WeatherBrains

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 examines the July 2025 Texas flooding disaster.   Our Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the Chief Meteorologist of KABB-TV Fox News At Nine in San Antonio, Texas.  He is a multi-disciplined individual with professional experience as an educator and broadcaster. He holds several degrees and certifications, including a B.S. in Education, a Master's in Education with Certification as an Educational Administrator, and of course, he's a Broadcast Meteorologist.  He has received the AMS Seal of Approval and has been the recipient of six Associated Press Awards for Best Weathercast. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society, National Weather Association, and the Knights of Columbus.  Alex Garcia, thanks for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Recollections from KABB-TV leading up to Texas flood tragedy (11:30) Wording of originally issued Flash Flood Watch prior to event (17:30) Why doesn't the public immediately react to weather watches?  (20:00) Mentality of the threat of flash flooding vs other types of severe weather (25:00) Improving the clarity of the call to action in response to inland flooding events (30:00) Flood Inundation Mapping (36:00) The half-life of awareness in the wake of tragedies like 2025 Texas Flood event (49:00) With no Independent Review, how can you improve?  (52:00) Role of weather radio in modern warning process (55:00) National Weather Service app in the future?  (55:30) Severe Thunderstorm Definition/Warnings that do not verify and the resulting public inaction (01:02:00) What is NWS definition of a Flash Flood? (01:02:30) Confusion from Areal Flood Advisories (01:05:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:14:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:15:30) E-Mail Segment (01:16:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:26:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1068:   Alex Garcia Weather on X Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Alex Garcia - NTWC James Aydelott - Westheimer Airport in Norman measures 92mph wind gust Jen Narramore - Chinese Wedge tornado Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Funnel cloud spotted in Interior Alaska on July Fourth Troy Kimmel - Meteorological Overview of the July 2025 Texas Floods Kim Klockow-McClain - Review of the National Weather Service's Actions to Support Kerr County During the Catastrophic Flash Flood in Texas John Gordon - June 29th Significant Wind Event Bill Murray - Out James Spann - National Weather Service faces hurricane season with less experienced staff, missing data 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 turns back to the clock to June 8th, 1966 and the Topeka, KS F5 tornado. Our Guest WeatherBrain on tonight's show is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the NWS in Topeka KS.  With over three decades of experience in the field, he's been at the NWS for over 17 years.  As a Wisconsin native, he earned his degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin.  He's committed to improving public awareness, preparedness, and response by integrating social science research into the NWS products and services.  Chad Omitt, welcome to WeatherBrains!  Our next Guest WeatherBrain is the local history librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County public library.   She holds a B.A. in forensic anthropology and history from Wichita State University.  She's a speaker with the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau and gives educational programs about life in Kansas during the Dust Bowl.  Katie Keckeisen, welcome to WeatherBrains! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. June 2026 Kentucky flooding (01:00) Katie's early background in Kansas (07:00) June 8th, 1966 meteorological setup (10:45) Meteorological equipment used during during the 1960s (21:00) Visual photos of daytime Topeka tornado (26:30) Bill Kurtis and his role at WIBW-TV during the tornado (28:30) Save room on the volume knob for a "10"!  (37:00) Topeka's Burnett's Mound:  A historical deepdive (37:30) Kansas Governor's response after tornado (44:00) Damage photos from tornadoes and the resulting changes to Topeka (49:30) Topeka tornado was one of the first utilizations of civil defense outdoor warning system (01:00:00) 1955 Udall KS tornado (01:00:30) Tornado subculture in the 1960s (01:07:30) Lessons learned from this event from 60 years ago (01:19:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:28:00) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1067:   Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau "And Hell Followed With It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado" by Bonar Menninger Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Katie Keckeisen - Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Chad Omitt - OTUS Project James Aydelott - "History of Operational Use of Weather Radar by U.S. Weather Services. Part I: The Pre-NEXRAD Era" Jen Narramore - Tornado Talk Podcast Episode 7: The 1966 Topeka Tornado Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Out Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Collin Gross on X: Europe's historic heatwave continues Bill Murray - Out James Spann - James Spann on X: Big Sky Montana snow photos 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 home-grown show all about storm chasing:  The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Waning interest in storm chasing (04:00) Holding it while dealing with long-form severe weather coverage (10:00) Current state of storm chasing in 2026 (16:00) Importance of enforcing traffic laws when dealing with a saturated chaser community (27:30) Oklahoma traffic laws concerning emergency lights (31:30) Liability insurance requirements for those who continue to storm chase? (36:00) NOAA's OPG (Operations Proving Ground) (49:30) What is the purpose of a service assessment?  (59:30) State of Connecticut doesn't need 3 WFOs! (01:02:00) Importance of interacting directly with the people we serve in the field of weather to mitigate loss of life (01:10:00) Discriminating between weaknesses and strengths in the warning process (01:21:30) Effectively utilizing user generated content during long-form severe weather coverage (01:23:30) Private Slack chat session with trusted weather professionals to weed out AI/fake images (01:28:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week - stay tuned!) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:30) E-Mail Segment (01:30:30) Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:41:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1066:   Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Illinois: More tornadoes than Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas combined, year to date. (225 vs 191) Jen Narramore - Tennessee Valley Weather on X: "Tennessee Valley Weather Adds Weather Balloon Launch Capability to Strengthen Severe Weather Forecasting" Rick Smith - Facts About Derechos Troy Kimmel - IEM Generated Regional Temperature and Precipitation Report Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Dave Throup on X: Shelf Cloud pic at Glastonbury Tor Bill Murray - Out James Spann - SkyeCalm Storm Anxiety App 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 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.