What Is It About The Weather - podcast cover

What Is It About The Weather

Because there is more to weather than weather itself. What Is It About The Weather is a podcast/vidcast series where we explore the various ways weather is intertwined into and impacts our lives. Weather itself is interesting and amazing, but what can be even more fascinating and intriguing is how much influence it actually has in our lives. In this journey we hope you will find yourself laughing, enjoying, and learning and from time to time even uttering “I did not know that”. Weather geek by nature, atmospheric scientist by degree and meteorologist by trade, your host Mark T Jelinek loves talking about the weather. That love for weather actually drove him back to graduate school after a successful first career in the information services field. He looks forward to expanding your weather horizons and along the way is likely to be heard muttering “I did not know that”.
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Episodes

How Did We Learn To Keep Dry?

Rain, sleet and snow may not stop your mail delivery person, but for millennia it has been wreaking havoc on our lives. So how did we learn to keep ourselves dry? And what technologies have we used and developed to achieve that goal? Come listen to the latest episode to find out. If you want […]

Apr 14, 201734 min

Can Clouds Really Impact Your A-Game?

Weather can impacts sports in many obvious as well as subtle ways, but have you ever thought about how cloud cover might impact your peak performance? We explore this idea in the latest episode. If you want to read a bit more about items covered in today’s episode, catch these links: The Impact of Cloud […]

Apr 07, 201731 min

How Can I Expand My Weather World?

Do you have an interest in weather? Maybe a bit more than your average Joe? In the latest episode we dive into how you can do that. Of course this translates into lots of different resources, and here is a list of many of the items mentioned in this week’s episode: The Weather Prediction by […]

Mar 31, 201734 min

Weather Cancellations – Are We Wimpier Or Wiser?

While advances in weather forecasting have improved our ability to predict costly and deadly weather events, weather related cancellations and delays now cost us billions of dollars each year. So have these weather forecasting advances made us wimpier or wiser? Join us as we explore the issue. For those interested in learning more about and […]

Mar 24, 201729 min

Weather Warnings – How Many Alarms Do We Need?

How many ways do we need to be alerted about severe weather? What is the best way to do it? How might you answer that question differently based on your age, location or socio-economic position? Just a few of the questions we ponder in this episode. Do you want to dig a bit deeper into […]

Mar 17, 201725 min

Do Meteorologists Cry Wolf?

Does your favorite weather forecaster too often have you altering your plans or seeking shelter for weather events that don’t pan out? Are they just trying to be cautious? What happens when you get different weather warnings from different sources? What to do? All this and more in the latest episode. If you want to […]

Mar 10, 201731 min

Did Weather Change Space Exploration?

In 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger burst into flames just over 70 seconds after takeoff. Despite it being a blue sky day, did weather play a role in its demise? What would be the long term implications? We get back to ‘Did weather change history?’ in the latest episode. As mentioned in the podcast, March […]

Mar 03, 201730 min

Is The Future Of Weather Social?

Will social media be the primary platform to deliver weather forecasts in the future? What challenges must be overcome for that to be a reality? How do you know who you can trust on social media to give you a quality weather forecast? We dive into these questions and more in the latest episode. Interested […]

Feb 24, 201726 min

Is Your Smartphone The Future Of Weather Forecasting?

Did you know your phone has weather instruments on board? Did you know that people just like you are sharing their weather with others? Will all this translate into mobile phones becoming the future of weather forecasting? Want to dig a bit deeper into today’s topic? Main Story Another Milestone Toward Making Cell Phones The […]

Feb 17, 201733 min

Did You Want To Be A Weatherperson?

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Did you want to be a weatherperson? Did you know that the National Weatherperson’s Day was this week? what famous people dabbled in the world of weather? All this and more this week! Now if you want to dig into today’s topics a bit […]

Feb 10, 201723 min

Why Are Meteorologists So Complicated?

Does weather seem complicated to you? Do you feel that meteorologists go out of their way to make things complicated? How complicated is telling the future?

Feb 03, 201729 min

What Season Is Your Tire?

Have you ever thought about how weather has evolved something as seeming simple as a tire? Weather can huge impacts of transportation around the globe and often finds its way into the news when major distributions occur. However, the simple everyday transportation vehicles are heavily influenced in the operation and design by weather. In this […]

Jan 27, 201731 min

What’s In Your Weather Dictionary?

What terms that you use to describe weather are unique to your country or even local community? In this episode explore the pros and cons of weather terms that are attached to specific areas. Want to read a bit more about this topic? Here are some items for you: Main Story The Beaufort Wind Scale […]

Jan 20, 201727 min

Do Dogs Make Good Weather Forecasters?

Have you ever noticed your dog behaves a certain way before severe weather? Is it really the weather driving the behavior or something else? We explore this idea in the latest episode. Want to read a bit more about this week’s topics? Here are some links for you: Main Story Can animals predict disasters Pets […]

Jan 13, 201726 min

… -. — .– ..–..

We have looked at different ways weather has shaped history, has the opposite occurred? In the latest episode we explore the role of the telegraph in shaping weather forecasting. Want to read a bit more, check out these stories from today’s episode: Main Story Benjamin Franklin – America’s 1st Weatherman Joseph Henry, The Smithsonian, and […]

Jan 06, 201731 min

What If There Was No Snow?

Have you ever imagined a world without snow? Would we be having this conversation if snow or ice did not exist? In this latest episode we explore the role of frozen water on our lives today.

Dec 30, 201627 min

What Is It About Snow?

Why do we have such a fascination with snow? Could it be the anticipation of snow days? Is It something more primal or more nuanced? Join us in this episode where we explore our complex relationship with the white stuff. Interested in learning the nitty gritty about snow? Check out SnowCrystals.com or watch this neat video […]

Dec 23, 201629 min

How Many People Does It Take To Forecast The Weather?

Technology and weather have a rich symbiotic relationship. The idea of numerical weather prediction existed before modern day computers and a ‘human’ computer was even hypothesized to do the needed calculations. In current time, Big Data has become a key part of that relationship. This is a key factor in answering the question … Why […]

Dec 16, 201631 min

I’m Dreaming Of A White Halloween, Wait What?

Have you ever wondered how weather impacts both the gifts you give and receive? Maybe you should be singing about a White Halloween instead of a White Christmas. Join us as we explore the various connections between weather and shopping behavior as well as generosity. Want to read about a bit more about this week’s […]

Dec 09, 201628 min

Is Weather Responsible For Me Speaking English?

What does weather have to do with the spread of English? Have you ever heard about the weather and the Spanish Armada? Join us in the latest episode where we get back to the idea of ‘whether weather’ changed history. Want to dig a bit deeper into this week’s topics? Here are some links for […]

Dec 02, 201633 min

My Brain Hurts … Is It Dry Outside?

Do changes in the weather cause you pain? Do you have a relative that swears they can tell you about the weather based on how their body is feeling? Join us in the latest episode as we explore the connection between weather and pain. Want to dig a bit deeper in topics from this week? […]

Nov 25, 201631 min

Holy Flying Frogs Batman … What’s That Falling From The Sky?

What causes animals to rain from the skies? Could Sharknado really happen? Join us in the episode to learn about what we know about non-aqueous rain. For those of you who want to did into this week’s topics a bit more, here are a few links for you: Main Story Strange Rain: Why Fish, Frogs […]

Nov 18, 201631 min

Can Weather Really Impact Election Outcomes?

Have you ever wondered if weather changed who won election? How about the differences between local and national elections? What is the impact of weather on our election behavior and psyche? We delve into these questions in the latest episode. For those interested in digging into today’s topics a bit more, here are some links […]

Nov 11, 201632 min

Weather Modification – Are People Messing With My Weather?

Is our weather being modified? YES! You might be surprised just how many countries doing it and what they are up to. Come listen to the latest episode to learn more about the truths of weather modification. Do you want to read a bit more about items covered in this episode? Then here are some […]

Nov 04, 201630 min

Weather Lore – Fact or Fiction?

We have all heard them, catchy phrases that are used to foretell the weather. So, are they true? We discuss the history of weather lore and how accurate they are in the latest episode. Ready to dive into a bit more detail about today’s topic? Here are some links for you: Main Story Weather Lore: […]

Oct 28, 201632 min

Wait … Was That A UFO?

Have you ever seen a UFO? Was it tied to the weather? In this week’s episode we explore the long relationship between weather and UFO sightings. If you are interested in reading more about topics in this episode, here are some links for you. Main Story: Article about █████████████ ██████████████ ███ ███████ ██████████████ █████████ ███████████ […]

Oct 21, 201629 min

Whether Rain Or Sun, Ancient Weather Technology To Protect You

Weather and technology are known to be linked in this modern age, but did you know that the relationship dates back to the stone age? In this latest episode we look at device that first appeared over 5000 years ago and is still being used today by millions if not billions of people. If you […]

Oct 14, 201626 min

The Weather-Art Connection & Its Many Facets

Weather has been known as an influence on artist for generations. However, the way weather is reflected in art ranges drastically. In this episode we explore these many facets and even cases where the artist may have even been unaware of what they were seeing. Want to dig into today’s episode topics a bit more […]

Oct 07, 201632 min

What Is The Best Precipitation Forecast App?

Are you looking for an app to give you a good precipitation forecast beyond the next few hours? Is there an app that can do it? Why is it so hard to do? We explore the challenges and best options when it comes to precipitation forecast and why you might want to look to a […]

Sep 23, 201632 min

Are Meteorologists Heartless?

Do meteorologist lack compassion? Does chasing severe weather show disrespect to those negatively impacted? Come join us as we explore these issues in the latest episode. Want to dig a bit deeper after listening to the episode? Here are some good sources for you. Main Story Capital Weather Gang article pre 2013 deaths Slate article […]

Sep 09, 201633 min
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