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This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about Flood Inundation Mapping and how it is changing hydrology and decision support within the National Weather Service. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Spring Forward, Fall Back! (00:30) FIM (Flood Inundation Mapping) (06:00) Molly Cornelissen's early years in meteorology! (08:00) Jeff Dobur's early years and his career path into hydrology (11:00) When did FIM get started?  (12:30) What does a River Forecast Center look like and what does it do?  (15:30) Major FIM and National Water Model (NWM) successes in 2026 (29:00) Remedies for creeks that were not previously gauged, modeled, or forecasted (47:00) How many FIMs exist and where do you obtain training to use it? (52:30) FIM KML Tool (01:00:30) Probabilistic Flood Inundation Mapping (01:13:00) Largest hurdles to improving FIM development (01:15:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:20:00) E-Mail Segment (01:21:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:28:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1084:   NOAA National Water Prediction Service Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Jeff Dobur - Categorical Flood Inundation Mapping (CatFIM) Locations Molly Cornelissen - USGS FIM Program James Aydelott - Effingham High School Red Regiment BOA 10/24/26 Jen Narramore - Haynado video! Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - WeTransfer Kim Klockow-McClain - Making Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) Work for Multiple Users: Improving the Design of FIM for Decision Support Bill Murray - Out John Gordon - Mark J. Rebilas on X: Four favorites from today's chase to SE Arizona for supercell storms with a 5% chance of tornadoes James Spann - James Spann on X: Good morning to everyone except this guy! 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 WeatherBrains episode is a Tuesday night special on-site at the National Weather Association 2026 Annual Meeting in Omaha.  Tonight's focus then shifts to the Southwest as NWS Tucson lead forecaster John Glueck and University of Arizona professor Michael Crimmins break down everything about monsoons.   Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Panel preliminary thoughts on NWA Annual Meeting (04:00) Kevin Law's NWA presentation summary (06:45) FAR (False Alarm Ratio) (11:00) Birmingham NWS's FAR success story (11:30) Necessary culture changes at different NWS offices (24:30) Looking back at 2019 F4 Beauregard tornado aftermath (26:00) Information gaps between watches/warnings (29:00)  Threats-In-Motion (TIM) dissemination (32:00) Forecasting in Kodiak vs Tucson (39:30) What is the North American monsoon?  (45:30) How can y0u prepare for monsoons?  (55:30) Blowing dust vs haboob (01:05:00) Dr. Crimmins monsoon research (01:07:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:25:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:32:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1083:   NWA 2026 Annual Meeting Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Michael Crimmins - Everything Weather James Aydelott - Foghorn Jen Narramore - The Tornado Project Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Tornado Warning Response and Perceptions among Undergraduates in Nebraska Kim Klockow-McClain - Weather Safety Information for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bill Murray - Out John Gordon - Examining the U.S. Desert Southwest Monsoon: A Look at the Onset of, and Climatology of the Monsoon For New Mexico James Spann - WPC URRD 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about FOX Weather. Our Two Guest WeatherBrains tonight are members of FOX Weather.  FOX Weather has recently celebrated five years on the air.  Together they give us a fascinating look into how a national weather network got built, how it has evolved and where weather communication goes next.  Ian Oliver and Hailey Meier, we are honored to have you on this week's episode.  Welcome! Our Guest Panelist for tonight's episode is a broadcast meteorologist with over two decades of experience.  He's worked in Macon, Georgia, Grand Junction, Colorado, and even NTV (Newfoundland television) in St. Johns, Newfoundland from 2013-2025.  He has now recently launched Sheerr Weather.  Eddie Sheerr, we are honored to have you on tonight's episode! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. James Spann appears on ESPN's College GameDay! (06:30) 2026 Omaha NWA Annual Meeting roll call (14:00) FOX Weather's startup in 2021 (15:30) Hailey Meier's journey from MSU scholarship recipient to FOX Weather on-air personality (22:00) Evolving idea and definition of what is expected of a present-day weather forecast (24:00) Behind the scenes:  how the sausage is made at FOX Weather (29:30) Caution in dealing with AI/fake images and video in 2026 (35:30) Eddie's early weather background (51:30) Dealing with wind forecasts in Newfoundland (01:05:00) Notable hurricanes of Newfoundland (01:07:30) Dr. Jacobs makes an appearance! (01:21:30) AI model performance with recent Gulf hurricane (01:26:00) Isaias post-cyclone feedback concerning forecast track (01:37:00) What is the definition of a sting jet?  (01:49:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:44:30) E-Mail Segment (01:45:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:53:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1082:   Eddie Sheerr on YouTube FOX Weather Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Hailey Meier - SkyDiamond Dr. Neil Jacobs - EAGLE AI - Earth Prediction Innovation Center James Aydelott - Anthony Duarte on X: How accurate were the models with Hurricane Isaias? Jen Narramore - HurricaneTrack Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Fox Business adding FOX Weather Hurricane Isaias Coverage/Channel 3 Pensacola coverage Kim Klockow-McClain - Completing the Forecast: Characterizing and Communicating Uncertainty for Better Decisions Using Weather and Climate Forecasts (2006) Bill Murray - "Skywatchers: The US Weather Bureau in action" by William Bixby John Gordon - Nahel Belgherze on X: Terrifying footage of a violent tornado ripping through city of Marsala in Sicily, Italy James Spann - James Spann checks in and gives us latest surrounding Hurricane Isaias on College GameDay! 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about fire weather from both a historical and modern perspective.   Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is NWS meteorologist Tom Hultquist.  Our discussion begins with the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history.  Dr. Stephanie Hoekstra and Robyn Heffernan also join us to explore how fire weather information is used today - from risk perception and decision support to operational forecasting, interagency coordination, and the challenges facing wildland fire professionals. Guest Panelist John Cameron is a TV meteorologist at News Channel 6 from Wichita Falls, TX who also joins us tonight.  Welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Invest 92L in SW Gulf (04:00) Dr. Stephanie Hoekstra's early background in weather (06:00) Robyn Heffernan's early background in weather (07:00) Tom Hultquist's early background in weather (09:00) John Cameron's journey into the field of meteorology (12:30) Analysis of Peshtigo Fire of 1871 (17:30) Meteorological/anomalous setup that set the stage for the Peshtigo Fire (19:00) Fuel management is a key player in driving wildfires (31:00) Predominate tribes that inhabited the Peshtigo area in 1871 (43:00) Peshtigo area vegetation/forestry and the role it played (46:30) National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) (48:00) History of Red Flag Warning terminology (54:30) Concerns over nefarious actors/arson in the wake of public fire forecasts (01:01:30) Financial incentives for arson: Strict guidelines needed to prevent this criminal activity (01:03:30) All about NOAA's Fire Weather Testbed (01:09:00) Clarifying Red Flag Warning vs Fire Warning (01:22:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:33:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:35:00) E-Mail Segment (01:36:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:40:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1081:   National Interagency Fire Center Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: John Cameron - KAUZ-TV 6 Wichita Falls, Texas 1964 tornado John Cameron - J. Fitz Kennedy on Soundcloud Dr. Stephanie Hoekstra - "Operationalizing the Fire Warning: distinguishing structural constraints from training-sensitive perceptions" by Dr. Stephanie Hoekstra Tom Hultquist - Official Website of the Peshtigo Historical Society James Aydelott - iCyclone on X: NOLO's center crossing the International Date Line James Aydelott - Okie James and family at Peshtigo Museum Jen Narramore - The Tragedy of Williamsonville Rick Smith - NOAA Fire Weather Testbed Launches First In-Person Evaluation Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Call for Volunteers: AMS Statement on Prediction Markets and Weather Information Bill Murray - Out John Gordon - Germany's Rhine river hits new low James Spann - NWS deals with radar issues along Gulf Coast 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about weather wisdom, forecasting in the model era, communicating uncertainty, climate change, and what meteorologists can still learn by opening the window and looking outside. Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is Dr. Lou McNally AKA "Altitude Lou".  He's spent half a century proving that good forecasting involves more than simply reading model input.  He's a long time broadcast meteorologist, a professor, historical climatologist and champion of natural weather forecasting.  Dr. McNally, welcome to WeatherBrains! Guest Panelist tonight is Sandy LaCorte.  Sandy supports various programs at NOAA's Weather Program Office, and is here tonight to speak about the upcoming student conference portion of the NWA Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.  Sandy, welcome! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Panelist thoughts on upcoming post-Polo rain event (03:30) What is driving placement uncertainty with this upcoming SW Oklahoma rain event?  (05:30) Possible supercells across Oklahoma Wednesday night?  (07:45) Guest Panelist Sandy LaCorte discusses upcoming 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Student Conference in Omaha, NE (14:00) Mock interviews at 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Student Conference!  (17:00) Dr. Lou McNally's background and introduction!  (20:30) Difference between making a forecast for colleagues in academia vs public perception (22:30) Weather Enterprise gains vs quiet losses as forecasting becomes more automated (23:30) Dr. McNally's most impactful past forecasted events (33:00) Important habits and things to look for as a new meteorologist (37:00) Weather folklore favorites - good and bad! (48:00) All about numerical model guidance and ensembles (51:00) Maine's climate, maritime influence and forecast challenges (01:05:00) "Nor'easter" vs "Northeaster" terminology (01:09:00) Maine's history with tropical cyclone landfalls (01:16:00) Dr. McNally's time at WBZ in Boston (01:27:00) State of broadcast meteorology in 2026 (01:30:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:00) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:43:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1080:   NOAA's Weather Program Office 2026 NWA Annual Meeting October 17th-21st Omaha, Nebraska Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Sandy LaCorte - As the Weekend Storm Departs, A Look Back at the Spectacular UWS Sunsets it Produced Dr. Lou McNally - Quote Origin: If You Don't Like Our Weather, Just Wait a Few Minutes James Aydelott - 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Jen Narramore - Foghorn Rick Smith - Utility of Radar-Based Preliminary Tornado Tracks with Super-Resolution Velocity Data for Impact-Based Decision Support Troy Kimmel - Texas Hazardous Weather Coordination Workshop Thursday, September 24, 2026 Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn Bill Murray - Weatherwise magazine John Gordon - Foghorn 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, 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about 2022's devastating Hurricane Ian. Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is very special guest and author Scott Withers.  He's a 4-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and journalist with more than two decades of TV experience.  On September 28th 2022, Scott was reporting live in Fort Myers when Hurricane Ian's storm surge submerged his vehicle and trapped his crew.  Three strangers rescued them by boat, and all six then rode out the Category 4 hurricane together.  Earlier this year, he released a book chronicling his experience, and has now recently released a children's hurricane adventure book entitled "The Halloween Hurricane".  Thanks for joining us tonight to share your incredible story, Scott! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. 1978's Do you remember the 21st of September?  (0:30) Scott's new book "The Halloween Hurricane" released today 9/21/26!  (07:30) Scott's early background in weather (09:30) Midlife crisis or brand-new beginning?  (17:00) The start of 2022's Hurricane Ian coverage (21:00) Remembering 2004's Hurricane Charley during preparation for Ian landfall (25:00) Wind shift in relation to Ian's eye (39:00) Spaghetti models vs cone/trajectory of Ian (48:00) Pre-Ian efforts by NHC with improving storm surge warnings (52:00) Complexities and logistics of hurricane preparation and risk perception (01:01:30) Misinformation on social media during major weather events (01:08:00) Scott's advice for media in the field in future major hurricanes after experiences with Ian(01:17:30) Cane the Hurricane Dog! (01:24:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:30) E-Mail Segment (01:31:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:37:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1079:   "Ian's Surge: Surviving a Cat 4 Hurricane" by Scott Withers "The Halloween Hurricane: Cane and Friends Save The City (Cane the Weather Dog)" by Scott Withers Cane the Weather Dog Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Scott Withers - Miami-Dade County drought conditions James Aydelott - Daily High Temp at or above 85F Tulsa OK James Aydelott - Daily Low Temp at or above 60F Tulsa OK Jen Narramore - Goat Locker Racing League Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.1 Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.2 Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA Administrator's Award Kim Klockow-McClain - Photo of Dr. Neil Jacobs and Rick Smith Bill Murray - Foghorn John Gordon - Tornado touches down; hail pounds Northern Utah in raw video James Spann - James Spann on X: Lightning and College Football 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about Wisconsin Public Radio's "Weather Guys". Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode are some of the smartest people in the weather enterprise.  Dr. Jonathan Martin joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994.  He won the Edward Lawrence Teaching Award in 2016 by the AMS.  He's authored 90 papers and has helped publish several books including a biography on British meteorologist Reginald Sutcliffe about inventions on modern weather systems.  He was named by Princeton Review as one of the nation's top 300 professors.  Dr. Martin, welcome to the show! We are honored to also have on the show Dr. Steven Ackerman.  He was the Director of CIMSS (The Cooperative Institute of Meteorological Satellite Studies) for over a decade.  He was Vice Chancellor of Research and Graduate Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He's won many awards as public service medals and is very involved with leadership initiatives.  He's won the Exceptional Public Service medal and is very involved with the student body.  Dr. Ackerman, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Tuscaloosa, AL hits record high of 101F on 09/14/26 (01:15) Ridge going nowhere anytime soon!  (01:30) What is "baratropic"?  (10:45) Revolution in access to data over the decades (17:30) Advice to meteorology students who are soon entering the workforce (20:00) Relationship between PBS and Wisconsin (21:30) Development of "Weather Guys" (26:00) Dr. Ackerman's and Dr. Martin's recommended weather apps  (38:00) CIMSS:  What it is and when it started (46:00) The Next Big Thing in weather satellites? (50:00) CubeSat constellations (01:02:00) The future of radio? (01:10:30) Correlation between specific weather and El Niño ENSO phase (01:20:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:00) E-Mail Segment (01:27:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1078:   UW Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences CIMSS (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies) The Weather Guys Wisconsin Public Radio Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Dr. Steven Ackerman - Volcanic Eruption of Anak Krakatau Dr. Jonathan Martin - Atlantic hurricane season peak: no storms and a record hurricane delay James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - The Northeast Georgia History Center Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Disney College Program participant killed in lightning strike; Good Samaritans recount rescue attempt Kim Klockow-McClain - NASA CubeSat to Test Miniaturized Weather Satellite Technology Bill Murray - Out John Gordon - Jeremy Perez on X James Spann - James Spann on X: Auburn Football lightning delay on September 12th 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about "The Next Big Thing" by Meteorologist Rob Marciano. Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is an award-winning meteorologist with more than two decades of experience covering some of the nation's biggest weather stories. His career includes positions at major networks such as CNN and ABC News, and he now serves as a Senior Meteorologist at CBS News.  He has recently written a book entitled "The Next Big Thing".  The Panel also discusses Rob's journey from his weather-obsessed childhood to his rise to a network meteorologist.  Rob Marciano, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Bill Murray is back!  (08:30) Rob's childhood and early interest in weather (10:30) Cornell University's meteorology program (22:00) Rob's experience with 2005's Hurricane Katrina (39:00) Reporting on the 1999 Moore, Oklahoma F5 (50:00) Changes in broadcast meteorology and lasting present-day issues in the field from Rob's perspective (01:05:00) AI:  Bringing back the art of forecasting? (01:11:30) Rob's new book "The Next Big Thing:  Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" (01:14:00) Harnessing lightning:  How does this benefit society?  (01:23:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:00) E-Mail Segment (01:35:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:44:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1077:   "The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Rob Marciano - Surfers gather at The Wedge in Newport Beach to take advantage of the massive waves Rob Marciano - "The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil James Aydelott - Tornado Watch in Hawaii James Aydelott - Text of Tornado Watch in Hawaii Jen Narramore - The 1936 Gainesville Tornado Rick Smith - College football Week 1 heatwave forces game changes as temperatures top 100 degrees Troy Kimmel - NTSB Media Briefing 2 - Miami, FL Runway excursion accident involving a B-767-300 cargo airplane Kim Klockow-McClain - Out Bill Murray - Foghorn John Gordon - Hurricanes in Hawaii James Spann - James Spann on X: Impressive waterspout this morning at Pensacola Beach 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about hydroplaning and why it happens. Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is the Assistant Director of the Vision of Maintenance for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.  Discussing a national hydroplaning project with the panel in the episode, she has over two decades experience in transportation and is a friend of the field.  Randi Feltner, thanks for joining us! Joining us as Second Guest WeatherBrain is very special guest Zion Powell.  He's pursuing his dream to become a meteorologist with an emphasis on mesoscale weather events.  He's currently a senior at Salisbury State in Maryland majoring in meteorology and geoscience.  He was selected as a NOAA Lapenta Intern for 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky where he worked on a national hydroplaning campaign.  Zion, welcome! We are excited to have Guest WeatherBrain and WeatherBrains veteran Alan Sealls joining us tonight.  A 16-time Regional Emmy Winner, he's now the president of the American Meteorological Society and has had a legendary career in the field.  He earned his degree in meteorology at Cornell and earned a Master's Degree at Florida State University.  He is a professor at the University of South Alabama.  Alan, welcome back! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Tropical Storm Eduard forms in the Gulf (01:00) Record heat for Alabama football's home opener?  (02:30) Zion's early background in weather (09:30) All about Salisbury State's Atmospheric Science program (11:00) What is the William M. Lapenta Scholarship? (12:00) Randi's early background and path to second in command at KDOT (13:30) Experiences during 2021 Mayfield, KY tornado (19:00) "Wet Lanes, Don't Hydroplane" (24:00) Role of tire pressure and speed in hydroplaning (26:00) Complicated nature of getting national hydroplaning statistics (47:00) What is spectrum allocation? (01:02:45) AMS Annual Meeting 2027 in Denver (01:04:00) All about the AMS and its history (01:08:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:45) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:25:00) E-Mail Segment (01:27:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1076:   2027 AMS Annual Meeting Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Zion Powell - Zion Powell on Instragram Zion Powell - Zion Powell on TikTok Randi Feltner - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Alan Sealls - National Severe Weather Archive Display James Aydelott - Tulsa Hits 102F Jen Narramore - Out Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - NOAA boosts weather data collection capabilities with new Mesonet contract Kim Klockow-McClain - Principal Saved 900 Students Before His School Was Washed Away in Nepal John Gordon - Monstrous Flash Flood & Debris Flow l Johnson Canyon, UT 7/16/2018 Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Basics of the Arizona Monsoon and Desert Meteorology 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about the July 2025 flooding tragedy in Texas. Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is Dr. JJ Gourley.  An Oklahoma native, he's a senior research hydrometeorologist at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory.  He manages an interdisciplinary team there that is developing the FLASH product, which is a flash flood forecasting product that Dr. Garley will discuss on this week's episode.  He's won the Department of Commerce's silver medal award, as well as the AMS Journal of Hydrometeorology Editor's Award.  He's also authored over 160 Paraview Journal Articles.  He's even written a radar hydrology textbook!  Welcome to tonight's show, Dr. Gourley! Our Guest Panelist tonight is Dr. Keri K. Stephens from the University of Texas at Austin.   She's the George Christian Centennial Professor.  With over 25 years of interdisciplinary research experience, Dr. Stephens' expertise includes organizational communication, mobile technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), crisis and disaster communication, infrastructure communication, and health communication. In her professional service, Dr. Stephens currently serves on the National Weather Service NOAA Central Texas Integrated Warning Team and on the Executive Advisory Council of the Schreiner University Institute for Hazard Risk and Readiness.  Dr. Stephens, thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Oklahoma heat trivia from NWS chat (04:30) Dr. Gourley's hydrometeorology background (9:00) Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System (MRMS) (13:00) FLASH project (13:30) Meteorological setup leading up to July 2025 Texas floods (17:30) Area creeks around Camp Mystic that became major players (29:00) Process determining approximate lead time before event (34:30) Warn-on-Forecast System (WoFS):  From experimental to operational? (36:30) Combining organizational communication and disaster studies (42:30) Lessons learned about public safety infrastructure in the wake of post-flood hearings (58:00) Protocol for severe/winter weather warnings at campgrounds/RV parks (01:16:30) Turn Around, Don't Drown! (01:29:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:38:15) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:40:30) E-Mail Segment (01:42:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:44:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1075:   NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory Alabama Weather Network   Picks of the Week: Dr. JJ Gourley - Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts Dr. Keri K. Stephens - Texas Institute for Hazard Risk and Readiness (TIHRR) - Schreiner University James Aydelott - Tornado video in France James Aydelott - Tornado video in France - Secondary Angle James Aydelott - More absurd footage of the tornado in Pomas, France James Aydelott - Exceptional video of the tornado that struck the area around Carcassonne! James Aydelott - Strong tornado in France, north of the Pyrenees Jen Narramore - University Archives and West Florida History Center Rick Smith - IEM (Iowa Environmental Mesonet) Severe Weather Products Troy Kimmel - United States Power Outage Map Kim Klockow-McClain - WoFS-FLASH coupled forecasts for the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster Kim Klockow-McClain - Hydrometeorological Analysis of the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster Kim Klockow-McClain - Indiana Governor Calls for NIPSCO to be Investigated Over Power Outages After Gary Storms John Gordon - Photo from Mike Olbinski: Moonbow Bill Murray - Out James Spann - ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about the Enhanced Fujita scale and the path toward implementation. Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the EF Committee Chairman.  He's the master instructor at the NWS Operations Training Unit, and he's the Team Lead in NWS forecasters course development.   He's also acting Director of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program at the National Institute for Standards of Technology, and he currently chairs and cofounded the Standards Committee on estimating wind speeds of severe storms within the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Jim LaDue, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Founder and CEO of Climavision.  Climavision is a weather technology company that provides critical gaps in radar coverage, and improves forecast accuracy.  He brings in more than 30 years of advanced weather observation predictive modeling, work spanning dual polarization radar, mobile and satellite enable systems, and the forecasting models that turn raw observations into sharper forecasts.  Chris Goode, thanks for joining us! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Jim's early background in weather (09:00) ASCE (American Society for Civil Engineers) (11:30) Who decided to update the Fujita scale in the early 2000s? (14:30) EF Scale Subcommittee (21:30) Bill under construction to improve assessment of tornadoes (33:00) Behind the scenes with other ways to rate tornadoes in new EF Scale (37:30) Re-analysis process in a civil and organized fashion (46:00) Damage exposure simulations in the future? (50:00) EEC (Enterprise Electronics Corporation) (01:00:30) X-Band vs C-Band radars (01:03:30) Benefits of Climavision high resolution radar and how it improves the warning process (01:05:30) Relationship between Climavision and NWS (01:08:00) Phased array radar - when will it happen and what about major radar gaps?  (01:15:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:45) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:45) E-Mail Segment (01:29:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:32:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1074:   Tornado Archive Climavision Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: Plume from oil/gas tank fire caused by lightning strike Jen Narramore - 7 dead from historic flooding in Indiana Rick Smith - Norman microburst timelapse Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Lala Hawaii Damage John Gordon - NASA Ocean Current Simulation Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Foghorn 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about Hawaii. Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at Hawaii News Now.  She has given over 15 years of service and has provided trusted coverage for the Hawaiian Islands including tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and other natural disasters.  She earned her Bachelor's degree in Atmospheric Ocean Science at San Fransisco State University.  Jennifer Robbins, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the NWS office in Honolulu.  He works Statewide with a wide variety of partners and earned his Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan in 1998.  He started at NWS Marquette MI in 1999, and has worked with the NWS Honolulu since 2006, and the WCM since 2017.  John Bravender, thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Jennifer's early weather background (10:00) John's early weather background (15:30) What exactly is it like to forecast for the State of Hawaii?  (18:00) Difficulties forecasting with Hawaiian microclimates (20:00) Employee organization at NWS Honolulu (25:30) Torrential rainfall and major flooding in Hawaii caused by Kona lows (33:00) What exactly is a Kona low?  (42:30) What happened to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center? (49:00) 1992's Hurricane Iniki (50:00) Introduction of chickens to Hawaii in the wake of Hurricane Iniki (53:30) Fire weather threats and how it has changed in recent years (58:30) Tsunami risks and concerns in Hawaii (01:07:45) Warning protocol in the State of Hawaii regarding tsunamis and severe weather (01:19:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:30) E-Mail Segment (01:29:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1073:   Hawaii News Now First Alert Weather Honolulu, HI NWS Forecast Office Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: John Bravender - Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: In 1936, the start of a truly hideous stretch of never-seen-since Summer weather in Tulsa Jen Narramore - Dyer County Historical Society Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Population structure and hybridisation in a population of Hawaiian feral chickens John Gordon - LoriGraceWX Monsoon Photography Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Proposed changes to WPC's Excessive Rainfall Outlook 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center.  Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center.  Growing up in Minnesota, he always had exposure to severe weather and took a keen interest early in his life.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in meteorology from Iowa State University.  Their research focuses on X-band radar that operates jointly between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.  They have done extensive research, with a major focus on lightning.  Michael Peterson, welcome to WeatherBrains! Tonight's Guest Panelist is a research scientist at the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center.  She received a Bachelor's Degree from Penn State University, and earned her Master's Degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma.  Jessica Losego, thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Jessica's early background in the field of weather (17:00) REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) (2:00) IHOP (International H2O Project) (21:00) When was the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center founded and what do they do?  (24:30) Dual Pol variables in X-Band (26:30) North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (39:30) 2008 Downtown Atlanta, GA tornado during SEC tournament (57:30) GA Tech's research on tornadogenesis (01:01:00) What is cold air damming (CAD)? (01:03:30) New world record lightning flash discovered by SSRC (01:06:30) What is the definition of a mega flash?  (01:11:45) Difficulties forecasting random airmass convection in the Deep South (01:19:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:30) E-Mail Segment (01:29:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:38:30) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1072:   North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array Georgia Severe Storms Research Center Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Jessica Losego - Weather with a Twist - Aaron Price on Substack Jessica Losego - "Atlanta Tornado of 1975" Volume 104 Issue 8 (1976) by E. F. Greneker Michael Peterson - Call for Papers - 2027 AMS Annual Meeting James Aydelott - OU Launches Oklahoma 3D Mesonet Jen Narramore - The Governor's Tornado - March 24, 1975 Rick Smith - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the "Drought" of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States Troy Kimmel - GOES Image Viewer Kim Klockow-McClain - The Tiny Rain Icon On Your Weather App is Crushing Small Businesses John Gordon - Tornadoes in Wisconsin since 1950 Bill Murray - Out James Spann - NOAA's use of cloud infrastructure grows to include weather prediction models 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about the 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood. Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is meteorologist Matt Kelsch.  He earned his Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma and has written numerous papers on mountain meteorology and hydrology.  Retiring in 2022, he's an avid outdoorsmen, biker and gardener.  It's great to see you tonight, Matt! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. WSR 88-D NEXRAD (10:45) World Meteorological Organization:  What They Do (13:00) What tools were available for the NWS in 1976? (15:00) Significant 2013 Colorado flood (21:30) Photos of 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood damage (27:00) July 28th, 1997 Spring Creek Flood at Fort Collins, CO (32:00) Proven success of converting creeks to floodways in 2013 (35:30) Devastating 1889 Johnstown, PA flood (37:30) Meteorological setup of Fort Collins 1997 Spring Creek flood (43:30) 2013 Colorado Flood (Great Erosional Flood) meteorological setup (48:30) Social science perspective on Call-To-Action for general public during floods (59:30) 500 Year Flood vs 1000 Year Flood (01:01:30) Profound lack of snowfall in Colorado during winter of 2025-2026 (01:10:00) Tips for meteorologists to better forecast and anticipate major flash flooding in present day (01:12:00) What is the definition of a flash flood?  (01:14:00) Flash Flood Watch/Warning protocol in 1976 (01:16:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:31:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:27:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1071:   World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Matt Kelsch - Real-time Air Quality Monitoring by PurpleAir James Aydelott - River Photo James Aydelott - Photo of sculpture by Bradley T. Mullnix Jen Narramore - Rare waterspout near Montreal, Canada on July 23rd, 2008 Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Matt Kelsch paper "Flash Flood Cases, Summary of Characteristics" John Gordon - Bob Maddox paper "Synoptic and Meso-a Scale Aspects of Flash Flood Events" Bill Murray - Out James Spann - 40 Years Later, Jim Cantore on Mount Rushmore of TV Weather 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 WeatherBrains episode is all about dust storms. Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of NWS Goodland, Kansas.  A Nebraska native, he's logged over a quarter century of service for the NWS, with prior stops in Omaha, Sioux Falls, and North Platte.  He earned his Bachelor's degree from Nebraska-Lincoln.  Jeremy Martin, welcome to the show! Guest Panelist and NWA President Kim Runk joins us tonight discussing the NWA (National Weather Association) and a preview of the upcoming NWA annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.  Thanks for joining us, Kim! Program Chair of the 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Jessica Stumpf also joins us as Guest Panelist.  She's the Public Safety Solution Engineer Meteorologist at Baron Weather, and has a decade of prior experience in Emergency Management.  She has a Bachelor's from Penn State and is a former broadcast meteorologist.  Jessica, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Tropical Depression 2 in the Gulf struggling with shear and dry air (02:00) What got Jeremy into meteorology?  (08:00) Life/culture at the Goodland KS National Weather Service (09:30) Dust storm official definition (14:30) Unusual circumstances of forecasting haboobs (20:30) Coordination between NWS and EMA (26:30) Dust Storm Warnings - do they make a difference?  (29:30) Debating the Dust Capital of America (43:30) Advocating for the field of meteorology on Capitol Hill (58:00) Why should I join the NWA as a meteorology student?  (01:05:30) 2026 NWA Annual Meeting in Omaha:   When and Where (01:17:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:20:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:22:45) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1070:   "Connect5 Leadership: Growing Leaders by Serving Others" by Kim Runk 2026 AMS Annual Meeting Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Jeremy Martin - NASA Dust Tracker AI Jessica Stumpf - SC Emergency Manager App Jessica Stumpf - 2026 Esri User Conference San Diego, CA Kim Runk - Weather and Climate Collections - NOAA Library James Aydelott - World's Largest Easel in Goodland, Kansas Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 855: Nocturnal MCS Mode Rick Smith - How 2026 World Cup Venues Handle the Heat (and Humidity, and Storms…) Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Amazing Footage of Debris Flow in Illgraben Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Real Time Tropical Cyclones 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.