WeatherBrains

Angela Mason, author of Death Rides The Sky, The Story Of The 1925 Tri-State Tornado, is our guest this week! Next month is the 100th anniversary of the deadly tornado that killed almost 700 people.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a storm chaser, and is the driver and equipment technician for storm chaser Brett Adair. He has over twelve years of experience, and he's chased 22 tornadoes and 9 hurricanes across 39 states. He's a Pell City, AL native. Heath Lollar, welcome to the show!

Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a WeatherBrains veteran and the founder of Girls Who Chase, a movement empowering women in storm chasing. A self taught chaser and forecaster, she has been chasing since 2018. Jen Walton, thanks for joining us!

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

• January snow on the beach (01:30)
• Close to 8 inches of snow fell on New Orleans on Jan 21st (05:30)
• Rating a tornado based on wind speed/Explaining EF-Scale (19:00)
• Learning lessons from getting too close when storm chasing (35:00)
• Dealing with devastating/violent scenes when storm chasing (36:30)
• Pets and other animals after destructive tornadoes (51:00)
• Psychological shock/Acute stress reaction for extended periods after a violent severe weather event (01:04:00)
• Girls Who Chase and what they stands for (01:07:50)
• Going through phases in storm chasing (01:30:45)
• Storm chasing ethics (01:45:10)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:43)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 993:

Girls Who Chase

Picks of the Week:

Jen Walton - Fire tornadoes a risk under California extreme wildfire conditions

James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "It's an oldie, but a reminder...Spring is just around the corner"

Jen Narramore - Ohio Genealogical Society

Rick Smith - SPC Mesoscale Discussion 36/Western North Florida

Neil Jacobs - Foghorn

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the "Drought" of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States

Bill Murray - NOAA Snowfall Extremes

James Spann - Gulf Shores, Alabama 01/22/2025 Snow on the beach just before sunrise

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

It's a somber episode tonight as we look back on the life and legacy of a legend in the field of meteorology, Dr. Chuck Doswell. We look back at Dr. Doswell's career and his impact on the science today. Our Guest WeatherBrain is a Senior Scientist in the Forecast Research and Development Division at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and a prior veteran of the show. Dr Harold Brooks, welcome to the show.

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

• Remembering Dr. Doswell (03:30)
• Multiple layoffs in TV meteorology and looking forward from here (09:27)
• Changing business model in modern radio (21:00)
• The Early Life of Dr. Doswell (30:00)
• How Dr. Doswell elevated the field of meteorology (42:00)
• Looking back at a 2009 WeatherBrains appearance (01:02:25)
• What is the role of a human being in forecasting? (01:09:00)
• Riding the coattails of past generations in this science (01:24:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No Segment This Week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:36:48)
• E-Mail Segment (01:38:15)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:40:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 992:

Dr. Harold Brooks on X

Picks of the Week:

Harold Brooks - Flash Flood Forecasting: An Ingredients-Based Methodology

Harold Brooks - Case Analysis of a Historic Killer Tornado Event in Kansas On 10 June 1938

James Aydelott - Pet Peeves of Chuck Doswell

Jen Narramore - Foghorn

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - First-ever Meteorite Crash Caught On Camera With Sound In Canada

Kim Klockow-McClain - Dr. Doswell Remembrance (01:45:00)

Bill Murray - Chuck's Chatter

James Spann - WeatherBrains 509 - October 19th, 2015

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

Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the great grand-niece of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the Vermont farmer who first photographed snowflakes. Sue Richardson, welcome to the show!

Wilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont. A farmer by trade, he attracted worldwide attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in his life long work with rain, dew and frost, was his extensive work with snowflakes. On January 15, 1885 he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. He would go on to photograph well over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two the same), and his documentation of this work advanced the study of meteorology in his time. His photomicrographs were acquired by institutes of higher learning all over the world and his writings on these subjects were published in many journals and magazines including Scientific American, National Geographic and The National Weather Service Research Journal. In November of 1931, his book "Snow Crystals" was published by McGraw/Hill and is still in print today. Shortly after, on December 23, 1931, Wilson Bentley died at the family farmhouse in Jericho where he lived his entire life. Because of his wonderful work with snow crystals, he became affectionately know as "Snowflake" Bentley.

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

• January 10th snowstorm totals (02:00)
• January 15, 1885: The world's first photograph of a snow crystal (10:30)
• Various shapes and sizes of snow dendrites (16:00)
• Comparisons/similarities to Dr. Ted Fujita (17:30)
• Snowflake Bentley's ice crystal analysis and perspective (41:00)
• Jericho Historical Society and exhibit (43:30)
• Collecting snowflakes and collecting "smiles" (50:30)
• Tricks of the trade in genealogy (53:30)
• AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans (01:10:00)
• Los Angeles fires (01:11:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:00:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:04:08)
• E-Mail Segment (01:05:55)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:18:45)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 991:

Jericho Historical Society

"The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley" by Duncan Blanchard

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - AIR7 maps out Altadena damage from Eaton Fire

James Aydelott - Eaton Fire Recovery Information

Jen Narramore - Snowflake Man Bio - Snowflake Bentley

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Watch Duty Wildfire Maps and Alerts

James Spann - AMS 2025 Hashtag #AMS2025

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

Our First Guest WeatherBrain of Year 2025 is a Geologist with a passion for studying extreme weather-related surface impacts. His research primarily focuses on the geological aftermath of high-impact weather events. He's known for his field work and engaging video content. His unique perspective bridges the field of meteorology and geology. Phillip Prince, thanks for dropping by to chat.

Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, a position she has held since 2019. The WCM is the NWS's liaison with external customers and oversees outreach and preparedness efforts. Additionally, one of the primary responsibilities of the WCM is to ensure that the NWS office delivers the highest quality weather related products and services to its customers and partners. As a WCM, she also provides high impact weather briefings and supports key decision makers in local, state, and federal government. She has been in the NWS for 25 years, serving as a meteorologist in Little Rock, AR, Raleigh, NC, and Atlanta, GA, before moving to Upstate SC in 2015. She received her B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and her M.S. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University. Trisha Palmer, welcome to the show!

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

• Preliminary thoughts on upcoming winter storm late this week (11:00)
• Overview of post-Helene impacts (14:30)
• Old landslides as analogs to Helene-related impacts (39:00)
• Impacts on North and South Carolina tourism and the local economy (01:09:00)
• Failure of the imagination regarding post-Helene impacts (01:30:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:35:22)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:37:22)
• E-Mail Segment (01:39:30)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 990:

Greenville-Spartanburg, SC NWS

Picks of the Week:

Phillip Prince - North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Phillip Prince - Hurricane Helene Damage Assessment Imagery

Trisha Palmer - Flood Damage from the Great Flood of 1916 Asheville, NC

James Aydelott - City of Wichita snowplow tracking map

Jen Narramore - NWA Webinar Series: Hurricane Helene

Jen Narramore - Lawrence Police on X: Snow storms thread

Rick Smith - Summary of the Predecessor Rain Event prior to Hurricane Helene

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

Bill Murray - NWA Webinar January 8th, 2025 on Hurricane Helene

James Spann - NCEP SREF Plume Viewer

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

Tonight is the annual tradition of the year-ender with recently-retired and former SPC meteorologist Greg Carbin. He was the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma. Since 1996, Greg has performed as a severe weather, fire weather, mesoscale, and lead forecaster at the SPC. Prior to starting his career with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1993, Greg worked in the private sector in New York and Vermont. He earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology from Lyndon State College in 1985 and has completed some graduate course work at the University of Oklahoma while an employee of the NWS. He is a 2011 graduate of the Department of Commerce's Executive Leadership Development Program. As always, thanks for listening and good to see you Greg!

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

• • Jan 10th-13th Winter Storm (13:30)
  • Big Bend Hurricanes of 2024 (37:30)
  • Hurricane Milton (44:00)
  • Lack of high-impact weather events in Alabama in 2024 (01:03:00)
  • Athens, Alabama 12/28/24 EF1 tornado (01:04:00)
  • Dealing with the difficulties of overnight QLCS tornadoes (01:12:00)
  • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:14)
  • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:22:12)
  • E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
  • National Weather Round-Up
  • and more!

Web Sites from Episode 989:

Greg Carbin on X

Picks of the Week:

Greg Carbin - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal

James Aydelott - Oklahoma Mesonoet on X: Extreme Graphics for 2024

Jen Narramore - Navarro County OEM on X

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Top 10 Strangest Weather Events of 2024

James Spann - Gage Goulding KPRC 2 on X: EF3 tornado video that tore through Montgomery County, Texas

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

Seasoned WeatherBrains veteran Mark Sudduth AKA "The Hurricane Hunter" joins us again to look back on 2024's notable weather events. He is known for his work in tracking and documenting hurricanes. Sudduth has gained recognition for his storm chasing videos and his contributions to weather-related education and research, often sharing his findings and experiences through social media and online platforms. It's great to see you again, Mark.

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

• Analysis of 2024 Solar Eclipse (19:30)
• Looking back at Hurricane Helene (24:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen
• E-Mail Segment
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 988:

Mark Sudduth on X

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Tornado Tracks Tool - MRCC

Jen Narramore - Snowflake Bentley

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - OU mourns the loss of Dr. Berrien Moore, a giant in meteorology

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Barry Butler Photography on X

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

Tonight is a home-grown show between our regulars. Sometimes it's nice to sit around the wooden mahogany table and have a chat. It's a lively discussion as usual, and we are glad you are here to join us for this week's all new episode of WeatherBrains.

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

• Job interview tactics (14:00)
• Notable 2024 weather events (19:30)
• Very active year in Oklahoma for tornado activity (21:00)
• Looking back on the 2024 hurricane season (24:00)
• 2024 Space weather/Geomagnetic storms (32:30)
• New Jersey drone situation (38:00)
• Changing TV business (58:00)
• Conspiracy theory origins and fighting the spread of misinformation online (01:12:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:35)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:31:22)
• E-Mail Segment (01:33:00)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 987:

The Alabama Weather Blog

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - How Does the U.S. Public Get its Weather Forecasts?

Jen Narramore - Virtual Tornado Memorial Project

Rick Smith - 2024 Oklahoma Tornadoes

Neil Jacobs - 2025 Science Policy Colloquium

Troy Kimmel - Texas Storm Chasers on X: Severe storm over DFW Airport

Kim Klockow-McClain - Support the Houser Family's Fire Recovery

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Iconic Photo after F4 Tornado on December 16, 2000 in Tuscaloosa

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, 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 Research Associate at NOAA's NSSL. He was previously an Emergency Manager for almost a decade. He's also previously worked for Kansas State University and even briefly worked in city government. David Hogg, welcome to the show.

Our second Guest WeatherBrain is the Program Lead for Warn-on-Forecast, a position created in 2020. Growing up in Oklahoma City sparked his passion for convective storms, and he attended the University of Oklahoma and worked as a student at NSSL where he helped improve algorithms that detect mesocyclones in thunderstorms using radar data. He also participated in several field programs, including the Sub-VORTEX outing on May 3, 1999. Patrick Burke, welcome to the show.

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

• NSSL's WoFS Forecast System (12:00)
• WSIS Movement/Weather and Society Integrated Studies (17:00)
• Value of Probability Information (46:00)
• Utilizing WoFS (01:01:00)
• How do TV meteorologists utilize WoFS (01:03:30)
• Who makes the decision to run WoFS, and on what days? (01:07:45)
• The dangers of manufactured housing during tornado events (01:16:00)
• Pre-convective initiation (01:19:15)
• Majority of Alabama still in drought conditions (01:37:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:35:22)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 986:

David Hogg on X

Picks of the Week:

David Hogg - Disaster Aid Programs For Farms

Patrick Burke - Egyptian Meteorological Authority

James Aydelott - Under Every Tombstone: Sherman Levine

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Universe Sandbox

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Google says AI weather model masters 15-day forecast

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, 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 3-time veteran of the show. He's a 1992 graduate of the University of Missouri, where he holds a Degree in Journalism and Atmospheric Science. He has served the National Weather Service in El Paso, Texas for over three decades. He's passionate about innovation and integrating web tools into weather service operations. He also co-developed the National School Outreach Team. Tim Brice, welcome back!

The second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Lubbock, Texas. She has over fourteen years of experience at the NWS and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. She's a former senior meteorologist at the NWS Atlanta, and is a key advocate for the NWS Buddy System. Marissa Pazos, welcome to WeatherBrains.

Our third Guest WeatherBrain began her NWS career as an intern, while she studied at Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. She served north Georgia for over twenty years, and has been the senior Service Hydrologist for the last six years. She directed her focus toward operational hydrology and hydroservices, and co-founded the NWS Buddy System in 2023. Laura Belanger, welcome to the show!

Last but certainly not least, our fourth Guest WeatherBrain is the co-Lead of the Tiger Team Task Force within the NWS Office of Organizational Excellence. She has over twenty years of experience in forecasting and leadership roles. She's a graduate of Iowa State University with Advanced Degrees in Management and Leadership. Lisa Schmit, welcome to WeatherBrains.

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

• What is the NWS Buddy System and how does it work? (13:00)
• Tiger Team Task Force/Approach (17:15)
• Limitations of vision in Broadcasting (26:30)
• Structural changes to accommodate life circumstances (40:30)
• The migration away from shift work (01:10:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:35)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:17)
• E-Mail Segment (01:30:20)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 985:

NWS National School Outreach

Picks of the Week:

Tim Brice - Google Alerts

Laura Belanger - NWS Peachtree City GA - Drought Whiplash

Lisa Schmit - NWS Organizational Health Toolkit

Marissa Pazos - West Texas Mesonet

James Aydelott - Spann Statue Photoshop at Bryant- Denny

Jen Narramore - Coffee County GA/Damage from Hurricane Helene images

Rick Smith - Get your snow smarts on: 9 forecast tools you can use - NOAA

Neil Jacobs - When do iguanas fall from trees in Florida?

Troy Kimmel - GFA: Prog Chart - Aviation Weather Center

Kim Klockow-McClain - Chuck's Chatter

Bill Murray - An Uncertain Future Requires Uncertain Prediction Skills

James Spann - One of the Greatest Iron Bowl Games Had the Worst Weather of the Series

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