Weather Geeks

Guest: Kurt ShickmanWe’ve been naming tropical systems since the late 1940s and the Weather Channel has been naming winter storms in the United States since 2012 while other nations have been naming storm systems for over a decade. But what about heat waves? The point of naming storm systems is to raise awareness, preparedness, and prevent the loss of life and property… and extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related killer in the United States, taking more lives on average each year than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. Joining us today is Kurt Shickman, director of Extreme Heat Initiatives at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center to talk about bringing more awareness to the deadly heat that affects our country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Tyler WInklerIntroduction: The 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons were among the top 3 most active on record. But, for now, the hurricane “record” extends only as far back as historical stories or modern weather data.  Could we actually be at a historical low in tropical cyclone activity?  Scientists, like Dr. Tyler Winkler, have discovered a new way of uncovering the past using sediment cores from Blue Holes. Tyler’s work was featured on an episode of the Nat Geo documentary “Years of Living Dangerously”, and he joins us on Weather Geeks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dana NuccitelliOn Aug 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. This piece of legislation is the single biggest step forward by the U.S. Government focusing on our changing climate. Today on Weather Geeks we will be joined by environmental scientist and climate journalist Dana Nuccitelli to discuss the impacts that the Inflation Reduction Act will have on our climate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Jennifer WaltonStorm chasers range from professionally trained photographers to research meteorologists to thrill seekers watching radar on their phones. And yet, still even today, the majority of them are male.  Girls Who Chase is an organization born out of the desire to elevate the efforts of women chasers.  To give them a community.  And to empower them - to do that thing they most long to do, no matter how daunting, non-stereotypical, or mathematical it might seem.  The founder of Girls Who Chase, Jen Walton, joins us today on Weather Geeks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Melissa RobertsIntroduction: In recent decades, extreme rainfall events have been on the increase. There have been 36 billion dollar flood disasters since 1980, and 11 of them have happened in the last 5 years. Sea level rise is leading to more coastal flooding, even in the absence of rain.  Who is going to organize the charge to address these rising flood concerns?  Melissa Roberts founded the American Flood Coalition to raise awareness to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.  She is here today on Weather Geeks to tell us more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Mike Kozar & Robert Muir-WoodIntroduction: With August now in full swing, it’s just a matter of time before the tropics start to stir and the risks start to rise for communities. Risk Management Solutions is tackling and transforming the catastrophe risk industry, including hurricane risks. RMS HWind is a tool that is crucial to understanding as well as dealing with tropical cyclone risks. Joining us today are Mike Kozar and Robert Muir-Wood of RMS. Kozar is the lead on all their HWind products, and Muir-Wood has been with RMS over 18 years and is the Chief Research Officer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Tim WalshIntroduction: Weather satellites in the Earth’s orbit supply vital information to meteorologists across the globe. Did you know that over 90% of the data that is used in weather forecast models comes from satellites? Our next guest has spent plenty of time working on improving weather satellites and the information that they obtain and share. From the heart of hurricane season to the middle of the winter, satellites are an integral part of keeping people safe. Today on Weather Geeks we are joined by Tim Walsh, Deputy Director of the Joint Polar Satellite System Program at NOAA. Thanks for being with us Tim…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Victoria LudwigIntroduction: When the temperature heats up, people living in cities are often even hotter. That's because the parking lots, roads, and human activities in cities cause the urban heat island. Victoria Ludwig is the national program manager for the Heat Island Reduction Program at the US Environmental Protection Agency. She is here today to explain what urban heat islands are, how we can reduce them, and why the EPA is concerned. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Derrick HerndonIntroduction: After two back-to-back supercharged hurricane seasons, 2022 is again expected to be well above average. When tropical systems are spinning far out in the ocean and away from land, meteorologists compare satellite imagery of the current storm to past storms to estimate its intensity. It's a technique that dates back to the ‘70s called the Dvorak Technique, and it is still used today.  Satellite meteorologist Derrick Herndon joins Weather Geeks today to share how the Dvorak technique has been upgraded.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ken GrahamThe National Weather Service needs no introduction here on Weather Geeks and recently, a new director was appointed to lead the agency in charge of disseminating vital weather information across the U.S.. Ken Graham is taking the reins of the NWS as its 17th director and if that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s been a guest of the podcast before while leading the National Hurricane Center! Today, we’re going to discuss his vision for the future of the National Weather Service as well as his past endeavors that have led up to this point.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Eric Klinenberg When we talk about preventing deaths from natural disasters, we often look at our physical infrastructure and how to build it to withstand withering conditions. But what about our social infrastructure: the network of spaces, institutions, and groups that help foster social connections? What role do they play in protecting the vulnerable? Our guest today is Eric Klinenberg, author of Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, and it's an in depth look at the factors that led to one of America's deadliest heat waves.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Tim MarshallIntroduction: When natural disasters strike, those affected work to rebuild their lives and livelihoods; but before we rebuild, we must assess the damage that has occurred. By doing this, we can work to improve the structures where we live and work and hopefully prevent the same damage from happening again. Dr. Tim Marshall is joining us today and is one of the nation’s preeminent forensic engineers. He was also involved in the development team that produced the Enhanced Fujita Scale for tornado damage assessment as well as a major contributor to the committee to update the Saffir-Simpson scale. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Joseph Trujillo FalcónBilingual communities across the country are at a disadvantage when weather warnings are issued because the current infrastructure does not adequately translate the weather terminology into Spanish. Some progress has been made in recent years, but there is still a long way to go. Our next guest on Weather Geeks, Joseph Trujillo Falcón, is working to bridge the gap between weather warnings and bilingual communities…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jim KossinThe 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons were both above average based on the number of named storms. The changing climate and its impact on the strength and frequency of tropical cyclones is constantly being studied. Our next guest has focused his studies on hurricanes and the impacts that the climate and climate change are having on these systems. With another active hurricane season expected in 2022, we welcome Senior Scientist with The Climate Service, Dr. Jim Kossin, to this week’s episode of Weather Geeks…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ali Van FleetIntroduction:  All-time record heat waves… mega-droughts & record large wildfires…flash floods from incredible rain… often come with a Climate Change fingerprint on them. Is there anything we can do?  Pattrn is a social and streaming media brand with a mission to explore, inform, and engage in Earth’s changing patterns.  Ali Van Fleet, meteorologist and Climate Science Producer at The Weather Channel, is here today to tell us more about Pattrn and share her personal experience with several historic climate-fueled weather events.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Adam HoustonIt’s been more than 25 years since the movie Twister came out, depicting scientists trying to gather data from inside tornadoes by leaving instruments in their paths. As happens with time, technology improves and now it’s not just in the movies where scientists are attempting to get data from inside a tornado. One group of scientists are using drones to intercept tornadoes to gather data to help shed light on their inner workings and also to help the National Weather Service issue more accurate tornado warnings with longer lead times. The head of that project, Dr. Adam Houston, is here with us today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Phil KlotzbachIntroduction: “Is it going to be a busy hurricane season?” is one of the most commonly asked questions to meteorologists, especially this time of year. After two back-to-back seasons with a super-charged Atlantic basin, this year is indeed expected to be above average again.  What that means for impacts and how those predictions are made are just some of the topics to talk about with atmospheric scientist and premier hurricane season predictor - Dr. Phil Klotzbach - on this episode of Weather Geeks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Ed KearnsIf you’ve been keeping tabs on the natural disasters impacting our country, you may have noticed that wildfires have become more intense, larger, and are occurring more frequently, scorching everything in their path. First Street Foundation, a science and technology nonprofit, has released a new study evaluating the wildfire risk to our nation’s critical infrastructure. But just how do you model out something with so many variables that differ from one part of the country to the other? Joining us today is Dr. Ed Kearns, the chief data officer at First Street Foundation, to break down the methodology, findings and impacts of this expansive research study.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Andrew GrundsteinMany of us have seen first-hand the impacts weather can have on our daily lives, and today we’re going to focus on the dangers associated with heat and thunderstorms. Heat related illnesses are often underrated and sadly, this can lead to many trips to the emergency room...or worse. Today’s guest, Dr. Andrew Grundstein of the University of Georgia, has been focusing on one particular aspect of the heat: how it impacts athletes and children in hot cars. These situations can lead to dozens of deaths each year, so we’re going to discuss the meteorological and even some of the psychological factors at play in these events. Finally, we’ll discuss the impacts of thunderstorms on asthma...an idea which may be counterintuitive to many of you...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Jen Carfagno, Kelly Cass, Felicia Combs, Paul Goodloe, Jacqui Jeras, Dr. Rick Knabb, Molly McCollumOn May 2, 1982, The Weather Channel launched and changed the way we received weather information forever. Over these past 40 years, technology has changed not only the way we study meteorology, but also how we get life saving information out to the public, a core tenet of The Weather Channel’s mission. Joining us today are several meteorologists at the Weather Channel to discuss their experiences and where they see the next 40 years going.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.