Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrains are two Kansas City meteorologists who both went to St. Louis for meteorology and both have had incredibly long and storied careers. They are also unlikely close friends behind camera. Bryan and Joe, it's great to have you both on the show tonight!
Bryan Busby, Chief Meteorologist at KMBC 9 News since 1985, is one of Kansas City’s most respected and recognized meteorologists. Known for his innovative weather programs such as “Guaranteed Weather” and “Instant Weather Network” (for which he holds a U.S. patent), Busby has also served as Chief Meteorologist for the Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network and appears on KMBZ Radio. Nationally acclaimed, he chaired the American Meteorological Society’s Board of Broadcast Meteorologists, was featured by The Weather Channel, and was elected to the National Weather Association’s Board of Directors in 2021. His honors include the AMS Award for Broadcast Meteorology (2010) and lifetime AMS Fellowship (2023).
Joe Lauria is an award-winning meteorologist who has delivered nightly forecasts on FOX 4 since 1995. A New York native fascinated by weather since childhood, he previously served as Chief Meteorologist in Texas, Florida, and Illinois, earning honors such as Texas AP Weathercaster of the Year and multiple Best Weathercast awards in Missouri and Kansas. A Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and longtime leader in the American Meteorological Society’s Kansas City chapter, Lauria is known for educating viewers beyond what apps provide and giving weather talks to the community. A St. Louis University graduate, he lives in Olathe, Kansas, with his wife and two cats and enjoys golf, travel, and Kansas City’s Italian restaurants.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].
- What is a Billiken? (15:30)
- Today's expectations in TV meteorology vs workload of earlier decades (23:00)
- Streaming is the new frontier (26:30)
- Model data and graphics technological improvements over the last few decades (30:00)
- May 4th, 2003 Kansas City High risk (44:00)
- Relationship issues among TV meteorologists (51:00)
- IWT/NWS relationships (54:30)
- Confusion over Areal Flood Advisories (01:01:00)
- Broadcast meteorologists vs Social Media-0logists (01:09:00)
- Mentoring young people in the weather enterprise and its impacts (01:23:00)
- SLU dropping its meteorology program in 2029 (01:25:30)
- Georgie Global cartoon (01:29:30)
- Dr. Neil Jacobs confirmed by Senate as NOAA Administrator (01:30:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:35:35)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1030:
Bryan Busby on X
Fox 4 Weather KC on X
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Joe Lauria - Winter Storm Warning as 3 feet of snow to hit central California
Bryan Busby - SPC Day 4-8 U.S. Convective Outlook
James Aydelott - James Aydelot on Facebook: Arizona Dryline Photo
Jen Narramore - PSU Electronic Map Wall
Rick Smith - Durham's Neil Jacobs confirmed by Senate as NOAA chief
Troy Kimmel - Weather Wednesday: Building a better Guam, one can at a time
Kim Klockow-McClain - Center for Sportfishing Policy on X: Congratulations to Dr. Neil Jacobs as NOAA Administrator
John Gordon - "Dragon's Tail" powerful tidal bore in China's Qiantang River
Bill Murray - Foghorn
James Spann - Powerful microburst devastates Tempe as Monday storms pushed through
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.
