Episodes

  • WeatherBrains 965: When You Don't Know, You Don't Know
    Jul 16 2024

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Hydrologic Operations Division with the Harris County Flood Control District and is a Degreed Meteorologist in the Harris County/Houston area. He implements a regular communication with multiple agencies, elected officials and media partners during episodes of severe weather and activations. He oversees the operation of the District's flood operations as well as the Flood Warning System and the flood forecasting efforts. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M. He's also known for his constant reporting and calm demeanor during 2017's Hurricane Harvey. Jeff Lindner, welcome to WeatherBrains!

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • Dangerous squall line approaching Chicago area (02:00)
    • Looking back at Houston derecho event Spring 2024 (08:00)
    • Glimpse at ongoing Houston-area power outage issues following Hurricane Beryl (09:00)
    • Preparing for extended power outages (15:00)
    • Waning attention spans with the public when trying to distribute weather information (36:30)
    • Forecasts vs post-event impacts (39:00)
    • Revisiting 2017's Hurricane Harvey (01:11:00)
    • 183,000 still without power in Houston area as of 07/15/24 (01:36:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:15)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
    • National Weather Round-Up (01:24:36)
    • E-Mail Segment
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 965:

    Jeff Lindner on X

    Picks of the Week:

    Jeff Lindner - Weather Insights Podcast

    James Aydelott - USA TODAY: Heat wave death count keeps growing, but true toll is higher

    Jen Narramore - Out

    Rick Smith - Out

    Neil Jacobs - Out

    Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

    Kim Klockow-McClain - CNA National Security Analysis

    Bill Murray - Out

    James Spann - Barry Butler Photography on X: Triple Lightning Strike at 1221am

    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.

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    1 hr and 40 mins
  • WeatherBrains 964: Rope Burn On My Knuckle
    Jul 9 2024

    Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a professional storm chaser and field weather reporter for The Weather Channel. He's known for his extensive use of drones and live-streaming technology to document severe weather events across the country. He travels over 60,000 miles a year to provide impactful weather coverage and to support local communities and people with his expertise. Charles Peek, it's great to have you with us on tonight's episode.

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas (20:30)
    • Inland impacts/Houston area aftermath (25:00)
    • Witnessing positive help as a photographer after weather disasters (42:20)
    • Abnormally active tornado activity in ArkLaTex with remnants of Beryl (58:00)
    • Comparing Beryl to 2005's Rita in terms of post landfall tornado activity (01:00:00)
    • Importance of empathy in weather forecasting (01:05:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:40:25)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:42:42)
    • National Weather Round-Up (01:44:22)
    • E-Mail Segment
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 964:

    WeatherCall

    Charles Peek Reporter/Weather Photography on Facebook

    Charles Peek on X

    Picks of the Week:

    James Aydelott - 124F at Palm Springs, CA

    Jen Narramore - Waterspout destroys family’s Citrus County fish camp but not the memories made there

    Rick Smith - Out

    Neil Jacobs - SARSAT

    Troy Kimmel - Out

    Kim Klockow-McClain - OFF THE GRID: U.S. Power Outage Tracker

    Bill Murray - Tropical Tidbits

    James Spann - NWS Shreveport on X: Photo of 63 Beryl-related tornado warnings issued

    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.

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    1 hr and 55 mins
  • WeatherBrains 963: I'm The Troublemaker Here
    Jul 2 2024

    Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a NWS meteorologist at Rapid City, SD who turned a childhood fear of thunderstorms into a career focused on public safety, with experience in forecasting and research. Keith Sherburn, welcome to the show.

    Last but certainly not least, our Second Guest WeatherBrain on tonight's episode is a NWS meteorologist focused on protecting lives and property by communicating severe weather risks, serving as the Severe Weather Program Coordinator and Lightning Safety Expert for the NWS. He holds a BS in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma and an MS in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State. Aaron Treadway, it's great to see you on the show.

    Senior Vice President of WeatherCall Services Bruce Thomas also drops by later in the episode to discuss WeatherCall's products and services.

    WeatherCall delivers polygonal warnings on your smartphone and works with many Fortune 500 companies including cruise lines and pharmaceutical companies.

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • Tulsa breaks June record with 118F Heat Index (01:00)
    • NOAA Pathways Program (12:30)
    • Ernest P Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship (14:45)
    • Improving the severe weather warning process/Current warning paradigm issues (26:10)
    • NWS Community-centric warnings (27:00)
    • Convective Warning Mutual Aid (47:30)
    • AI/automation and weather forecasting (52:00)
    • Reducing number of SVR warnings/FAR (01:10:30)
    • 6/25 Unwarned Nebraska tornado (01:32:00)
    • Updated lightning death statistics (01:52:00)
    • WeatherCall NexGen (01:53:45)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:44:45)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (Jen is out this week)
    • National Weather Round-Up (02:03:00)
    • E-Mail Segment (Jen is out this week)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 963:

    WeatherCall

    Keith Sherburn on X

    Picks of the Week:

    Keith Sherburn - AMS BOGM YouTube Page

    Aaron Treadway - "Isaac's Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History" by Erik Larson

    James Aydelott - NOAA Aircraft Operations Center on X: Into the eye of Hurricane Beryl

    Jen Narramore - Out

    Rick Smith - Out

    Neil Jacobs - Out

    Troy Kimmel - Aviation Weather Center

    Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Epsilon Discussion from December 2005

    Bill Murray - Tropical Tidbits

    James Spann - Phillip Klotzbach 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.

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    2 hrs and 15 mins
  • WeatherBrains 962: I Hate These Questions
    Jun 25 2024

    Our first attempt with this very special guest a few weeks back didn't go quite as planned, so we are back for Version 2.0 with tonight's Guest WeatherBrain.

    Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a Graduate of Valparaiso University and recently wrote a paper concerning Deviant Tornado Motion. He earned his PhD at Central Michigan University and he's a renowned Storm Chaser, Hodographer and Severe Storms Research Scientist. He's currently a meteorologist in Norman, OK doing data analysis and understanding parameters with significant/weak tornadoes and large/small hail. Dr. Cameron Nixon, it's great to have you join the Panel for tonight's episode!

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • What is a hodograph? (05:30)
    • What is deviant motion in a tornado? (07:45)
    • Using convective models to forecast holographs (19:00)
    • National Storm Chaser Summit 2025 (29:30)
    • Constructive/destructive merger research (31:30)
    • What is a storm object? (54:00)
    • Communicating complex weather solutions to the public (56:30)
    • Hail's expanding bullseye/current research (01:10:00)
    • Issues with radar-based hail estimation algorithms (01:17:00)
    • Lack of public response to severe thunderstorm warnings (01:24:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:58)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:58)
    • National Weather Round-Up (01:31:00)
    • E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 962:

    Dr. Cameron Nixon on X

    Dr. Cameron Nixon on YouTube

    WeatherCall

    Picks of the Week:

    James Aydelott - Seth Kaplan on X: Radian Dam just south of Mankato/Imminent failure condition

    Jen Narramore - "The Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland EF4 Tornado-April 27, 2011: Stories from the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak" by TornadoTalk and Jen Narramore

    Rick Smith - Storm Chasers capture tornado's 300 mph wind speed

    Neil Jacobs - The effect of temperature on language complexity: Evidence from seven million parliamentary speeches

    Troy Kimmel - SCIENCE IMPACT: Experimental Warn-On Forecast System yields 75-minute lead time on violent tornado

    Kim Klockow-McClain - Link Pending

    Bill Murray - Out

    James Spann - Deran Hall on X: Utah lightning photo

    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.

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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • WeatherBrains 961: I Got Hit By A Guy In A Minivan
    Jun 17 2024

    Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the Community Engagement Specialist for the Unified Forecast System. Good to see you on the show, Allison Gregory!

    Also dropping by as Guest Panelist is the Service Coordinator/WCM equivalent for the Space Weather Prediction Center. Shawn Dahl, thanks for chatting with us.

    The incoming Chair of the AMS Early Career Leadership Academy also makes an appearance as Guest Panelist. Alex Morrison, thanks for dropping by to chat.

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • 1st Annual AMS Broadcast Meteorology and Weather Communication Conference (01:20)
    • Publicizing Space Weather (09:30)
    • KP Index/Geomagnetic Storms (17:45)
    • Carrington Event (26:00)
    • AMS Early Career Leadership Academy (42:00)
    • Space Weather in the Latino Community (01:04:45)
    • Atmospheric Rivers (01:22:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:39:42)
    • National Weather Round-Up (No segment this week)
    • E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 961:

    WeatherCall

    AMS Early Career Leadership Academy

    Alex Morrison on X

    Picks of the Week:

    Shawn Dahl - NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

    James Aydelott - SCIENCE IMPACT: EXPERIMENTAL WARN-ON-FORECAST SYSTEM YIELDS 75-MINUTE LEAD TIME ON VIOLENT TORNADO

    Jen Narramore - Out

    Rick Smith - Out

    Neil Jacobs - AMS Summer Policy Colloquium

    Troy Kimmel - FORTIFIEDHome.org

    Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

    Bill Murray - Foghorn

    James Spann - Link pending

    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.

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    1 hr and 45 mins
  • WeatherBrains 960: Paid By The Frame
    Jun 11 2024

    Our First Guest WeatherBrain is a forecaster at the National Weather Service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She's also a GIS expert and is involved in several local regional and national GIS projects. She has a Masters and Bachelors Degree in Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Megan Williams, it's great to see you.

    Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is the WCM/Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge. She also does community outreach, quality control, product improvement, and is largely the face of the forecast office. She holds a Bachelor's in Meteorology and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Lauren Nash, thanks for stopping by to hang out with us tonight.

    Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

    • 100+ tornadoes in State of Oklahoma so far in 2024 (04:00)
    • April 2021 Capsizing of Seacore Power (09:45)
    • Wake Low explained (13:10)
    • Forecasting Wake Lows (33:00)
    • Role of local media after storms move offshore (38:45)
    • How do local mariners get weather information? (40:15)
    • Improving watch/warning framework (47:15)
    • Advice for young meteorologists (51:15)
    • Hurricane season preparation for tropical NWS offices (53:00)
    • Lessons learned from Hurricane Ida (01:02:30)
    • NWS New Orleans/NHC relationship (01:09:00)
    • June 8th, 1974 tornado outbreak (01:28:30)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:17:36)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:20:36)
    • National Weather Round-Up (01:
    • E-Mail Segment (01:21:45)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 960:

    New Orleans/Baton Rouge NWS

    Megan Williams on X

    Lauren Nash on X

    WeatherCall

    Picks of the Week:

    Megan Williams - 2 rescued and 1 body recovered from Albuquerque arroyos following flash flooding

    James Aydelott - Chris Tomer on X: Cat Watching a Tornado in Northern Lincoln County, Colorado

    Jen Narramore - NWS Storm Prediction Center on X: May 2024 Month-In-Review Thread

    Rick Smith - Twisters (2024) Movie Tickets and Showtimes Near You

    Neil Jacobs - Out

    Troy Kimmel - June 8th 1974 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Floods

    Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

    Bill Murray - Out

    James Spann - A Comprehensive Analysis of the Spatial and Seasonal Shifts in Tornado Activity in the United States

    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.

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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • WeatherBrains 959: He Deserves To Be Insulted
    Jun 4 2024

    Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a Graduate of Valparaiso University and recently wrote a paper concerning Deviant Tornado Motion. He earned his PhD at Central Michigan University and he's a renowned Storm Chaser, Hodographer and Severe Storms Research Scientist. Cameron Nixon, it's great to have you join the Panel for tonight's episode!

    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@weatherbrains.com.

    • AMS Summer Policy Colloquium (04:00)
    • Texas EMA Conference Fort Worth (08:15)
    • Meteorologist John E. Hales Jr passes away (11:00)
    • 2024 Hot Springs Village, Arkansas EF2 tornado (25:45)
    • Destructive and Constructive Cell Mergers (28:00)
    • Empty spaces in Tornado Watches (51:00)
    • Reinventing the wheel in meteorology (01:01:00)
    • Fatality in early-morning line of Alabama severe thunderstorms during Memorial Day Weekend (01:26:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:06:08)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:07:56)
    • National Weather Round-Up (01:26:30)
    • E-Mail Segment (01:10:00)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 959:

    Cameron Nixon on X

    WeatherCall

    Midland Radio

    Picks of the Week:

    Bruce Jones - Remembering D-Day's Untold Story: How weather impacted military operation

    James Aydelott - Photo of Ropeout of second Silverton tornado

    Jen Narramore - The Shot: A Buzzer-Beater That Saved Lives

    Rick Smith - Don't Fry! Protect Yourself From Dangers of the Sun

    Neil Jacobs - Storm Interactions

    Troy Kimmel - 70 mph wind gust at Tyler Regional Airport due to severe thunderstorm

    Kim Klockow-McClain - U.S. Annual Counts of Tornado LSRs

    Bill Murray - BlackBerry (film)

    James Spann - Mark J on X: Reply to Weatherman Chris Bailey

    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.

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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • WeatherBrains 958: Count Our Blessings; Take Our Naps
    May 29 2024

    Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a 14-year-old weather enthusiast from St. Louis, Missouri. He's recently been interviewed on The Weather Channel, Fox News Weather, and other podcasts as well as going viral on X/formerly known as twitter. He focuses on severe weather forecasts and covering severe weather all over America. Most recently, he covered the severe weather outbreak last weekend in Texas and Oklahoma. Beckett Moore, it's an honor to have you on tonight's episode and welcome to the show!

    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@weatherbrains.com.

    • Looking back at North Texas severe weather on 05/25/24
    • Beckett's livestream setup for severe weather streams (16:00)
    • Advice to younger weather enthusiasts who want to pursue the science (25:45)
    • Monetizing weather and social media (38:00)
    • Questioning wall to wall coverage of Valley View, TX tornado (43:30)
    • Advice for those afraid of severe weather (58:00)
    • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:36)
    • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
    • National Weather Round-Up (No segment this week)
    • E-Mail Segment (01:18:38)
    • and more!

    Web Sites from Episode 958:

    Moore Weather on X

    Moore Weather on YouTube

    WeatherCall

    Midland Radio

    Picks of the Week:

    Beckett Moore - Video of tornado near Windthorst, Texas over Memorial Day Weekend 2024

    Bruce Jones - Barnsdall Main Street Well Site

    James Aydelott - James Aydelott on X: Twin tornadoes lofting debris near Decatur, AR

    Jen Narramore - 1925 Tri-State Tornado Damage Path and Associated Storm System

    Rick Smith - Out

    Neil Jacobs - Out

    Troy Kimmel - Plane Being Blown Away from DFW Gate in Severe Storm

    Kim Klockow-McClain - The Great St. Louis Tornado of 1896

    Bill Murray - Foghorn

    James Spann - Keenan Willard on X: Multiple deaths in North Texas tornado

    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.

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    1 hr and 40 mins