Weather Geeks

Guests: Sarah Dillingham, Jason Disharoon, Josh Vexler & Brian KucinskiAs 2021 comes to a close, the Weather Geeks team takes a look at the biggest weather moments and stories from 2021 and what we’ve learned from them to take into the new year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Rick SpinradIntroduction: Earlier this year in June there was a change in leadership at the top of NOAA. Appointed by President Joe Biden, our next guest has spent decades in atmospheric sciences. Today we are joined by the 11th, and current, NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad. Dr. Spinrad is going to share with us how his first few months on the job have gone as well as goals for the future...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 McLeanIntroduction: When we think of NOAA, a multitude of things can come to mind from our planet’s oceans and atmosphere. The research in these fields has yielded us scientific advancements in weather forecasting, oceanography, and atmospheric chemistry just to name a few. But what is the process for conducting this research and allocating the resources across such a broad spectrum? Today’s guest helps to do just that. He is the Active Chief Scientist and Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at NOAA. Please welcome Craig McLean! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Marty RalphIntroduction: You can’t row a boat in an atmospheric river, but it is a powerful force of nature that transports massive volumes of water vapor. The director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography Dr. Marty Ralph is a pioneer in the study of atmospheric rivers affecting the Western US and has been leading the development of a category scale, like the hurricane saffir-simpson scale, to classify the strength of atmospheric rivers. He’s here today to talk about atmospheric rivers, the scale, and why it's important for forecasting and communication. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Eric Fisher, Author of Mighty Storms of New EnglandMeteorologist Eric Fisher says there are few places on earth that produce weather like New England.  It offers the challenges of blockbuster snowstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, frigid cold snaps and dramatic seasonal shifts. Eric just penned a book:  “The Mighty Storms of New England - The Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Blizzards, and Floods that Shaped the Region”.  He writes that knowing the past is a critical part of understanding and forecasting the weather.  The stories in his book describe not only the loss and damage caused by the storms but also the progress made as a result.  Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from the past is how to better communicate the risks.  And Eric is just the meteorologist to talk about this…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ryan LanclosIntroduction:    When disasters strike, emergency responders and government agencies must act quickly, but large-scale events make it difficult to determine where resources should be allocated first.  Technological advances in Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, have helped improve disaster responses across the globe and become an invaluable way to process data.  Today we’re joined by Ryan Lanclos, Director of Public Safety Solutions at Esri, who will share how GIS is being used to supplement a variety of natural and man-made disasters. Plus, we’ll discuss other GIS applications that are used in our everyday lives, even though we may have taken it for granted... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Scott BraunAfter a record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and this season’s forecast to be above average, it might be a good time to get a grip on the tropics. In this case: GRIP is an acronym for Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes and is the name of a NASA field experiment that was designed to understand how tropical systems form and develop into major hurricanes. Dr. Scott Braun worked on the GRIP project and joins us today to dive into the project and other hurricane research of which he’s been a part.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Tom Di LibertoIt’s baaack!! The NOAA Climate Prediction Center recently announced that La Nina has returned and will likely remain with us throughout the 2021-2022 winter season. But what exactly does that mean for us? For the globe? Luckily, we have someone who can help shed some light on its potential impacts. Tom Di Liberto is a meteorologist at Collabralink Technologies, and throughout his career, he has been researching, forecasting, and blogging about ENSO events for NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Today, we’ll shed light on how these events form and discuss if climate change is impacting them. Plus, we’ll touch on the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference known as COP26, which could impact climate change policies across the globe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jeremy PorterWhen we talk about weather disasters, our minds often go towards tornadoes, hurricanes, and severe weather. But flooding is the most common, and most expensive, natural disaster in the United States. First Street Foundation, a science and technology nonprofit, has released a new study evaluating the flood risk to our nation’s critical infrastructure. The study evaluates the risk for every neighborhood, zip code, city and county in the country. Joining us today is Dr. Jeremy Porter, who leads the research & development efforts at First Street Foundation, to break down the 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.

Introduction:Technology is advancing at an amazing pace, creating products and services that were only dreams a decade ago. One of those long lasting dreams, and has been for decades, is an automobile that drives itself. We’re just now getting to the point where that technology is not only possible but available, and part of that process is for a vehicle to be able to sense conditions on the road. Joining us today is Dr. Bill Gail, CEO and co-founder of Global Weather Corporation, a company that is helping to predict road conditions all across the globe. He’s also the former president of the American Meteorological Society, so we’ll be picking his brain a bit on other areas as well! Please welcome Dr. Bill Gail.Guest:Dr. Bill GailSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Chris VagaskyIntroduction: The joy that fills sports fans' hearts as they loudly sing, “Take me out to the ballgame…” is almost palpable, but one thing that may not come to their mind is the threat lightning poses. We’ve seen the images of lighting bolts racing across the sky as fans hunker down in their seats, and this reminds us how deadly this phenomenon can be. Meteorologist Chris Vagasky, who is the Lightning Applications Manager at Vaisala, has dug through the data and found some shocking statistics for some of the league’s most popular stadiums. We’ll break down who’s most at risk for lighting and discuss how his research is being used to improve MLB’s weather safety policies. Get your peanuts & join us for the discussion...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Allison WingIntroduction:We’ve got our heads in the clouds today on Weather Geeks! When you see clouds dotting the skyscape, you may only think about how picturesque they look, but they actually play very important roles in weather and climate. Today’s guest is Dr. Allison Wing who has been studying the presence and patterns of clouds in a warmer world and how they’re accounted for in our climate models. Since clouds can affect our planet’s radiation balance, it’s important we know how they will behave in an increasingly warmer world. Dr. Wing and her colleagues have developed climate models to help answer some of these questions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Rick KnabbIntroduction:Hurricane Ida became a storm for the record books as it made landfall in Port Fourchon, LA on August 29th with sustained winds of 150 mph.  The devastation from Ida’s high-end category 4 hurricane winds, storm surge, and torrential rainfall were widespread across Louisiana, but the devastation didn’t end there. As Ida’s remnants tracked into the Northeast, it produced prolific amounts of rainfall, breaking records and claiming dozens of lives. With such extreme events on the rise, communication of their potential impacts can bring challenges for forecasters and emergency managers. Here to highlight those challenges is The Weather Channel’s own, Dr. Rick Knabb, former Director of the National Hurricane Center. Let’s discuss...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Robert RohdeIntroduction:While the science of humans’ impact on climate change is now clear, there are still a lot of skeptics out there. One group of scientists was tasked with evaluating concerns of climate skeptics to disprove climate warming, but once they dug into and processed the data, their work only confirmed the warming. We’re talking with Dr. Robert Rohde, lead scientist at Berkeley Earth about the work he and his organization have been doing to further the science of climate change. To create accurate assessments and projections of our climate requires scientists to process A LOT of data, and Robert is one of the key people helping to do that. We’ll talk about how Berkeley Earth is working to educate people about climate change and how they hope to build partnerships with environmental and industry groups around the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Louis W. UccelliniAfter an incredible career that has spanned more than 50 years, the Director of the National Weather Service, Dr. Louis Uccellini, has announced he will be retiring on January 1, 2022.  As one of our most esteemed returning guests, we are honored to have this opportunity to speak with Dr. Uccellini and recollect the countless contributions he has made to the weather and climate enterprise.  Throughout his career, he has been a dedicated public servant, an innovative leader at the highest levels of NOAA and the National Weather Service, and led the charge in having the United States become a Weather-Ready Nation.  His legacy will have lasting impacts on the field of meteorology, and today, we’re excited to celebrate his accomplishments and discuss what’s next for him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Aaron TartakovskyIntroduction: Water is one of our most precious natural resources. We can’t live without it and we have a finite supply of it.  That’s why it’s so important to not only manage how we use it, but also how we reuse it.  Today we’re joined by CEO and co-founder of Epic Cleantec, Aaron Tartakovsky, who’s company has been working to create more sustainable methods for water and wastewater management.  With the world’s growing population, aging infrastructures, and increasing concerns of water scarcity due to climate change, we have a greater responsibility to ensure this vital resource keeps flowing to everyone who needs it. We’ll talk about how new strategies are being implemented by Epic Cleantec, and hopefully, you’ll learn a little more about ways you can help.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ken GrahamIntroduction: June 1st through November 30th, it’s a time many people, especially those who live along the U.S. coastline, are watching for what’s going on in the Atlantic Ocean. Following a record-setting 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and a quick start to the 2021 season, many are wondering what may lie ahead. Today, we’re talking with the director of the National Hurricane Center, Ken Graham. We’ll discuss some of the recent storms from last season and the 2021 season so far, changes to certain storm products, and messaging to the general public. Let’s get started...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ran Korber & Paul WalshIntroduction:When it comes to keeping ourselves healthy, we know about eating right and keeping active, but there’s another thing we should keep an eye on as well: air quality. And it’s not just smog we’re talking about: it’s also things like wildfires and pollen that affect the air we breathe. Today’s guest started his business because he was looking for a new place to live with his wife, who has asthma. They were looking for a city where air quality wouldn’t have as big of an impact on her health but found the data to help make that decision was hard to come by. Ran Korber founded Breezeomter, a company that helps fill in the gaps in existing air quality monitoring and joins us today to discuss what goes into air quality monitoring and some of the ways this data is used might surprise you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Rear Admiral Timothy GallaudetIntroduction:When we think of weather, climate and oceanography, one of the main organizations that comes to mind in the United States is NOAA: the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Today we want to dive into the ‘O’ in that acronym and look at the role NOAA plays with our planet’s oceans. Who better than the former Administrator of NOAA, Rear Admiral (ret) Timothy Gallaudet of the U.S. Navy. He has almost two decades of service in the Navy, and was also appointed as Commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Welcome, Rear Admiral Gallaudet!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Chad Hanson2020 was the worst year on record for wildfires in the state of California as more than fourmillion acres were burned. Words like ‘apocalyptic’ were used to describe the aftermath. Theloss of lives and property are devastating, but are we making the problem worse withmisconceptions about the role wildfires play in the forest ecosystem? Fire ecologist Dr. ChadBenson joins us today to talk about some of the reasons that wildfires have increased over pastdecades and how our actions have helped to fuel this increase.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.