WeatherBrains

This week's Guest WeatherBrain and WeatherBrains veteran is one of the most recognizable and respected storm chasers in the country. As an excellent field weather reporter, he's known for documenting some of the most powerful tornadoes in the modern era. He's produced unforgettable severe weather coverage over the years, and he is known for his use of drones and live-streaming technology. Charles Peek, it's great to have you back on with us tonight!

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

• May 9th severe weather/Luke Combs concert (2:00)
• Charles Peek's background and entry into the world of weather (14:00)
• Misreported tornado fatalities before era of social media (33:30)
• Rolling Fork MS tornado and the resulting discussion about building codes in low income areas (39:45)
• Relationship between manufactured housing and tornadoes (40:30)
• Social media hyperbole and unnecessary fear (42:00)
• Key skills required in assisting people after destructive severe weather (43:00)
• Persistent issues with people recklessly crowding under overpasses during severe weather (45:00)
• Notable instances of resilience in disaster zones (53:30)
• Artificial Intelligence and the future of forecasting (59:00)
• Handling positioning during a hurricane or tropical storm (01:06:00)
• Responsibilities and advice for new chasers (01:24:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:32:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1060:

The Weather Channel

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Physics-based models outperform AI weather forecasts of record-breaking extremes

Jen Narramore - Where the Music Went

Rick Smith - Bridge Bozos video

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Lubbock, Texas tornado May 11th, 1970

John Gordon - Tornado in Argentina video

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Waco Tornado May 11, 1953

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.

Guest WeatherBrain Jan Null joins us tonight on WeatherBrains. Armed with over 50 years experience as a meteorologist, he earned his Bachelor of Science from UC-Davis and his Master's Degree from San Jose State University. He's been an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University since 1987. Jan, welcome! University of South Alabama student Jackson Quinn also joins us tonight as Guest Panelist. He serves as the 2026 AMS Student Chapter President. We will be discussing heat risks for FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities, as well as other pressing topics in the world of weather. It's great to have you on tonight, Jackson!

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

• Greensburg, KS EF5 anniversary (01:00)
• Jan Null's meteorology background (09:45)
• What is CWSU (Center Weather Service Unit Information)? (12:00)
• Biggest event Jan worked on the West Coast (15:30)
• SeCAPS South Alabama student-run symposium (22:00)
• 3 broad categories of heat-related deaths of children in vehicles (31:30)
• Heat-related data concerning people living in extended power outages (43:00)
• Jackson's project at SeCAPS (49:30)
• Compare/contract outcomes with other World Cups and similar events at locations with similar climatology (01:00:00)
• Development of vehicle seat sensors (01:06:00)
• NCAA college football games and their heat rules (01:09:00)
• Deeper dive into pediatric vehicular heat stroke (01:12:30)
• Summer of 1980 heatwave (01:14:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:21:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:23:15)
• E-Mail Segment (01:25:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1059:

No Heat Stroke

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Jan Null - National Meteorologists Day

Jackson Quinn - SeCAPS Home Page University of South Alabama Meteorology

James Aydelott - "The Formation and Early Evolution of the Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Supercell on 4 May 2007" by Howard B. Bluestein

James Aydelott - "Mobile, X-band, Polarimetric Doppler Radar Observations of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Supercell" by Robin L. Tanamachi, Howard B. Bluestein, Jana B. Houser, Stephen J. Frasier and Kery M. Hardwick

Jen Narramore - Bill Randby breaks down weather phenomenon that was caught on video during Creighton Prep soccer

Rick Smith - Everything Hikers Know About Lightning Safety is Wrong

Troy Kimmel - Golden Gate Weather Services

Kim Klockow-McClain - Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change data

John Gordon - WeatherNation on X: Rare "Ash Devil" spotted in Phelan, CA

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - New Texas Hailstone Record Confirmed by NOAA and Partners

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 is a homegrown show with our regular WeatherBrains panelists. Tonight we mark the somber 15th anniversary of the April 27th, 2011 super outbreak. So much has changed in the field of meteorology, in the field of technology/AI, and society in general since 2011. Where do we go from here? Also, the panel discusses the EF4 tornado that occurred in Oklahoma last week, as well as other hot topics in the field of weather. Thanks for listening!

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

• Dangers of saying the wrong thing on social media (05:00)
• Processing the April 27th, 2011 anniversary (10:45)
• April 27th warning process: What they got right and what they got wrong (17:00)
• Origins of "Respect the Polygon" (22:00)
• Improving False Alarm Ratio (FAR) (26:00)
• Most stressful aspect of any significant severe weather event (31:00)
• Rick's perspective of recent EF4 Enid OK tornado (36:00)
• Weather-savvy nature of Oklahomans and people who live in tornado-prone areas (46:00)
• Do NWS employees take any cues from broadcasters and make decisions based on streamers? (52:30)
• Increasing issue of wildfire threats and call to action (55:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:09:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:11:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:13:15)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1058:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - 4/26/26 James Aydelott tornado coverage

James Aydelott - Photo of 4/26/26 Oklahoma tornado on ground

James Aydelott - Photo of 4/26/26 James Aydelott coverage

Jen Narramore - Overview of the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak

Rick Smith - Enid OK EF4 and Braman OK EF1 tornado paths

Troy Kimmel - Camp Mystic failed to train teenage counselors for floods, expert tells lawmakers

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

John Gordon - Curiosity on X: Red Sprite photo

Bill Murray - Autumn Sky VWP Hodographs

James Spann - Spanning Alabama Episode 15: April 27, 2011

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.

We are excited to have retired National Hurricane Center (NHC) Bill Read on tonight's episode of WeatherBrains! Bill was the Director of the National Hurricane Center from 2008-2012, and focused on improving storm surge forecasting accuracy and strengthening collaborations with emergency managers to better communicate risks. He advanced the use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for real-time public outreach and feedback, notably during events such as Hurricane Irene in 2011, to refine messaging on inland flooding threats. Bill was the first Meteorologist in Charge (MIC) at NWS Houston and led the office for 15 years. He was also a Navy Hurricane Hunter on the P3 aircraft. Bill, welcome to WeatherBrains!

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

• National Tropical Weather Conference (06:00)
• Bill's entry in the NWS (22:45)
• Looking back at 1978's Tropical Storm Amelia (25:00)
• Who remembers teletypes? (30:15)
• Anniversary of 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy (38:30)
• Experiences as NHC Director working Hurricane Ike (44:30)
• Are there more landfalling US hurricanes at night or during the day? (53:00)
• 3 significant tools that have moved the meteorological industry forward (54:00)
• NHC Director off-season duties (58:00)
• Process of retiring a hurricane name (01:09:00)
• Dr. Robert Simpson's legacy (01:20:00)
• Issues with coordination between WFOs as NHC Director (01:21:00)
• Best and worst forecasts as NHC Director over the years (01:22:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:30:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1057:

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Bill Read - Cade's Cast Weather on YouTube James Aydelott - Reid Wiseman on X: Moon video

Jen Narramore - OTUS Project on X: Video INSIDE the Wyoming, IA tornado

Rick Smith - NIHHIS Heat Season Warm-Up Workshop

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Iowa/Wisconsin tornado warnings 2026 vs 2025

John Gordon - Volcaholic on X: Video illustrating "Levante" phenomenon

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Roger Edwards on X: About Recent SPC Forecast Performance

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.

This week's episode of WeatherBrains is all about Colorado weather!

Tonight's show features Guest WeatherBrain and Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Russ Schumacher. He's also a Professor at Colorado State University and is Director of the Colorado Climate Center. He's been involved in extreme precipitation, weather prediction, and is the guru of Colorado weather. Dr. Schumaker, welcome to the show!

Second Guest WeatherBrain is the project manager of CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network). He is the CoCoRaHS East Central Region Illinois State Coordinator and has been an active observer in Illinois for over 19 years. He retired as the director of the MRCC and is a big fan of winter weather. Steve Hilberg, thanks for joining us tonight!

Third Guest WeatherBrain Noah Newman is a Research Associate with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University. He's been the Education Coordinator at CoCoRaHS since 2008, and has teaching experience from astronomy to rocketry to various Earth sciences. Noah, welcome to WeatherBrains!

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

• Upper Midwest severe weather event (03:00)
• What is it like to be a State Climatologist? (07:00)
• 2019 Colorado hail record (14:30)
• How did Noah get into meteorology? (24:30)
• Deep dive into CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) (27:00)
• Snowfall vs snow depth and the confusion between them (41:00)
• CoCoRaHS Significant Weather Reports (48:45)
• Moderate risk busts vs overachieving conditional systems (57:00)
• Dr. Schumacher's current research in Colorado (01:05:00)
• Process to get involved at CoCoRaHS (01:10:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:15:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:15)
• E-Mail Segment (01:20:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1056:

CoCoRaHS

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Steve Hilberg - Ag Weather

Noah Newman - CoCoRaHS Data Explorer

Dr. Russ Schumacher - CoCoRaHS All About Hail

James Aydelott - NWS Norman Observed Sounding

Jen Narramore - County Road 69 Tornado April 15th, 2011

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Reed Timmer tornado video

John Gordon - NWS Louisville Shareholders Report 2025

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - James Spann on X: Emmetsburg, IA tornado video

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 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.