Weather Geeks

Guest: Dr. Dalia KirschbaumIntro: When you think of NASA, odds are you’re thinking of launching rockets into space and landing men on the moon. Well, they do a LOT more than that! My next guest is not a rocket scientist or an astronaut, but she is a valuable member of the Goddard Space Flight Center as a landslide researcher and disaster response coordinator. Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum focuses on rainfall-triggered landslides, with some being seen in the Caribbean and Central America during the hurricane season which we are RIGHT in the middle of!

Guest: Luke Peffers, ClimaCellIntro: “What time is it going to rain over my house?” Meteorologists get that type of question all the time, and since meteorology is such a tricky science, it is near impossible to answer that question for everyone that asks. However, my next guest is working on a weather engine that can answer that question automatically! Dr. Luke Peffers is the SVP of ClimaCell, a Boston-based company with a big vision: to map all of the weather data in the world to provide precise global coverage. They call it Microweather, and it can be a total game changer...

Guest: Dave Malkoff, Weather Channel CorrespondentIntro: Today’s guest has covered everything from major wildfires to devastating floods, but now he takes us to some of the northernmost regions of our planet to explore the world’s largest island...and it’s FROZEN! Weather Channel correspondent Dave Malkoff visited Greenland recently to highlight the dramatic changes that have been occurring due to our changing climate.  Are we too late to save some of these ice sheets, or is there still hope for our Poles? 

Guest: Deke Arndt, Chief of Climate Monitoring Branch, NOAA's NCEIIntro: The way we look at our world is fundamentally changing. Across the globe we’ve seen dramatic changes to our ecosystems as species adapt to the ever changing earth. Humanity now wages a battle to save the planet, whether they know it yet or not. While everyday occurrences like floods, hurricanes, drought, or fires represent weather; their effect on humanity is shaped by our climate. Today we are joined by Deke Ardnt, editor of the State of the Climate Report and Chief at NOAA’s Climate Monitoring Branch.

Guest: Lucas McDonald, Walmart Director of Emergency OperationsIntro: Many of us know the familiar names of disaster response like the American Red Cross, FEMA, or the National Guard, but how about a name like WALMART? Today we welcome Lucas McDonald, Director of the Emergency Operations Center for Walmart, who has played key roles in organizing the company’s disaster relief efforts for more than a decade. We’ll get an inside look at how they help prepare communities for impending disasters and how their disaster response teams spring into action to help those in need after the storm.

Guest: Rick Smith, WCM at NWS Norman, OKIntro: Many of us use some form of social media every day, and when severe weather threatens your city, social media can play a vital role in sharing life-saving information. With so many voices out there, it’s important to know who to trust… Meteorologist Rick Smith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Norman, OK, is one of those trusted voices. He is widely known for his tireless efforts in using social media to inform and educate the public to further our goal of becoming a Weather-Ready Nation. We’ll discuss some of the advantages and challenges meteorologists face in the social media landscape and how we can ALL improve as communicators going forward!

Guest: Dr. Phillip ChilsonIntroduction:  The future is here, and so is the rise of unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones. Picture this; an army of small drones sampling the lower atmosphere, instantly filling the gaps in our forecasting abilities! This new technology is starting to find a place in the field of atmospheric sciences and beyond. Our guest today, Dr. Phillip Chilson from the University of Oklahoma, has been working hard to harness the full potential of drones.

Guest: Dr. Howard Kunreuther, Wharton Risk Management & Decision Processes CenterIntro: We’ve heard the words before: “I didn’t think this would happen to me...” As meteorologists, our job is to communicate the weather forecasts and the risks that go along with them. But with all these warnings, why are people still unprepared when disaster strikes? Today, we welcome Dr. Howard Kunreuther who has spent years of his career trying to answer this question. We’ll discuss the inherent biases many of us have when it comes to disaster preparedness, and we’ll outline strategies he recommends to ensure we are prepared for the next catastrophe.  

Guest: Dr. Mark PowellIntroduction: Our ability to see into a hurricane has been changed by technology at RMS HWind. Using data directly from hurricane reconnaissance, HWind creates an unparalleled visualization of a tropical cyclone’s wind field. Along with satellite observations, these images allow us to see hurricanes in 4K! This ability is what caught the attention of RMS, a risk management company. How can creating a high resolution wind analysis of a tropical cyclone help manage risk? We’ll answer that question today as we’re joined by Dr. Mark Powell, the lead researcher who developed this product. 

Guest: Levi CowanIntroduction: As hurricane season rolls along, meteorologists, emergency managers, and just plain weather geeks will turn to Tropical Tidbits for in depth tropical information. Tropical Tidbits dot com is arguably one of the most widely used meteorological websites in the community today. This week on Weather Geeks we’re joined by a familiar voice; creator and founder of Tropical Tidbits dot com, Levi Cowan. 

Guest: Andrew Blum, author and journalistIntro: Today, we can pick up our cell phone or turn on the TV and find out what the forecast will be a week from now! It is because of a vast global-network of people and technology that weather has gone from something we merely observe, to something we can predict. Today we are joined by Andrew Blum, the author of "The Weather Machine.” In the book, Blum takes a minute to step back, and marvel at this amazing technological achievement. 

Guest: Dr. Catherine Edwards, Assistant Professor, UGA Department of Marine SciencesIntro:  Hurricane intensity forecasts have been a major focus within the meteorological community for decades.  Improvements in track forecasts have outpaced those in intensity, largely because our ability to sample these tropical monsters can be a difficult task.  Satellites high above the ocean surface provide vital information for models, but with the deployment of new underwater instruments, data being collected BELOW the ocean surface may help improve satellite observations AND those much sought-after intensity forecasts.  Today, we welcome Dr. Catherine Edwards whose fleet of underwater gliders are already making a splash... 

Guest: Pete Gaynor, FEMA’s Acting AdministratorIntro: In the new millennium, the United States has been struck by dozens of tropical cyclones, ranging from rain-soaked tropical storms to catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes.  Regardless of the intensity, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more commonly known as FEMA, has been in place for every single event. Today, we have the current acting administrator Pete Gaynor with us.  In just a short period of time in office, he has had to manage intense river flooding in the Midwest this spring and currently Hurricane Dorian scraping up the Southeast coast. We’ll discuss how his journey has unfolded thus far and how his extensive background in Emergency Management has prepared him for the task.

Weather Channel's Dr. Matt Sitkowski and Meteorologist & Weather Geeks Producer Sarah Dillingham discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Weather Channel expert Dr. Greg Postel and Meteorologist & Weather Geeks Host Dr. Marshall Shepherd discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Weather Channel experts Dr. Greg Postel and Dr. Matthew Sitkowski discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Weather Channel experts Dr. Greg Postel and Dr. Matthew Sitkowski discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Weather Channel Tropical Experts Dr. Rick Knabb and Dr. Greg Postel, along with Meteorologist & Weather Geeks Producer Sarah Dillingham discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Weather Channel expert Dr. Greg Postel and Meteorologist & Weather Geeks Producer Sarah Dillingham discuss the latest forecast and impacts expected from Hurricane Dorian. Look for more updates here on the Weather Geeks podcast and on air at the Weather Channel as we track this dangerous hurricane!

Guest: Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control District MeteorologistIntro:  Hurricane Harvey is one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record, even though it stalled out for days over a small area. However, that area was the 4th largest city in the United States: Houston, Texas. Communities and government agencies had to come together to mitigate Harvey’s unrelenting rainfall that was nearly 5 feet in some areas. Today, we have Jeff Lindner, nicknamed the “Hero of Harvey,” who worked tirelessly as a meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District. We’ll ask him about his experience living and working in Houston during Harvey and what the city has done since to prevent another flooding catastrophe.