Weather Geeks

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.

Guest: Dr. Craig ClementsWe saw a record number of acres of beautiful countryside go up in flames in 2020. 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 millions of acres are scorched beyond repair.  Today on the show, we are talking with someone who wants this trend to stop and wants to forecast the wildfires before they cause their destruction.  His name is Dr. Craig Clements from the SJSU Fire Weather Research Lab in California and we are so excited to sit down with him 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. Kevin PettyIntroduction: As technology has progressed over the past century, scientists and engineers have discovered ways to make technology smaller and smaller and still yield the same or even greater results. Satellite technology is no exception to this progress of miniaturization. Nanosatellites are satellites that have a mass between 1 and 10 kg and are populating low-level orbit more and more frequently. As of August 2021, over 1,600 nanosatellites were in orbit around Earth. Joining us is Dr. Kevin Petty, Vice President of Earth System Science and Technology at Spire, a company that utilizes nanosatellites to predict environmental change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Kevin PettyIntroduction: As technology has progressed over the past century, scientists and engineers have discovered ways to make technology smaller and smaller and still yield the same or even greater results. Satellite technology is no exception to this progress of miniaturization. Nanosatellites are satellites that have a mass between 1 and 10 kg and are populating low-level orbit more and more frequently. As of August 2021, over 1,600 nanosatellites were in orbit around Earth. Joining us is Dr. Kevin Petty, Vice President of Earth System Science and Technology at Spire, a company that utilizes nanosatellites to predict environmental change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Karen KosibaWhen we assign a rating to a tornado, it’s based on the damage it’s left behind. But what happens when a powerful tornado roars through a field? Is the rating assigned accurate if there wasn’t a building there to damage? Dr. Karen Kosiba joins us to talk about the research she and her colleagues have done in this subject and we’ll get an inside look on what it’s like to experience a storm from inside a mobile radar, the tool used to help determine tornadic wind speeds in these rural tornadoes. She’s also part of the PERiLS research team we talked about a few weeks ago here on the podcast and we’ll get an update on the research after the storms we’ve seen roll through the south over the past few weeks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Stephen StraderIntroduction: Severe weather comes in many forms, and tornadoes are amongst the deadliest on a yearly basis. When severe weather strikes, many people feel as if the safest place to be is their home, but is that the case for all types of homes? Our next guest has studied the vulnerability of humans that live in mobile and manufactured homes during severe weather events. Dr. Stephen Strader, assistant professor at Villanova University, is here today to discuss his findings and ways that we can improve safety throughout tornadic events…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Tony LyzaWhen you think of tornadoes, you probably think of a big supercell in Tornado Alley in Texas or Oklahoma or Kansas. However, the idea of a “tornado alley” can be misleading.  Tornadoes in the Deep South are just as likely to occur and perhaps more deadly than in the Great Plains.  Today’s guest is part of one of the largest and most comprehensive severe storm field campaigns in the Southeastern United States. The field program is called PERilS - Propagation, Evolution, and Rotation in Linear storms. Tony Lyza, from the University of Alabama Huntsville, is here today to discuss the plan for the research and what scientists hope to discover.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Kevin CooleyWhen life-threatening weather is occurring, the National Weather Service not only monitors the threat, but also puts out products through a variety of sources in order to convey the severity and timing of the threat. But how exactly do they accomplish this? In the age of technology where a tweet can be seen just as widely as a bulletin on television, how does the NWS balance the juggling act of ensuring their message is seen by as many people as possible but also staying on top of the threat as it’s unfolding? Joining us today is Kevin Cooley, the Director of Office of Planning & Programming for Service Delivery for the N-W-S, and that’s exactly what his job handles.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GUEST: David HondulaINTRODUCTION: Weather is an awe-inspiring phenomenon that captures the attention of everyone at some point in their lives, but it’s also powerful and can be deadly as well. When we think of life threatening weather, hurricanes, severe storms, and flooding come to mind first, but did you know extreme heat is one of the leading killers when it comes to weather-related fatalities? The city of Phoenix, Arizona is keenly aware of this, ranking near the top for hottest cities in the United States. This is also one of the reasons why the city became the first in the nation to have a publicly funded office for heat response and mitigation. A Heat Officer, if you will. David Hondula is that officer and he’s joining us today! Welcome, David!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Steve BowenLooking back to last year, 2021 continued the trend of increasing damage from weather-related disasters with 20 Billion-dollar events. While there weren’t as many events as the record year of 2020, the actual damage amount was higher, giving another data point to the trendline demonstrating the heightened costliness and severity of these events. Steve Bowen, meteorologist and head of Catastrophe Insight at Aon, is here today to dive deeper into the data that highlights not only the increasing financial impact of these disasters, but the increasing humanitarian toll as well.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Katherine CalvinDr. Katherine Calvin has been an Earth Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Joint Global Change Research Institute since 2008.  Just recently, Dr. Calvin was appointed as NASA’s Chief Scientist AND Senior Climate Advisor.  She’s here today to talk about that new dual role at NASA and share how NASA observations, measurements, and technologies will help us as we look for ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Michael FarrarIntroduction: A man of many meteorological backgrounds, our next guest is taking on a new journey as he steps into the role as the new director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, commonly referred to as “NCEP.” In today’s episode we will be joined by Dr. Michael Farrar where we will discuss his expectations for the future of NCEP 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: Harrison PrietoStudent athletes at the collegiate level have to balance a plethora of responsibilities, both academic and athletic. For one of those student athletes, meteorology plays a huge role on the academic side of things: Harrison Preito is a student at Florida State University and also pursuing his Masters in Meteorology. We’re sitting down today to talk about that balance, how weather became such an important part of his life, and where he sees himself moving forward. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Art delaCruzWhen disaster strikes, help may not arrive wearing a cape, but it very well may be wearing a Grey shirt. The men and women wearing grey shirts that make up Team Rubicon descend on areas hit by a weather disaster or humanitarian crisis. Team Rubicon is a disaster relief organization, founded by veterans, that mobilizes veterans, first responders and civilians to serve communities in need. Today we talk to a veteran - the CEO of Team Rubicon- Art delaCruz.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Bob HensonIntroduction: On December 30, 2021, The Marshall Fire ripped through suburban neighborhoods in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area - spread by high winds and fueled by months of drought. The wildfire left two people presumed dead, burned more than 6000 acres and destroyed more than 1000 homes.  Bob Henson is one of several atmospheric scientists who call that area near Boulder, Colorado home.  He joins us today to talk about the fire on this edition 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.

Dr. Kevin SeitterThe American Meteorological Society has been a collective of meteorologists and a fixture in the professional community since its foundation in 1919. Since then, numerous achievements in the field have taken us through the discovery of the radar, the satellite era, and the constant advancement in atmospheric modeling. The AMS has been there throughout this technological journey. Since 2004, Dr. Keith Seitter has been the Executive Director of the AMS and almost 20 years later, he is retiring from the organization. He’s here joining us today to reflect on his time with the Society; so please welcome, Dr. Keith Seitter!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr Amy McGovernIntroduction: Artificial intelligence continues to make advances in leaps and bounds across the scientific spectrum. Our guest today is looking to apply this growing technological field to high-impact weather phenomena, including: tornadoes, hail, flooding, drought, turbulence and more. Dr. Amy McGovern leads the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography and is joining us today, to talk about AI, the applications of it in the field of meteorology and more. Welcome, Dr. McGovern!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Lisa GraumlichIntroduction: From a young child who witnessed the Cuyahoga River burning... to a pioneer in connecting tree-ring data to climate change, Dr. Lisa Graumlich has become a powerful voice in climate change communication, adaptation and solutions.  She will take us through what we learned at COP26 and from the latest IPCC report, and give us a preview of what's to come at this year’s big Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union which is themed “Science is Society.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.