WeatherBrains

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.