship between media and NWS in various TV markets (25:00)
• Origins of NWS chat (29:30)
• Tampa's hurricane close calls (32:30)
• 1985's Hurricane Elena bizarre track (46:00)
• Non-tropical Florida tornado outbreaks (53:30)
• What is Florida red tide? (01:07:00)
• 1993 Storm of the Century and its impact on the State of Florida (01:11:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:37:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1055:

Inspire Weather

Tampa Bay Florida Local Weather Bay News 9

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Mike Clay - Florida Thunderstorm Season

Brian LaMarre - El Niño Modoki vs Traditional El Niño

James Aydelott - Artemis astronauts propose naming moon feature after Mission Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife

Jen Narramore - Nelson Tucker on X: Barrel white wall cloud and meson of Morton, TX EF2

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Highlights from Artemis II's History Journey Around the Moon

John Gordon - Jaden Pappenheim on X: Michigan flooding videos

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions

James Spann - WeatherBrains 91: A Chat With Roy Leep

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a legend in the Weather Enterprise and is the quintessential Tornado Master. Dr. Howard Bluestein is a Professor Emeritus and George Lynn Cross Research Professor in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He recently retired after spending more than 48 (WOW!) years as a meteorology professor at OU. Dr. Bluestein remains active in research and storm chasing, and for decades he pioneered the use of advance mobile doppler radar systems to study severe storms and tornadoes. He's also a renowned author and photographer, and some of his works have been placed in museums across the world. Dr. Bluestein, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• How did Dr. Bluestein enter the field of meteorology? (07:00)
• Harold Edgerton 1957 photo of Milk Drop Coronet (18:00)
• Waterspout chasing in airplanes (28:00)
• GATE June-September 1974 (GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment) (29:30)
• Conditional Instability of the Second Kind (CISK) (33:00)
• Using an optical theodolite to track storm soundings (50:30)
• W-Band radar vs KA-Band radars (55:00)
• Chasing 1984's Hurricane Diana (01:05:00)
• Dr. Bluestein's phenomenology and key scientific breakthroughs through scanning technology and storm chasing (01:06:00)
• Using RaxPol (Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar) data to accurately rate tornadoes (01:14:00)
• Mentorship of OU graduate students and lasting impacts of the program (01:18:30)
• Boundary-layer physics: Is the problem of Tornadogenesis solved? (01:27:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:30)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1054:

"The Architecture of Clouds" by Dr. Howard B. Bluestein

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Supercell Easter Egg Photo

Jen Narramore - Tupelo, MS F5 Tornado - April 5, 1936

Rick Smith - NOVA Tornado! Original Broadcast 1985

Troy Kimmel - Founding USA Today Editor Jack Williams passes away

Kim Klockow-McClain - NSSL VORTEX USA

John Gordon - Kona Storms Flood O'ahu

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Storm ready: NOAA's new mobile radar fleet bridges gap between research and weather safety

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. He previously led its Hurricane Specialist Unit and served as a senior hurricane specialist, producing forecasts and warnings for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. His work focuses on improving hurricane track and intensity forecasts, integrating new data into models, and training meteorologists on forecasting and communication. Before joining NHC leadership, he was the Science and Operations Officer at the Weather Prediction Center, where he guided scientific practices and staff training. He is active in the scientific community as a presenter, journal reviewer, and associate editor. He earned his bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from North Carolina State University, with research focused on weather forecasting and meteorology in the eastern United States. Dr. Michael Brennan, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Notable Virginia hurricanes (12:00)
• When can NOAA Hurricane Hunters fly into a developing tropical cyclone? (15:00)
• Extending tropical weather outlooks beyond a week? (18:00)
• Considering population density with regards to hurricane watches/warnings (25:00)
• Operational tempo atNHC during 2025's Hurricane Melissa (35:30)
• Receiving and analyzing real-time reports during landfalling tropical cyclones (46:00)
• Behind the scenes: a normal day at NHC vs active event protocol (49:45)
• Dealing with the media as NHC Director (54:30)
• Social media attacks and appropriate professional responses in the weather enterprise (01:13:00)
• NHC seasonal outlooks and call to action (01:18:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:20)
• E-Mail Segment (01:30:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1053:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Dr. Michael Brennan - NHC Tropical Cyclone Video Series

James Aydelott - Foghorn

Jen Narramore - Hurricane Gloria September 27th, 1985

Rick Smith - U.S. Drought Monitor Current Map

Troy Kimmel - NWS Houston/Galveston Hurricane Guide

Kim Klockow-McClain - The Fifth Hurricane Hazard: A Case Study of Heat Risks Faced by Disaster Relief Workers After Hurricane Beryl's Landfall

John Gordon - Kentucky Mesonet at WKU

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Conditional Warning Probabilities

James Spann - NOAA's NWS eyes the cloud for next-gen applications

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's WeatherBrains episode is all about marine weather! We discuss wave forecasting, marine hazards, and the many products issued for mariners. Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is Chris Landsea. He was formerly the Science and Operations Officer for 11 years at NHC, and he's now the Chief of TAFB (Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch) at the NHC. He has served in this role since 2019. Chris, it's great to have you on tonight's episode. Guest WeatherBrain and meteorologist Brian Lamarre was formerly the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the Lubbock TX NWS office. He then served 17 years as the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) at the Tampa FL NWS. The panel discusses the various commonly seen marine alerts, including freezing spray forecasts, Special Marine Warnings, and hazardous sea warnings. Brian, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Looking back at WeatherBrains Episode 46 featuring Dr. William Gray (Fall 2006) - Link incoming! (13:00)
• What is the NWS Marine Program? (14:30)
• Small Craft Advisories (18:00)
• Gale Warnings and why are these necessary? (21:00)
• What are rip currents and why is this a hazard? (23:30)
• Respiratory hazards and other entry level hazards (28:00)
• Coastal flood advisories/warnings (31:30)
• Special Marine Warnings and what conditions are needed to require one (34:00)
• Waterspouts and the call to action for the general public (36:30)
• Forecasting wave heights and the main 2 types of waves that are commonly produced (44:30)
• Deep dive into rogue waves and significant wave height (47:30)
• NHC TAFB (Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch): Who is it and what do they do? (55:00)
• Increasing traffic in polar regions and the ice/open ocean transition (01:05:00)
• Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) (01:08:00)
• Unique relationship between US Coast Guard and National Weather Service (01:12:00)
• Special Marine Warnings and metrics applied to POD/FAR similar to on-land severe warnings (01:17:00)
• Special Marine Warnings and Call to Action (01:19:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
• E-Mail Segment (01:27:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1052:

MarineTraffic

EverythingWeather: Your Ultimate Weather Mobile App

WeatherFront Mobile Weather App

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Chris Landsea - NHC Graphical Marine Wind Warnings

Brian Lamarre - Haboob satellite photo

James Aydelott - Okie J on Facebook: Severe storms stretch from Chicago to Houston

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Hazcams

Kim Klockow-McClain - UCAR statement on lawsuit filed against federal administrative agencies

John Gordon - Windy.com

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - 3/15/26 Bonnertown, TN tornado damage

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's WeatherBrains is all about the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC)'s convective outlooks.

Guest WeatherBrain and SPC forecaster Bill Bunting joins us tonight. He grew up in Virginia Beach, VA where we experienced a series of hurricanes and Nor'easters at a very young age. He attended Old Dominion University as well as OU where he earned his Bachelor's Degree. He's been with the National Weather Service since 1985, where he's worked primarily at local offices in Norman (OK), Kansas City (MO) and Fort Worth (TX). He was Chief of Forecasting Operations at SPC in 2012, and is now the Deputy Director at SPC since 2024. Bill, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Second and last Guest WeatherBrain (but certainly not the least!) is the brand new Warning Coordination Meteorologist (MIC) for the SPC. He grew up in Ohio and attended Valparaiso University, and has since worked for the NWS for over 15 years. He loves historical weather statistics and visualization. Evan Bentley, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Organization/structure of NWS Storm Prediction Center (14:00)
• SPCS's Fire weather forecasting (16:00)
• Science behind SPC's new conditional intensity forecasts (20:30)
• Deterministic factors for a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) watch (26:00)
• Improving communication of impactful weather events to family and co workers (40:00)
• SPC's philosophy on dealing with QLCS events (51:00)
• National team approach for warnings? (01:03:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:29:45)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:32:15)
• E-Mail Segment (01:24:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1051:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Bill Bunting - SPC Hazard Climatology

James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: Two supercell rotation paths

Jen Narramore - Southeast Severe Storms Symposium XXIV

Rick Smith - NOAA Damage Assessment Toolkit

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Edwardsburg Schools offer support as community mourns loss of student

John Gordon - Congressman Eric Sorensen introduces new legislation to investigate major weather disasters

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Out

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's WeatherBrains episode will cover the Purdue Meteorology Program. The Panel takes a deep dive into both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Guest WeatherBrain Dr. Robin Tanamachi joins us tonight from Purdue University. She's a member of the AMS and is working with UCAR and COMET on a radar meteorology course. She's an avid cyclist and storm chaser. It's great to have you on tonight, Dr. Tanamachi!

Guest WeatherBrain Dr Beth Hall joins us to discuss what's happening with the Indiana State Climatologist office. She's also the director of the Midwest Regional Climate Center and manager of the Purdue Mesonet. Tonight's show will be discussing efforts on building a Statewide Mesonet across the Hoosier State. Thanks for joining us tonight!

Last but certainly not least, Guest Panelist Purdue University senior Lindsey Peterson will go through enrollment, meteorology student activities, storm chase trip, and Dr Tanamachi's research. She's studying atmospheric science and is the President of Purdue's AMS Chapter and has been a NWS student volunteer as well as a 2025 NOAA William M. Lapenta Intern. She's also involved with the AMS Board of Higher Education and has done undergraduate research focusing on the history of meteorology. Lindsey, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• March 1st, 2007 Enterprise tornado tragedy anniversary (01:30)
• Henryville Indiana 2012 tornado anniversary (05:00)
• Purdue Meteorology program background (09:30)
• Kentucky bourbon barrels and their climate condition requirements (27:30)
• What exactly is a Mesonet? (29:45)
• Current sites/status of Purdue Mesonet (32:00)
• Indiana Water Balance Network (33:45)
• PUMA (Purdue University Meteorological Association) (50:00)
• Purdue Meteorology Program's rich history and tradition (01:01:00)
• COMET online radar class (01:03:30)
• Strange and unusual inquiries made to the climate office (01:08:00)
• Career advice for young people and meteorology students (01:10:00)
• What is phased array radar? (01:12:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:20:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:15)
• E-Mail Segment (01:24:30)
• 2/26/26 Unexpected Trussville AL EF0 tornado (01:30:50)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1050:

Indiana Mesonet

COMET MetEd Public Dashboard

Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week:

Lindsey Peterson - Earrings from Because Science

Dr. Beth Hall - MRCC Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI)

Dr. Robin Tanamachi - Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

James Aydelott - Girls Who Chase free seminar

Jen Narramore - WHO 13's Jeriann Ritter opens up about her health journey

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Chairman Cruz Announces Markup of NASA Reauthorization, NOAA Weather Bill for March 4th

John Gordon - Debris Ballers - The Beginning

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - NWS SPC on X: Changes to SPC Severe Weather Outlooks

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's show is all about radar and reflectivity. Guest WeatherBrain Charles Kuster works in the radar division of NSSL. He started his career at the OU Cooperative Institute. Then, moved to NSSL and has been there ever since. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in 2012 and eventually his Master's in 2014. Charles was a Graduate Research Assistant with OU CIMMS before securing a position as Research Associate in January of this year. Charles, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Second Guest WeatherBrain Jami Boettcher came to CIWRO/NSSL after retiring from the National Weather Service, comprised of about 10 years in operations, and 25 years as an Instructor for the Warning Decision Training Division. Her first area of expertise as a trainer focused on the WSR-88D system updates, with the most significant being the conversion to dual polarization. Developing and delivering training that focused on the needs of the NWS operational community was always the priority. Her second area of training expertise was on the cognitive domain of NWS warning operations and its three components: science, technology, and human factors. Jamie, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Side lobe contamination (16:00)
• ZDR column radar signature (19:30)
• Precursor radar signatures (25:30)
• Dual-polarization radar general concepts and variables (27:00)
• Correlation coefficient definition (28:30)
• KDP/Specific Differential Phase (29:30)
• Radar spectrum width (43:00)
• Mitigating side lobe contamination? (55:00)
• Difference between WSR-88D and phased array radar (01:05:00)
• Well-known radar gaps and the ensuing issues (01:10:30)
• X-Band radar vs WSR-88D (01:12:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:20)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:05)
• E-Mail Segment (01:31:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1049:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Charles Kuster - NOAA NSSL

Jami Boettcher - NWS/OCLO Warning Decision Training Division

James Aydelott - Out

Jen Narramore - Record snowstorm for Providence, Rhode Island

Rick Smith - Dual-Polarization Radar Training for NWS Partners

Troy Kimmel - NWS Weather and Hazards Data Viewer

Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

John Gordon - Journal of Operational Meteorology "Operational Diagnostic Applications of Isentropic Analysis" by Louis Uccellini

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - PRESSURE official trailer - Releases May 29th

James Spann - CIRA on X: "May NE US locations received over a foot of snow since yesterday morning due to powerful blizzard and NorEaster...."

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is Melinda Beerends. She is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of Grand Forks, ND. Welcome!

Our Guest WeatherBrain No. 2 tonight is meteorologist Carl Jones. He's a forecaster for the NWS in Grand Forks, ND. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University. His professional focus remains operational forecasting and photography. Thanks for joining us tonight!

Last but certainly not least, Guest WeatherBrain No. 3 is a meteorologist from the NWS office in Grand Forks, ND. He is a St. Cloud State graduate and is seasoned photographer who previously worked in the private sector for several years before entering government service. Tyler Thomas, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Deep South Valentine's Day Weekend QLCS controversy (01:15)
• Importance of being connected with the people you serve! (06:00)
• Environmental setup for June 2025 EF5 event (13:00)
• ND has never had a High Risk outlook (15:30)
• Flaws/misses in that event's forecast prior to EF5 event (18:00)
• Did the June 2025 Enderlin event meet the SPC thresholds in place? (21:00)
• LCL heights and radar data on day of Enderlin EF5 (22:30)
• Reflectivity data presentation of Enderlin EF5 (29:30)
• QRT ( NWS Quick Response Team) preliminary tornado rating of EF3 (50:00)
• Outside data and sources concerns/review (01:03:00)
• Rarity of direct observational evidence in these types of events (01:12:30)
• The three fatalities in the Enderlin EF5 and what we know (01:22:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:35)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1048:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Tyler Thomas - Copernicus Browser

Carl Jones - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal

Melinda Beerends - YouTube: What clues from tornado outbreaks can help improve prediction?

James Aydelott - WeatherFront on X: February 14-15 QLCS

Jen Narramore - The Historical Marker Database

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - The Blue Board - United Airlines Flight Tracker and Live Status

Kim Klockow-McClain - Louis Uccellini, NWS Director, visits Oklahoma

John Gordon - John Kucko on X: Ice Volcano Erupts

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Brian Emfinger video of Enderlin, ND EF5 damage indicators

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest Panelist is a meteorologist and author who is President and CEO of NorCast Media Group. Focusing on the Northeast, NorCast is known for combining detailed forecasting with storytelling. He recently released a book inspired in part by the influence of his grandmother and his lifelong fascination with weather. Nick Pittman, thanks for joining us tonight! Our Guest WeatherBrain for this week's episode is an on-air broadcast meteorologist for FOX Weather. He's known for combining sharp forecasting, energetic and engaging on-camera style. He's covered major hurricanes, high impact severe weather, and winter storms. Bob Van Dillen, thanks for joining us tonight!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Photogenic tornadoes (11:30)
• Entry level TV met pay rates in early 90s (14:00)
• Retrospective advice from a seasoned veteran in broadcasting (30:00)
• Toxicity of social media comments (33:30)
• Working at FOX Weather (38:00)
• Streaming services and changing business models (48:00)
• Hurricane Ida (2021) and other recent memorable weather events (50:30)
• Conditions that produce hurricane-spawned tornadoes (57:00)
• Nick's experiences in 2012's Hurricane Sandy (01:01:00)
• Naming winter storms? (01:08:00)
• Biggest forecasts busts! (01:26:00)
• The importance of remembering analogs when forecasting (01:43:15)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:29:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1047:

Alabama Weather Network

"Rain Date: Unpredictable Lessons from My Life Forecasting the Weather" by Nick Pittman

FOX Weather

Picks of the Week:

Nick Pittman - Ice still covers Delaware River, Bay, and even New Jersey's cranberry bogs as temperatures get above freezing

Bob Van Dillen - 3 'Panicking' Men Rescued After Falling Through Ice in Queens

James Aydelott - Chris Suchan on X: Mt. Cedar video

Jen Narramore - Reminder: Go to your local library!

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - NWS Memphis: 2025 Year in Review

Kim Klockow-McClain - Ryan Hall Facebook video about AI/eating

John Gordon - Colorado Climate Blog: How does this year compare to the snow droughts of the past?

John Gordon - U. S. Drought Monitor: Colorado

Bill Murray - National Storm Chaser Summit 2026 - Roger Hill

James Spann - CIPS Analog-Based Severe Probability Guidance

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's show is all about the OTUS Project. It's a nonprofit research mission lead by President Nelson Tucker, Drone Builder and Ops Coordinator Louis Tucker, Lead Engineer Tanner Beard, and chasing expert Eric Fox. The OTUS Project was founded by engineering and meteorology students, and is pioneering the use of cutting edge UAV technology, software and sensor engineering to investigate tornadoes in ways never before possible. Their goal is to protect life and property by improving our understanding of wind forces for structural resilience and collecting thermodynamic data to enhance computer models. Also, they prioritize hazard prediction through advanced drone deployment and strategic partnerships as well as real-time field work. Thanks for joining us tonight!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Meet the OTUS Team! (05:00)
• How did OTUS Project start? (11:30)
• Drone design development (14:30)
• What does an OTUS project deployment look like? (17:30)
• Successful 2025 chasing season (22:00)
• May 2025 Arnett, OK tornado intercept (33:00)
• Difficulties of acquiring viable data with difficult variables during chases (43:00)
• Leverage controlled environments with drones for calibration activities (56:00)
• How an airspeed sensor works when chasing (57:30)
• Status on upcoming OTUS Documentary (01:09:00)
• Nelson shares footage of actual tornado intercept (01:12:00)
• 2026 National Storm Chaser Summit (01:28:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:15)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:37:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1046:

Alabama Weather Network

The OTUS Project

Picks of the Week:

Nelson Tucker - TornadoGenesis.Org

Eric Fox - Colorado water officials plan for "exceedingly grim" low reservoir levels

James Aydelott - Okie J on Facebook: Shovel Hack video

Jen Narramore - SPC Data Viewer

Rick Smith - SPC's Liz Leitman explains upcoming changes to SPC convective outlooks

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Panel Discussion 10A - Informed decision-making and ethics: Developing a blueprint for ethical weather and climate communication

John Gordon - Barotrophic Instability AKA Karman Vortex Street

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Adding Intensity Information to SPC Convective Outlooks

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.