WeatherBrains

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a former registered nurse with over 20 years of experience in nursing practice and education. He's also been a published author for over 3 decades and has managed the production and publication of numerous healthcare textbooks. He's now written an incredible book published in 2023 entitled "Donora Death Fog: Clean Air and the Tragedy of a Pennsylvania Mill Town", which discusses one of the most fascinating events in weather history from the historic Donora smog event of 1948. Andy McPhee, it's an honor to have you with us.

Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can now get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.

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

• Value of historical societies in meteorological research(08:15)
• Factors of improvement of air pollution emissions (15:30)
• Industrial vs residential emissions (19:00)
• Geography and history of Donora (31:00)
• Significance of "Cement City" (48:00)
• Start of Oct 26th event/Donnie Dingbat (57:30)
• Origin of Donora town name and its originality (01:36:30)
• NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023 (01:47:45)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:22)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:38:45)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:
• E-Mail Segment (01:41:22)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 944:

"Donora Death Fog" by Andy McPhee

Picks of the Week:

Bruce Jones - Rancho Palos Verdes seeks emergency declaration as ground erodes4

James Aydelott - Convective Chronicles on X: Chico, CA radar favorable wind profile for tornadoes

Jen Narramore - Brandon Hulse on X: Weather reports

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - SeCAPS 2024

Troy Kimmel - Capital Weather Gang post on jet stream in Mid-Atlantic

Kim Klockow-McClain - Everything to Know About the Great Smog of 1952, as Seen on The Crown

Kim Klockow-McClain - Last Ones Left in a Toxic Kansas Town

Bill Murray - No Name Low storymap of Nov. 15-16, 2023/NWS Key West

James Spann - NWS Baltimore-Washington on X: Weather balloon launch data on upper level wind

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 the author of the compelling and insightful book "Death Clouds on Mount Baldy: Tucson's Lost Tragedy". The book discusses and chronicles the harrowing 1958 blizzard in Arizona that stranded a pack of Boy Scouts and the extensive rescue effort that followed. Cathy Hufault, welcome to the show tonight.

Also joining us tonight is Cathy's brother, Ralph Coltrin. He's a key figure in the book as he was one of the boy scouts who decided to return to camp that day and was a survivor of the incident. His first hand experience offers us a profound and unique perspective on the events that unfolded as well as the lasting impacts.

Bruce Jones of Midland Weather Radio also is back to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its timely warnings and information. Also you can NOW get 25% off a NOAA Weather Radio at MidlandUSA.com by using PROMO CODE SPANN25.

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

• ChaserCon 2024 Summit (1:00)
• Baltimore 2024 AMS Annual meeting review (08:00)
• Discussion on 1958 Arizona blizzard (12:00)
• Enduring relationships following tragedy/Long-term impacts (32:45)
• Memorial erected on mountain (37:45)
• Colorado Emergency Managers Conference 2024/Role of Emergency Management in weather (01:19:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:13:02)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:15:50)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:25:30)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 943:

"Death Clouds on Mount Baldy: Tucson's Lost Tragedy" by Cathy Hufault

Midland Weather Radio

Picks of the Week:

Bruce Jones - Four people went hiking on Mt. Baldy during a mega storm. One is still missing.

James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: KC Chiefs photo

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Twisters Official Trailer

Neil Jacobs - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Why Taking Risks Helps You Grow — and How to Do It

Bill Murray - Turbli Flight Turbulence Forecasts

Bill Murray - Weather Band Jamposium 2024

James Spann - 2024 NSCS Rolling Fork Panel

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 currently serves as the Director of the Global Water Security Center and at the Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama. He focuses on providing decision-makers with reliable information and innovative research on water and environmental security. He leads efforts to understand their impacts on society. His career has spanned 27 years as a command meteorologist in the U. S. Air Force, where he provided critical weather forecasting and analysis. Col. Mike Gremillion, welcome to WeatherBrains.

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

• National Weatherpersons Day 2024 (0:45)
• Applying military and scientific experience to managing water resources (08:00)
• National Water Center and Alabama Water Institute background explained (17:00)
• NOAA integration (19:30)
• Lessons learned from medical science communications applied to meteorology and hydrology (25:00)
• AI/emerging technologies and water management (33:00)
• Water supply vulnerability (38:30)
• Avoiding politics when establishing policy (57:00)
• Estimated rain totals from radar accuracy (01:00:00)
• Future/Vision of Global Water Security Center (01:04:45)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:33)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:12:52)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:14:55)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 942:

Alabama Water Institute

Global Water Security Center

Picks of the Week:

Mike Gremillion - Space Weather Prediction Center

James Aydelott - Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Potential Breach Emergency Status increased to **WATCH** at Arkabutla Dam

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - When the Storm Online Is Worse Than the One Outside

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 episode tonight is all about the AMS Annual Meeting 2024 live from Baltimore.

First up from the Conference is Ryan Lagerquist, NOAA employee and is a Research Scientist at CIRA (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere). He is a meteorologist by training and is heavily involved in machine learning research.

Joining us next on the show is the Chair for Coastal Artificial Intelligence at Texas A@M University-Corpus Christi and a Co-PI for the National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography, or AI2ES. Dr. Phillipe Tissot, thanks for dropping by tonight.

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

• Early reflections on AMS Annual Meeting (13:15)
• AI and the future of meteorology in general (16:00)
• Broad overview of AI and NWS Operations/Numerical weather prediction models (24:00)
• Community modeling/EPIC/UFS (32:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (53:03)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:02:45)
• E-Mail Segment (55:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 941:

2024 AMS Annual Meeting

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Brian Brettschneider on X: Fairbanks upper air sounding

Jen Narramore - Foghorn

Rick Smith - NWS SPC on X: 9 Years of SPC Outlooks

Neil Jacobs - Foghorn

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - A Change in the Weather: Understanding Public Usage of Weather Apps

James Spann - Kevin Kloesel on X: Rick Smith photo/meme

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 frequent contributor to the show and a friend of the podcast. He's a renowned expert in the field of hurricane tracking and reporting. He's known for his innovative use of technology and social media to deliver real time updates on storm developments. He's made significant contributions to hurricane awareness and safety. His insights and expertise make him a valuable voice in understanding the complexities of these powerful storms. Mark Sudduth, it's wonderful having you on the show tonight.

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

• First ever hurricane chase online in 2005 (18:45)
• Cultivating sense of curiosity and fostering interests as a parent in the digital age (25:30)
• Preliminary thoughts on 2024 hurricane season (39:50)
• Preview of AMS 2024 Annual Meeting in Baltimore (55:45)
• Last week's Deep Freeze (01:06:45)
• Storm phobia/calming fear from general public concerning severe weather (01:22:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (48:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (50:55)
• National Weather Round-Up
• E-Mail Segment (53:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 940:

Mark Sudduth on X

HurricaneTrack.com

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Steve Piltz on X: Blow drying ice video

Jen Narramore - Woman scared of weather calls in fake burglary, police say

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Mesoscale Vortices Embedded within a Lake-Effect Shoreline Band

Troy Kimmel - Kalaloch WA Lodge Live Cam

Kim Klockow-McClain - Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain discusses connection between social science and weather

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - James Spann on X: JeffCo Alabama winter weather fun with canoe

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 veteran of the show. He's a renowned Professor in Geographical Sciences at Arizona State University. He specializes in weather and climate studies and brings a wealth of experience to the field of meteorology. He's joining us tonight to discuss is new book. Randy Cerveny, it's an honor to have you on the show tonight.

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

• Longest duration lightning flash (15:00)
• Controversial records/highest temperature recorded on the planet (17:45)
• Hurricane Katrina misconceptions (29:45)
• Media portrayal of weather events/public perception (44:40)
• NWS c0-op network (49:45)
• Celeste Saulo first female Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organization (55:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:02:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:04:06)
• National Weather Round-Up
• E-Mail Segment (01:05:55)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 939:

World Weather and Climate Extremes Archive

"Judging Extreme Weather: Climate Science in Action" by Randy Cerveny

Picks of the Week:

Randy Cerveny - NASA analysis confirms 2023 as warmest year on record

James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Where this current cold snap ranks

James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: "Parents getting that text message that school is out again Wednesday" Meme

Jen Narramore - The South Frankfort to Stamping Ground, KY F4 Tornado and Downburst Disaster of April 3, 1974

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - No joke: Feds banning humorous electronic messages on highways

Kim Klockow-McClain - Highway fatality signs may cause more car crashes

Bill Murray - Jason Goodson James Spann TikTok

James Spann - Rick Mitchell on X: Sunday Night Football cut-in issues

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 researcher and trainer at the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL). They conduct research on severe convective storms across Europe, climatology, forecasting and remote sensing. They gather reports of severe weather in the European severe weather database, organize conferences on severe storms, and facilitate the training of meteorologists on convective storm forecasting through courses and seminars. Tonights's Guest WeatherBrain also chases storms from time to time. Tomas Pucik, welcome to WeatherBrains!

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

• ESSL background (05:45)
• Memorable recent European weather events (18:45)
• European damage surveys vs American/International Fujita scale (24:00)
• Highlighted European storm chasing locations (32:30)
• European warning dissemination process (49:00)
• FAR/POD numbers in Europe (01:04:00)
• Issues with social media hype/clickbait in Europe vs America (01:06:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:23)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:11:53)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:
• E-Mail Segment (01:14:18)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 938:

European Severe Storms Laboratory

Tomas Pucik on X

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Ryan Hollister on X: Distant photo of Half Dome

Jen Narramore - WPC's Short Range Public Discussion

Rick Smith - Probabilistic Winter Storm Severity Index

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - United States Power Outage Map

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 show will be broken into two halves.

Our first Guest WeatherBrain is a retired Army noncommissioned officer with a background in special operations/weather. He currently does some work for streaming service WeatherNation as a field meteorologist. He's also a part time police officer as well as Founder/Director of the National Storm Chaser Summit. Erik Fox, it's an honor to have you join us for this first show of 2024.

The 2nd half of our inaugural 2024 show focuses on auroras and features a professional aurora chaser. He's a photographer and a PhD student at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He has a passion for space weather and shares his expertise through educational content and sharing his incredible aurora photography. Vincent Ledvina, welcome to the show.

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

• Diving into WeatherNation (16:30)
• ChaserCon (19:00)
• Looking back at El Reno tornado (24:30)
• Dealing with problematic storm chasers on social media (41:30)
• Aurora science and key misconceptions (01:03:15)
• Factors contributing to 2024 auroras (01:06:00)
• How to start chasing auroras and tools needed (01:12:00)
• Upcoming equinox and improving aurora prospects (01:34:00)
• Polar stratospheric clouds (01:38:10)
• Farthest south for observable auroras (01:40:15)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (58:02)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:48:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:45:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 937:

NSCS 2024

Erik Fox on X

Vincent Ledvina: The Aurora Guy on Facebook

NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Dr. Tamitha Skov on X

The Aurora Guy

Picks of the Week:

Vincent Ledvina - X5 Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

James Aydelott - Goodyear Blimp on X: Rose Bowl sunset view

Jen Narramore - Foghorn Wiki article

Rick Smith - Probabilistic Hazards Outlook

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Chris Vagasky on X: Snow Tornadoes

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 show features a very special guest. He's been a beacon of knowledge and insight in the weather enterprise for decades. His passion for meteorology has inspired countless people to pursue careers in the weather field. He's a household name and a trusted voice who recently announce his retirement. He's retiring after a 45 year career at WGN-TV in Chicago. Tom Skilling, welcome!

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

• AI and meteorology (20:30)
• Impacts of high latitude blocking on weather (41:00)
• Teaching patterns and storylines with the public/growing literacy in broadcast meteorology (42:00)
• Dealing with social media communications during active weather (47:30)
• The importance of valuing viewers in broadcast meteorology (01:15:30)
• Historically challenging weather events to forecast (01:21:00)
• Filtering out and discerning misinformation online as a forecaster (01:27:00)
• Future of broadcast meteorology (01:34:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:03)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up
• E-Mail Segment (01:45:40)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 936:

Tom Skilling on Facebook

45th Anniversary of Tom Skilling's first day on WGN-TV

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Kitten experiencing snow for first time, from Buitengebieden on X

Jen Narramore - Eight Minutes in August: The F5 Plainfield Tornado of 1990

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - The Man Who Fell From Space

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - High Rise Twice the Size of Devon Tower Could Make Its Way To OKC

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Op Product 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's show is our annual year-ender with show veteran and weather legend and WPC/NOAA boss Greg Carbin. He's now a 31 year veteran with NOAA, and it's always an honor to have you join us.

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

• Difficult flooding event on Atlantic coast 12/15-17(05:45)
• La Niña winter/Pacific NW snowfall (10:30)
• Ft. Lauderdale April flash flooding event (18:00)
• Summer Canadian wildfires/ridge anomaly (22:30)
• Extreme summertime Gulf Coast heat/records broken (26:00)
• July Vermont flooding (32:15)
• Hawaii/Maui fires (38:45)
• Hurricane Hilary (40:30)
• Rolling Fork MS tornado (45:55)
• Mid-June MS hailstorm (50:15)
• 2023 Atlantic hurricane season analysis (01:13:45)
• January 12th Selma tornado (01:18:45)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:17)
• National Weather Round-Up
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 935:

Subseasonal Forecasts Columbia University

Greg Carbin on X

Picks of the Week:

Greg Carbin - U.S. Streaks

James Aydelott - Irish woman whose forecast saved D-Day dies at 100

Jen Narramore - WX History on X: 12/18/18 Washington State tornado

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - SERCC

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Geology Professor Shawn Willsey's Iceland Eruption Livestream

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.