Weather Geeks

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.

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.