WeatherBrains – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Our First Guest WeatherBrain is the great grand-niece of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the Vermont farmer who first photographed snowflakes.  Sue Richardson, welcome to the show!

Wilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont. A farmer by trade, he attracted worldwide attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in his life long work with rain, dew and frost, was his extensive work with snowflakes. On January 15, 1885 he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. He would go on to photograph well over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two the same), and his documentation of this work advanced the study of meteorology in his time.  His photomicrographs were acquired by institutes of higher learning all over the world and his writings on these subjects were published in many journals and magazines including Scientific American, National Geographic and The National Weather Service Research Journal. In November of 1931, his book “Snow Crystals” was published by McGraw/Hill and is still in print today. Shortly after, on December 23, 1931, Wilson Bentley died at the family farmhouse in Jericho where he lived his entire life. Because of his wonderful work with snow crystals, he became affectionately know as “Snowflake” Bentley.

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• January 10th snowstorm totals (02:00)
• January 15, 1885:  The world's first photograph of a snow crystal (10:30)
• Various shapes and sizes of snow dendrites (16:00)
• Comparisons/similarities to Dr. Ted Fujita (17:30)
• Snowflake Bentley's ice crystal analysis and perspective (41:00)
• Jericho Historical Society and exhibit (43:30)
• Collecting snowflakes and collecting "smiles" (50:30)
• Tricks of the trade in genealogy (53:30)
• AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans (01:10:00)
• Los Angeles fires (01:11:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:00:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:04:08)
• E-Mail Segment (01:05:55)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:18:45)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 991:

Jericho Historical Society

"The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley" by Duncan Blanchard

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - AIR7 maps out Altadena damage from Eaton Fire

James Aydelott - Eaton Fire Recovery Information

Jen Narramore - Snowflake Man Bio - Snowflake Bentley

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Watch Duty Wildfire Maps and Alerts

James Spann - AMS 2025 Hashtag #AMS2025

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Our First Guest WeatherBrain of Year 2025 is a Geologist with a passion for studying extreme weather-related surface impacts.  His research primarily focuses on the geological aftermath of high-impact weather events.  He's known for his field work and engaging video content.  His unique perspective bridges the field of meteorology and geology.  Phillip Prince, thanks for dropping by to chat.

Tonight's Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, a position she has held since 2019.  The WCM is the NWS's liaison with external customers and oversees outreach and preparedness efforts.  Additionally, one of the primary responsibilities of the WCM is to ensure that the NWS office delivers the highest quality weather related products and services to its customers and partners.  As a WCM, she also provides high impact weather briefings and supports key decision makers in local, state, and federal government.  She has been in the NWS for 25 years, serving as a meteorologist in Little Rock, AR, Raleigh, NC, and Atlanta, GA, before moving to Upstate SC in 2015.  She received her B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and her M.S. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University. Trisha Palmer, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Preliminary thoughts on upcoming winter storm late this week (11:00)
• Overview of post-Helene impacts (14:30)
• Old landslides as analogs to Helene-related impacts (39:00)
• Impacts on North and South Carolina tourism and the local economy (01:09:00)
• Failure of the imagination regarding post-Helene impacts (01:30:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:35:22)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:37:22)
• E-Mail Segment (01:39:30)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 990:

Greenville-Spartanburg, SC NWS

Picks of the Week:

Phillip Prince - North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Phillip Prince - Hurricane Helene Damage Assessment Imagery

Trisha Palmer - Flood Damage from the Great Flood of 1916 Asheville, NC

James Aydelott - City of Wichita snowplow tracking map

Jen Narramore - NWA Webinar Series: Hurricane Helene

Jen Narramore - Lawrence Police on X: Snow storms thread

Rick Smith - Summary of the Predecessor Rain Event prior to Hurricane Helene

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

Bill Murray - NWA Webinar January 8th, 2025 on Hurricane Helene

James Spann - NCEP SREF Plume Viewer

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the News Director at WBMA-TV (ABC 33/40) in Birmingham, AL.  He's a Macon, GA native and a meteorologist-turned-journalist.  He has a Degree in Atmospheric Science from UNC-Asheville.   After being an on-air broadcast meteorologist for 17 years, he spent two years working in radio at The Weather Channel.  Jeff Cox, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our Second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is the News Director at KCBD-TV in Lubbock, Texas.  He studied Broadcast Journalism at Texas Tech with a Minor in Atmospheric Science.  He then earned a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University.  Matt Earnst, welcome to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Revisiting the Blizzard of March 1993 (07:15)
• Making the transition from broadcast meteorology to journalism (21:15)
• Importance of content:  The changing business model in broadcast television (33:00)
• YouTube weather streamers (47:00)
• Cultivating value in a difficult media environment (01:09:30)
• Oklahoma Severe Weather Event/QLCS Tornadoes 11/3/24 (01:19:10)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:51)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:31:35)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 981:

Jeff Cox on X

Matt Earnst on X

Picks of the Week:

Matt Earnst - November 2nd, 2004 West Texas Snowfall Event

James Aydelott - Tornado Warning Event Count By State since 11/01/24

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Pre/Post-Conference Training

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Tornado Damage in Oklahoma City - Photo of wooden pole through car windshield

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist recognized for his years at AccuWeather.  He became well-known for his expertise in winter storms and severe weather forecasting as well as his engaging approach to delivering weather insights. His career has spanned over thirty years and has contributed to significant advancements in meteorological technology. He's built a loyal following among weather enthusiasts. Henry Margusity, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Birmingham's (AL) October rainfall is still zero as of the 28th (09:00)
• Staffing changes at The Capital Weather Gang/Washington Post (27:30)
• FAA/NWS Memo controversy (28:30)
• Funny stories look back at time at AccuWeather (43:45)
• Change of pace in the weather business over the last few decades (48:30)
• Maintaining situational awareness in the age of advancement of automation (50:30)
• Age demographic and it's challenges (01:10:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:21:31)
• E-Mail Segment (01:23:18)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 980:

Henry Margusity - Weather Madness on X

Picks of the Week:

Henry Margusity - Winter 2024/25: October Update

James Aydelott - Gesman Tamang on X: Top of Mount Everest Photo

Jen Narramore - First barrel ride down Niagara Falls - October 24th, 1901

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - AI is transforming weather forecasting. Is the U.S. falling behind?

Troy Kimmel - Understanding Wyoming's High Winds

Kim Klockow-McClain - IAEM Annual Conference 2024

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Fact Check: Debunking weather modification claims

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Climatologist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), specializing in climate data, analysis, severe weather research, and improving access to historical weather data sets.  Jared Rennie, welcome back to the show!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Health of NCEI Database post-Helene (07:45)
• Pre-Helene North Carolina heavy rain event (16:30)
• Limitations on forecasting impacts of significant severe weather (29:45)
• Compound hazards/Cascading disasters (33:00)
• What would a successful evacuation look like in coastal areas?  (39:40)
• Public reaction concerning the messaging of Helene's effects (01:09:00)
• Hurricane Oscar and it's surprises with forecasters/modeling (01:22:23)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:18:20)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:20:40)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:21:45)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 979:

Jared Rennie on X

Picks of the Week:

Jared Rennie - Project Jupyter

Jared Rennie - North Carolina continues to search for Helene victims after monster storm - 60 Minutes

James Aydelott - Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - List of NOAA Open Data Dissemination Program Datasets

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Helene: Storm Decision Fatigue Is Getting to Me

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Spann Says - Substack

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is no stranger to the show.  He is a certified consulting meteorologist and a certified Broadcast Meteorologist with a strong focus on weather history.  He's a weather historian and author known for his book "Too Near For Dreams:  The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster".  He also writes "Retrospect", a regular feature for WeatherWise Magazine, which highlights notable weather events and their impacts in history.  Sean Potter, it's great to see you again and thanks for coming by and chatting with us on this week's episode.

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• "Cracking the Code" that the US Weather Bureau used in the late 19th Century (04:45)
• Revisiting March 1932 tornado outbreak and Weather Bureau protocol (51:45)
• Reassurances that ASOS data is still being ingested into Asheville/Back-up sites (01:00:20)
• How much of the Code was shared with the public/Was it a novelty?  (01:02:00)
• Invest 94L (Atlantic basin) discussion as of 10/14 (01:20:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:40)
• E-Mail Segment (01:19:42)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 978:

SeanPotter.com

"Too Near for Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster" by Sean Potter

Picks of the Week:

Sean Potter - Emotional John Morales updates on Hurricane Milton

James Aydelott - Kyle Benne on X: Aurora photo in Arizona

Jen Narramore - Michael Lowry on X: Peter Dodge Tribute

Rick Smith - Damage Assessment Toolkit

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Aurora Chasing Cheat Sheet

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - End of an Era: Prioritizing Mental Health and Finding Balance

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's First Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran meteorologist and storm specialist with Fox Weather.  He joined FOX Weather earlier in 2024 after 32+years at The Weather Channel.  He became well known for his extensive live coverage of major weather events.  He's reported on over 25,000 live events.  He holds a Master's Degree in Meteorology from Penn State.  Mike Seidel, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our Second Guest WeatherBrain is a 21 year old meteorologist and owner of North Carolina's Weather Authority, a popular online weather page.   He majors in environmental science with a concentration in Meteorology and Natural Disasters.  He's become a reliable and trusted source of weather in the State of North Carolina.  Ethan Clark, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Later in the show, weather reporter Charles Peek and legendary meteorologist Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel stop by the chat with the panel as Guest Panelists.  

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Milton tied for 5th place in intensity for Atlantic hurricanes on record (02:30)
• Planning for a major hurricane in Orlando (06:34)
• Removing significant amounts of debris from Helene aftermath prior to Milton (20:00)
• Covering Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 earlier in the season on Carolina coast (26:45)
• Learning from the disaster response to Hurricane Helene (32:45)
• Visualizing the potential enormous catastrophic damage ahead of time as a Broadcaster (01:03:00)
• Milton's size and wind fields will expand as shear impacts the storm closer to landfall (01:10:00)
• What would a 15-foot storm surge do in Tampa Bay?  (01:12:00)
• Comparing 2004's Charley vs. 2024's Milton in Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte area (01:16:00)
• Hurricane Milton vs 2005's Katrina (01:16:50)
• Responding to disinformation spreading online (01:20:00)
• Hail in tropical systems (01:44:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:38:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:39:36)
• E-Mail Segment (01:41:05)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 977:

NCWX Authority

Charles Peek on X

Jim Cantore on X

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Out

Jen Narramore - Brian McNoldy on X: Milton rapid intensification on radar

Rick Smith - Hurricane Threats and Impacts Graphic

Neil Jacobs - Day of Days in Alabama from Hurricane Helene

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Mis and Disinformation During Hurricane Season: Implications for Emergency Management

Bill Murray - The HDOB Message

James Spann - Flying into Hurricane Milton aboard NOAA's WP-3D Orion "Miss Piggy"

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a weather enthusiast and storm chaser.  Mitch West, it's great to have you on the show for tonight's episode.

Our Second Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction.  Show veteran, weather enthusiast and famous hurricane chaser Mark Sudduth also joins us on this episode.

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Chasing Hurricane Helene on the ground (09:30)
• Forecasting and messaging ahead of Helene inland impacts (37:00)
• Improving communication and risk perception (40:00)
• Comparing Helene to 2005's Katrina and 1969's Camille (43:00)
• Excessive hyperbole with severe weather in the media (50:30)
• Finding a common sense approach to covering weather emergencies (51:55)
• Ham radio/Weather radio coverage (55:30)
• Avoiding dam failures during Helene (01:00:45)
• Integrating faith into content creation (01:22:00)
• How to build a loyal following online as a content creator (01:25:15)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:13:45)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 976:

Mitch West Weather on YouTube

HurricaneTrack on YouTube

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Stephen M. Strader on X: Tropical Cyclone Inland Flooding Fatalities since 2005

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Rapid Reaction: Historic Flooding Follows Helene in Western NC

Troy Kimmel - Pressure obs log from KFPY during Helene

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Video of Chemical Fire in Conyers, GA

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrains are a suggestion of friend of the podcast Jay Farlow.

Sam Lashley is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with 31 years of experience across multiple offices. He is a member of the Central Region Quick Response Team for EF3+ tornado events and has worked on radar, damage surveys, and storm chasing for major tornadoes, including the Van Wert EF4 (2002), Henryville EF4 (2012), and recent EF3 tornadoes in central Indiana.

Mike Ryan is a Senior Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, where he has served since 2009 after starting his career at the Wilmington, Ohio office in 1999. He leads public outreach and decision support through programs like Weather Ready Nation and StormReady, working closely with emergency management, media, and amateur radio. He also heads Indiana's state climate services team. Mike has been involved in operations and storm surveys during significant severe weather events in the Ohio Valley, including the 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2024 tornado outbreaks. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from The Ohio State University.

Greg Melo is a Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, with over two years of experience. He has worked radar and conducted damage surveys for significant events, including the EF3 tornado outbreaks in March 2023 and March 2024. Originally from New Orleans, Greg's interest in meteorology began after experiencing Hurricane Katrina. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Matthew Eckhoff is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. He began his career at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington in 2015 where he worked until joining the NWS in 2022. His expertise includes severe weather and mesoanalysis. Matthew holds a BS in Meteorology from Millersville University and completed graduate studies at the University of North Dakota.

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Tropical trouble in the Gulf/Future Fujiwhara Effect? (01:00)
• Studying mesoanalysis (30:00)
• Looking back at 1974 Super Outbreak (35:00)
• Shaping public perception of severe weather in Indiana (42:00)
• March 31st 2023 tornado event impacts (47:00)
• Central Indiana Severe Weather Symposium 2024 (01:01:00)
• AI European weather model (01:32:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:07:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (01:09:35)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 975:

NWS Indianapolis, IN

CISWS 2024

Picks of the Week:

Mike Ryan - MRCC Purdue

Matthew Eckhoff - Tropical Tidbits

Sam Lashley - "The Great Tri-State Tornado" by Justin Carter

James Aydelott - Real Time Tropical Cyclones - Tomer Burg

Jen Narramore - HurricaneTrack

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Automated Tropical Cycle Forecast Data Directory

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - More than corn in Indiana Beach

Bill Murray - Foghorn

James Spann - Jeremy DeHart on X

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

This episode of WeatherBrains comes to you live from the NWA Annual Meeting in Irving, Texas.

Former Panelist Aubrey Urbanowicz drops in to chat; it's great to see you again Aubrey!

Kevin Deitsch is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist of NWS St. Louis and drops by to visit with the panelists.

Ken Graham, Director of the NWS, also speaks to panel tonight.  Good to see you Ken!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Service equity/ NWS St. Louis  (15:30)
• Messaging underserved communities (20:00)
• Side Lobe Contamination (30:00)
• Caution surrounding warning decisions (31:00)
• False Alarm Ratio/POD in St. Louis (34:00)
• Dealing with burnout in the weather field (48:00)
• Hurricane season model performance (01:06:00)
• Hurricane season forecast improvements in recent decades (01:08:30)
• Community-centric warnings (01:11:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:42:05)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:44:02)
• E-Mail Segment (01:45:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 974:

Kevin Deitsch on X

Dual Pol Radar: Side Lobe Contamination

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Foghorn

Jen Narramore - Tales of surviving college football rain delays

Rick Smith - Out

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn

Bill Murray - How Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean break? Two Sibling Scientists Found An Answer

James Spann - Dauphin Island Waterspout

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, Dr. Neil Jacobs, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.