WeatherBrains Episode 929 is now online (November 6th, 2023). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction.  He grew up in Central Florida.  He’s a TV meteorologist and hurricane specialist.  He was previously the chief meteorologist for WTVJ-TV in Miami where he became well-known for his excellent coverage of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, and subequently became Director of Meteorology for WFOR-TV, and a hurricane analyst for CBS News in New York City.  He currently works for Fox Weather in NYC.  Bryan Norcross, it’s an honor to have you on the show tonight.

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

• Looking back at 1969’s Hurricane Camille (09:00)
• Looking back at 1965’s Hurricane Betsy (26:30)
• Hurricane Otis vs Andrew (30:00)
• Hurricane behavior comparisons between the 70s/80s and today (53:00)
• Lack of media coverage with Otis (01:12:00)
• Future of Saffir-Simpson Scale (01:26:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:34:25)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:32:50)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:
• E-Mail Segment (01:
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 929:

Bryan Norcross – Hurricane Specialist and Director of Meteorology

Bryan Norcross on X

“My Hurricane Andrew Story” by Bryan Norcross

Picks of the Week:

Bryan Norcross – Lightning Bolt hits water tower in Homestead, FL week after Hurricane Andrew

James Aydelott – Alex Spahn on X: Ada, OK supercell photo

Jen Narramore – Jersey tornado believed to be most powerful recorded in British Isles for nearly 70 years

Rick Smith – Angel Enrique on X: Montana aurora photo

Neil Jacobs – Out

Troy Kimmel – IAEM Annual Conference 2023

Kim Klockow-McClain – Out

Bill Murray – Foghorn

James Spann – Professor Aims to Improve Emergency Alerts for Deaf Community

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.

WeatherBrains Episode 928 is now online (October 30th, 2023). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

Tonight’s show is the idea of friend of the podcast Jeremy Bower.  Tonight’s Guest Panelist has appeared on several previous WeatherBrains episodes and is an accomplished photographer.  He won 2nd place in the 2022 AMS Weatherband Photo Contest.  He owns JRB Storm Photography and is employed by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.  Jeremy Bower, welcome back.

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS Omaha since 1988.  He worked directly under the legendary Dr. Ted Fujita as a graduate student at the University of Chicago.  He’s celebrating his upcoming retirement at the end of this month.  Brian Smith, welcome to WeatherBrains.

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

• Harry Volkman/Origin of broadcasting tornado warnings on television (15:00)
• Palm Sunday 1965 Crystal Lake tornado (20:30)
• April 21, 1967 Belvedere tornado (21:00)
• Meeting Dr. Fujita (24:30)
• The Fujita Scale (41:00)
• Fujita Scale “Unknown Category” (52:00)
• History of SKYWARN (01:06:30)
• Unique/unusual tornado damage (01:30:25)
•  Fast-moving vs slow-moving tornado damage paths (01:34:30)
• Hurricane Otis and its rapid intensification (01:46:10)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:39:45)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:42:20)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:45:35)
• E-Mail Segment (01:43:50)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 928:

Capturing the Lightning: Weather Photography Tips

JRB Storm Photography

JRB Storm Photography on Flickr

Picks of the Week:

Brian Smith – NOAA Damage Assessment Toolkit Viewer

Jeremy Bower – Ancient Air Theatre on YouTube

James Aydelott – Snickers QG Omega Equation photo on X

James Aydelott – Paraguay Tornado on X

Jen Narramore – 1974 Super Outbreak Project Promo

Rick Smith – National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning for Heavy Snow Criteria

Neil Jacobs – Lucas, Lofgren and Science Committee Members Introduce Weather Act Reauthorization to Advance National Weather Forecasting

Troy Kimmel – NWS Service Change Notices

Kim Klockow-McClain – Foghorn

Bill Murray – November 1-2, 1966 Major Snowstorm/Story from NWS Nashville

James Spann – Photos from Acapulco/Hurricane Otis Aftermath

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.

WeatherBrains Episode 927 is now online (October 23th, 2023). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain served as the WCM at the NWS Seattle from 1977 until 2018, specializing in decision support and enhancing forecast systems.  He’s remained active in emergency preparedness in retirement and has served on various committees.  He teaches at the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center and provides weather support for major events.  He graduated from Oregon State University in Atmospheric Science.  Ted Buehner, welcome!

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

• Origins of the NWS WCM program (11:30)
• Notable floods in Pacific NW (23:30)
• Pacific NW notable tornadoes (32:30)
• Tsunami science/vulnerability (35:00)
• Misnomer of the Pacific NW’s wet weather (55:30)
• Future of the NWS (01:20:00)
• NOAA Winter Outlook (01:42:35)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:24:55)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:08)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:37:45)
• E-Mail Segment (01:28:45)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 927:

Tornado Ted on X

Partners in Emergency Preparedness

Picks of the Week:

Ted Buehner – NOAA Weather Radio

James Aydelott – Out

Jen Narramore – Ten years after Moore tornado killed her son, Danni Legg is still fighting for shelters in schools

Rick Smith – Out

Neil Jacobs – What is Astronomical Twilight?

Troy Kimmel – Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain – Dennis Mileti/START

Bill Murray – North Sound Weather Minute Podcast

James Spann – “Chemtrail” on the loose… – TikTok

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.

WeatherBrains Episode 926 is now online (October 16th, 2023). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is a long time weather warrior and legend in the meteorology field who is retiring from television. For two decades, he worked as chief meteorologist for WKRG-TV in Mobile, AL. Born in New York, Sealls holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University and Florida State, respectively. He worked at television stations in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Illinois before settling in Mobile in 1999.  Alan Sealls, it’s an honor to have you on the show tonight.

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

• What does WKRG stand for?  (25:15)
• Extreme events covered by Alan Sealls in each state (29:00)
• What went right and what went wrong in 2020’s Hurricane Sally (34:30)
• Complexity of communicating weather information today (38:30)
• Fighting disinformation online (47:20)
• Where is TV meteorology headed?  (01:01:00)
• Mental health in broadcast meteorology (01:23:15)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:40)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:27:55)
• E-Mail Segment
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 926:

Alan Sealls Author Website

Alan Sealls on X

Picks of the Week:

Alan Sealls – Bad Words for Weathercasters

James Aydelott – Adrean Mendoza on X: Costco “shozo” photo

Jen Narramore – Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Conference

Rick Smith – NWS Baltimore-Washington on X: Ken Graham photo

Neil Jacobs – Out

Troy Kimmel – Aviation Weather Center GFA: Observations

Kim Klockow-McClain – Out

Bill Murray – Foghorn

James Spann – How Credible Is Weather Information Online Or In Social Media?

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.

WeatherBrains Episode 925 is now online (October 9th, 2023). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain reports the weather on Good Morning Kansas and Good Morning KAKEland.  He attended the University of Kansas.  Before joining KAKE-TV in 2013, he worked across Indiana and Kansas with a lot of forecasting experience with lake effect snow and tornadoes.  He holds a CBM from the AMS and an NWA seal-holder.   Frank Waugh, welcome to the show tonight.

Also joining the show tonight is WAKE-TV Multimedia Producer Lester Rowe.  He’s also a filmmaker and has participated in numerous film festivals.

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

• June 10th 1958 “Backwards tornado”
• Difference between continuous wave and today’s Doppler radar (16:00)
• Powerful survivor stories from 1958 tornado (44:00)
• Where is broadcast meteorology going?  (01:11:00)
• TornadoTalk.com (01:31:25)
• Upcoming annular eclipse (01:33:55)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:45)
• National Weather Round-Up (01:43:50)
• E-Mail Segment (01:40:50)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 925:

Dawn of Doppler – KAKE

Frank Waugh KAKE on X

Arowe Films on X

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott – Bryan Passifiume on X: Tent on road video during storm

Jen Narramore – Moerdijk, South Holland, Netherlands Tornado – October 6, 1981

Rick Smith – Out

Neil Jacobs – Out

Troy Kimmel – Out

Kim Klockow-McClain – Eclipse Cereal Box Viewer

Bill Murray – Rob Strecker Sun Pillar photo

James Spann – LSU receives $5M funding to build high frequency radar systems on the coast

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.