Guest: Chris Vagasky Introduction: The joy that fills sports fans' hearts as they loudly sing, “Take me out to the ballgame…” is almost palpable, but one thing that may not come to their mind is the threat lightning poses. We’ve seen the images of lighting bolts racing across the sky as fans hunker down in their seats, and this reminds us how deadly this phenomenon can be. Meteorologist Chris Vagasky, who is the Lightning Applications Manager at Vaisala, has dug through the data and found some s...
Mar 31, 2021•32 min•Ep. 159
Guest: Dr. Kerry Emanuel Climate science and threats from climate change have been hot topics of conversation among the public as well as business and political leaders. But there seems to be a disparity in how climate scientists view what’s causing this change and how the public understands and feels about the issue. This ultimately hampers efforts to improve the scientific field around climate and to develop effective solutions and policies to mitigate risks. Our guest today is working to brid...
Mar 24, 2021•32 min•Ep. 158
Guest: Brian McNoldy, University of Miami A lot of us have grown accustomed to extreme weather events after watching them occur year after year, like tornadoes and hurricanes. But underneath it all, we know our earth is changing. Our hurricanes may look and feel the same way they did 100 years ago, but our rising sea levels are making the impacts to human life and property much worse. Senior Research Associate at the University of Miami Brian McNoldy has been studying this relationship and how i...
Mar 17, 2021•40 min•Ep. 145
Guest: Sean Potter Every big idea or organization has to get its start somewhere and the National Weather Service is no exception! More than 150 years ago, Congress established the U.S Weather Bureau in 1870, which would go on to eventually become the National Weather Service we know today. Our guest today dug into the life of the man who would become known as the Father of the National Weather Service. Sean Potter is the author of Too Near for Dreams , The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's Fir...
Mar 10, 2021•46 min•Ep. 157
Guest: Matt Lanza Introduction: Texas just experienced one of the worst weather disasters in its history as temperatures plunged into a deep freeze. All-time cold temperature records were broken, sub-freezing streaks set new records, and the energy industry learned some very hard lessons. Houston is no stranger to extreme weather, and they were hit particularly hard with this event too. Today’s guest, Meteorologist Matt Lanza, was directly affected by the weather as his family was left without p...
Mar 03, 2021•39 min•Ep. 156
Guest: Valerie Trouet Forests can offer us picturesque views, but did you know they also offer us a look at the past? Why is that important? To better understand our climate, we need to study the past, and inspecting tree rings is a great way to do that! We’re ringing in the new year by talking to Valerie Trouet from the University of Arizona. She uses tree rings to study past climates, forest ecosystems, atmospheric circulation patterns and more. We’ll discuss what tree rings can actually tell ...
Feb 24, 2021•33 min•Ep. 155
Guest: Dr. Genevieve Guenther Introduction: Climate change and its impacts are becoming a regular part of conversations among scientists and even the general public at large, but are we giving it the true attention it deserves? Should the media be doing a complete overhaul of how they tackle this issue? Today we’re talking with Dr. Genevieve Guenther, founder of End Climate Silence, who’s working to change how we talk about extreme weather and its connections to climate change in both the media ...
Feb 17, 2021•33 min•Ep. 154
Guest: Jim Coker, EMA Director Today’s guest has spent his life serving the Alabama community through multiple branches of law enforcement, and now, he’s taking that experience to the office of emergency management. Jim Coker is the Emergency Management Agency Director for Jefferson County, Alabama, and we’re sitting down with him to discuss the effectiveness of outdoor sirens when severe weather is approaching. We’ve heard countless stories of how people did or didn’t hear sirens before being h...
Feb 10, 2021•35 min•Ep. 152
Guest: Zack Labe Remember when you were anxiously awaiting your report card? It’s very likely that these events were met with mixed emotions as you awaited the results. Well when it comes to grading the health of the Arctic, we should be nervous. This region of the world is seeing some of the worst impacts from climate change, and today, we’re chatting with one of the report’s authors, Climate & Atmospheric Scientist Zachary Labe who specializes in Arctic ice conditions. He’ll reveal some of...
Feb 03, 2021•36 min•Ep. 153
Guest: David Pogue One of the major topics when discussing meteorology is climate change, and we’ve certainly heard a great deal about it over the past decade. With destructive Western wildfires and stronger hurricanes, it seems climate change manages to become a major part of the conversation, and rightly so. Today we are talking with author David Pogue, who wants us to know how to prepare for the effects of climate change in our personal lives. From planning your diet, to personal investments,...
Jan 27, 2021•34 min•Ep. 151
Guest: Deanna Apps, Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Introduction: When you hear people discussing rising water levels, you probably only think of SEA-level rise. But what about LAKE-level rise? Today’s guest is Deanna Apps, a Physical Scientist with the Detroit District of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. She analyzes and forecasts water levels in the Great Lakes and produces weekly and monthly forecasts. As the region continues experiencing record water levels, we’ll ask he...
Jan 20, 2021•34 min•Ep. 150
Guest: Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook Weather forecasting has made leaps and bounds in recent decades, and it’s hard to remember a time when we couldn’t get the latest forecast update with just a swipe of the finger on our phone. But wouldn’t it be great if we could get an idea of what to expect MONTHS in advance? Well, you’re in luck because today we’re talking with Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook who has been a pioneer in understanding and improving seasonal forecasts, especially those for tornadoes. We’ll...
Jan 13, 2021•36 min•Ep. 149
Guest: Dr. Phil Klotzbach, Colorado State University If you are a purveyor of weather twitter, this man needs no introduction! Odds are you have seen at least one of his incredible and easily digestible hurricane stats during this past hurricane season as well. Today’s episode is with Dr. Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University! We are going to discuss this monumental hurricane season and all of the records that it shattered. We will also talk about Dr. Klotzbach’s seasonal forecasts from ...
Jan 06, 2021•43 min•Ep. 148
Guest: Mike Bettes 2020 was, to put it lightly, an insane year. Mother Nature didn’t care about a global pandemic either, as she lashed out during every single season. From deadly tornadoes in the Spring, to raging wildfires in the summer, to a record number of tropical cyclones, to finally ending the year with a bonafide nor’easter! Phew… Well, I’ve got someone with me today who was in the studio talking about all of these events this year: The Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes! We are going to go ...
Dec 30, 2020•46 min•Ep. 147
Guest: Brian Cizek, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron With new frontiers developing in spaceflight, it’s more important than ever to make sure we get the forecast right. There are many variables meteorologists have to monitor: cloud cover, precipitation chances, even cloud height and electric potential! To make sure every launch goes off without a hitch, you need a team of skilled, dedicated forecasters like those found at the 45th Weather Squadron. Today we’re happy to welcome Brian...
Dec 16, 2020•34 min•Ep. 146
Guest: Dr. Juliane Gross, Rutgers Like searching for needles in a haystack, searching for meteorites on Earth is not an easy feat! How about searching for those meteorites while in the frigid wasteland of Antarctica? Well that is what my guest today did this past winter! Dr. Juliane Gross is an associate professor at Rutgers University and she studies the formation and evolution of the planets in our solar system. What do meteorites in the Antarctic have to do with her research? We are going to ...
Dec 09, 2020•39 min•Ep. 144
Guest: Paul Pisano Introduction: Ground transportation is something we all deal with on a daily basis, whether it’s in our cars, on a bus, or the subway. Navigating poor road conditions during inclement weather can be very treacherous, but new technologies and innovating thinking are working to keep people safe. Today we’re joined by Paul Pisano from the Road Weather Committee of the Transportation Research Board. Paul understands that ground transportation infrastructure is a vital asset that c...
Dec 02, 2020•37 min•Ep. 143
Guest: Mike Nelson Introduction: Have you been struggling to understand climate change and what it means for you and your family? What if I told you that in just 10 easy steps, YOU would be able to understand our Earth's changing climate? Well today, we’re talking to meteorologist and author Mike Nelson who has written the book that answers those questions. Mike Nelson has spent more than 40 years serving his local community as a broadcast meteorologist, and his work has helped revolutionize the...
Nov 25, 2020•35 min•Ep. 141
Guest: Mike Eilts Introduction: When you hear the name, Mike Eilts, a few words may come to mind: storm chaser, atmospheric scientist, journal author, entrepreneur, pioneer of weather radar...and they’re all right! Today, we’re pleased to welcome Mike Eilts who currently serves as the Vice President of the Weather Business Unit at the Data Transmission Network, or DTN. His impressive career spans nearly 4 decades, and his innovative thinking has helped both government agencies and private compan...
Nov 18, 2020•35 min•Ep. 140
Guest: Eric Jay Dolin, Ph.D. Introduction: Over the past several decades, the way we consume weather information and receive our latest forecasts has been revolutionized. Millions of people can tune in to watch The Weather Channel during an impending tornado outbreak or approaching hurricane. With all this information so readily at our fingertips, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come in our knowledge of weather and how it can shape our future. Today’s guest hasn’t forgotten the past. In fact, ...
Nov 11, 2020•36 min•Ep. 139
Guest: Dr. Craig Clements, SJSU Fire Weather Research Laboratory Introduction: We’ve seen a record number of acres of beautiful countryside go up in flames in 2020, and we’re not done yet. In recent years, many across the West have seen some of the deadliest & most destructive wildfires that our country has ever experienced. Whether they have been accelerated by climate change or extreme drought conditions, there is no denying that millions of lives have been changed forever as these million...
Nov 04, 2020•43 min•Ep. 138
Guest: Margaret Crane, Child Psychologist Introduction: I have had many Meteorologists come on this show and when I ask them how they got a passion for weather, a good number of them were scared of Mother Nature’s wrath at a young age. But that fear catapulted them into a passion for learning about the science behind what is happening in the sky. However, for some people, that fear doesn’t turn into passion and could even develop into a phobia. My guest today is Margaret Crane, who is a psycholo...
Oct 28, 2020•31 min•Ep. 137
Guest: Dr. Jamese Sims, NOAA Senior Physical Scientist Artificial Intelligence…or AI... When you hear that term, it’s likely that your mind is flooded with images from the latest Sci-Fi flick you’ve seen, or maybe you have visions of robots taking over the world! Well fear not, because the AI we’re focusing on today revolves around its applications to meteorology and earth sciences. We’re sitting down with Dr. Jamese Sims, senior physical scientist with NOAA, who currently serves as the agency’s...
Oct 21, 2020•38 min•Ep. 136
Guest: John Lanier Introduction: As geeks, we can do a lot to help out our environment by doing little things like using less water while brushing our teeth or using reusable bags instead of plastic bags while at the grocery store. But as individuals, it is hard for us to make a large impact on the well-being of the entire globe! That is where businesses and corporations can step in to be leaders in combating climate change! The Ray C. Anderson Foundation is based on the values of creating a bet...
Oct 14, 2020•35 min•Ep. 135
Guest: Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz Introduction: If you were to ask a meteorologist who their top 3 superheroes are, odds are X-Men’s Storm would be on that list. Sure, that may be because of Halle Berry’s portrayal of her in the movies, but mainly because she has the ability to harness the power of the weather and use it at her will! What would YOU do if you could control the weather? Would you make it rain on the house of your high school bully everyday, or keep the sun shining bright while you...
Oct 07, 2020•37 min•Ep. 134
Guest: Nelly Carreño, KUVN Introduction: For those of you who are hurricane buffs like us, you know where they tend to form and where they track: they either are born from a tropical wave off Africa and cross through the Caribbean OR form within the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. In these areas, there is a much higher population of people who speak only Spanish while the majority of the products that the National Hurricane Center puts out are in English. This puts a lot of pressure on our bilingua...
Sep 30, 2020•37 min•Ep. 133
Guest: Troy Kimmel Introduction: The state of Texas has many different microclimates, from the deserts in West Texas to the flood-prone grasslands of Houston to the raging heat in South Texas. How about the weather right in the middle of the state’s hill country? Austin, Texas is an eclectic city that is growing in popularity and population...but my guest today has been there for decades! Troy Kimmel is a well-known broadcast meteorologist for the city and has dedicated his life to enhancing Aus...
Sep 23, 2020•42 min•Ep. 132
Guest: Dr. Gavin Schmidt, Director of NASA GISS Introduction: NASA scientists aren’t just focused on OUTER space. They’re also focused on the INNER workings of our atmosphere, oceans, and how each has evolved over time. As past discussions on our show have confirmed, one aspect of our world we know is changing is our climate. Today we’re joined by Dr. Gavin Schmidt, Director of NASA Goddard’s Institute for Space Studies. He’s been at the forefront of climate research, using models to see how our...
Sep 16, 2020•46 min•Ep. 131
Guest: Dr. Bill Bauman, FAA Introduction: With more than 5 MILLION square miles of U.S. Domestic airspace and 24 MILLION square miles of U.S. Oceanic Airspace to cover, it’s easy to see how important weather observation and forecasting are to aviation. The FAA is in the midst of a massive modernization of its air traffic management systems, and you can bet, a major focus of this overhaul includes minimizing the impacts of day-to-day weather on flight operations. Today, we welcome the manager of ...
Sep 09, 2020•36 min•Ep. 130
Guest: Dr. William McDowell, University of New Hampshire Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans like you and me, and their physical environment. It seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them! So why am I giving you a lesson on ecology in this episode of Weather Geeks? Well, what if I told you that hurricanes have a large impact on our ecology?! That is what my guest Dr. William McDowell from the Uni...
Sep 02, 2020•35 min•Ep. 129
