Weather Geeks

Guest: Mike ChesterfieldIntroduction:Watch.. Warning… Advisory.. Special Weather Statement. For a lot of folks, especially the general public, weather alerts can get a bit confusing. In fact, an “Advisory” is cited as causing the most confusion among the public with a good portion thinking that an “advisory” is a downgrade from a “watch”, which isn’t the case. Our guest today is The Weather Channel’s own Senior Director of Weather Presentation, Mike Chesterfield. Mike’s been on the podcast before to discuss Immersive Realty and Weather Presentation at the Weather Channel, but today we’re going to dive into these changes that will be occurring with the National Weather Service’s alert system. 

Guest: Dr. Susan JaskoThe purpose of a weather alert, whether it be a watch or warning is to reach the most people and save the most lives; but what if the message of those alerts isn't clear or causes confusion? That has been a concern of Meteorologists and Communication experts, and what sparked the reason for updating our current system. Our guest today is Dr. Susan Jasko, Senior Research Scientist at The University of Alabama . Today Dr. Jasko is here to talk about the importance of the communication side of the changes to the National Weather Service’s alert system.

Guest: Mark TorregrossaIntroduction:    The Great Lakes account for 84% of North America’s surface freshwater, and millions of people across the region depend on these Lakes for water supplies, industry, travel, and recreation.  In recent years, these Lakes have seen a wide range of extremes from record high water levels to sudden, sharp declines, and it has been concerning local residents and officials.  Mark Terragrossa serves as the Chief Meteorologist for MLive.com in Michigan, and he’s been closely following the water levels in recent years.  We’ll discuss what factors may be at play here and how these changes could impact local communities and ecosystems.  

Guest: Manuel De La Torre JuarezOn February 18, 2021, the world watched in amazement as the next generation of Mars Rovers set foot on the Red Planet.  Mars Perseverance is the vehicle that will venture out into the Martian desert to help create “the first weather network on another planet.” To explore the mission details of NASA’s latest rover, we’re sitting down with one of the experts, Dr. Manuel De La Torre Juarez of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We’ll break down the suite of instruments on board that will help determine the day-today weather conditions and how those conditions may affect the future of human exploration. Get ready for an “out of this world” geek-out... 

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...

Guest: Dr. Kerry EmanuelClimate science and threats from climate change have been hot topics of conversation among the public as well as business and political leaders. But there seems to be a disparity in how climate scientists view what’s causing this change and how the public understands and feels about the issue. This ultimately hampers efforts to improve the scientific field around climate and to develop effective solutions and policies to mitigate risks. Our guest today is working to bridge that gap in understanding. Kerry Emanual is the author of Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer. We’ll discuss what the motivation was for authoring this book on climate science as well as what he learned from the process and how we can help promote understanding on climate science and how it’s affecting our world.

Guest: Brian McNoldy, University of MiamiA lot of us have grown accustomed to extreme weather events after watching them occur year after year, like tornadoes and hurricanes. But underneath it all, we know our earth is changing. Our hurricanes may look and feel the same way they did 100 years ago, but our rising sea levels are making the impacts to human life and property much worse. Senior Research Associate at the University of Miami Brian McNoldy has been studying this relationship and how it will affect one of the country’s largest population centers in Miami, Florida.

Guest: Sean PotterEvery big idea or organization has to get its start somewhere and the National Weather Service is no exception! More than 150 years ago, Congress established the U.S Weather Bureau in 1870, which would go on to eventually become the National Weather Service we know today. Our guest today dug into the life of the man who would become known as the Father of the National Weather Service. Sean Potter is the author of Too Near for Dreams, The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster. We’ll discuss Abbe’s life and passion as well as what motivated Sean to dive into the world of writing in addition to being a meteorologist..

Guest: Matt LanzaIntroduction: Texas just experienced one of the worst weather disasters in its history as temperatures plunged into a deep freeze. All-time cold temperature records were broken, sub-freezing streaks set new records, and the energy industry learned some very hard lessons. Houston is no stranger to extreme weather, and they were hit particularly hard with this event too. Today’s guest, Meteorologist Matt Lanza, was directly affected by the weather as his family was left without power. He joins us today to discuss the range of extreme weather conditions the Space City has seen through the years, and we’ll get his perspective on forecasting for day-to-day and extreme weather events for the region. 

Guest: Valerie TrouetForests can offer us picturesque views, but did you know they also offer us a look at the past? Why is that important? To better understand our climate, we need to study the past, and inspecting tree rings is a great way to do that! We’re ringing in the new year by talking to Valerie Trouet from the University of Arizona. She uses tree rings to study past climates, forest ecosystems, atmospheric circulation patterns and more. We’ll discuss what tree rings can actually tell us about our planet’s history and how we can use that to protect future generations.

Guest: Dr. Genevieve GuentherIntroduction: Climate change and its impacts are becoming a regular part of conversations among scientists and even the general public at large, but are we giving it the true attention it deserves? Should the media be doing a complete overhaul of how they tackle this issue? Today we’re talking with Dr. Genevieve Guenther, founder of End Climate Silence, who’s working to change how we talk about extreme weather and its connections to climate change in both the media and in our daily lives. With the majority of Americans now wanting to learn more about climate change, there’s never been a more opportune time to educate and call people to action.

Guest: Jim Coker, EMA DirectorToday’s guest has spent his life serving the Alabama community through multiple branches of law enforcement, and now, he’s taking that experience to the office of emergency management. Jim Coker is the Emergency Management Agency Director for Jefferson County, Alabama, and we’re sitting down with him to discuss the effectiveness of outdoor sirens when severe weather is approaching. We’ve heard countless stories of how people did or didn’t hear sirens before being hit by a tornado, but should an OUTDOOR siren be their main warning sign? Let’s discuss...

Guest: Zack LabeRemember when you were anxiously awaiting your report card? It’s very likely that these events were met with mixed emotions as you awaited the results. Well when it comes to grading the health of the Arctic, we should be nervous. This region of the world is seeing some of the worst impacts from climate change, and today, we’re chatting with one of the report’s authors, Climate & Atmospheric Scientist Zachary Labe who specializes in Arctic ice conditions. He’ll reveal some of the alarming results from the latest report, and we’ll discuss what the declining health of the Arctic means for the future of our planet.

Guest: David PogueOne of the major topics when discussing meteorology is climate change, and we’ve certainly heard a great deal about it over the past decade. With destructive Western wildfires and stronger hurricanes, it seems climate change manages to become a major part of the conversation, and rightly so. Today we are talking with author David Pogue, who wants us to know how to prepare for the effects of climate change in our personal lives. From planning your diet, to personal investments, to how to build and fortify your home, and even how to talk to your kids about climate change, his new book outlines it all. Let’s dig in...

Guest:  Deanna Apps, Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersIntroduction:When you hear people discussing rising water levels, you probably only think of SEA-level rise. But what about LAKE-level rise? Today’s guest is Deanna Apps, a Physical Scientist with the Detroit District of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. She analyzes and forecasts water levels in the Great Lakes and produces weekly and monthly forecasts. As the region continues experiencing record water levels, we’ll ask her about the factors at play and how local agencies are working to mitigate impacts like coastal flooding and erosion. Let’s discuss...

Guest: Dr. Ashton Robinson CookWeather forecasting has made leaps and bounds in recent decades, and it’s hard to remember a time when we couldn’t get the latest forecast update with just a swipe of the finger on our phone.  But wouldn’t it be great if we could get an idea of what to expect MONTHS in advance? Well, you’re in luck because today we’re talking with Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook who has been a pioneer in understanding and improving seasonal forecasts, especially those for tornadoes.  We’ll find out how these forecasts are made and how events like La Nina and El Nino can affect them. 

Guest: Dr. Phil Klotzbach, Colorado State UniversityIf you are a purveyor of weather twitter, this man needs no introduction! Odds are you have seen at least one of his incredible and easily digestible hurricane stats during this past hurricane season as well. Today’s episode is with Dr. Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University! We are going to discuss this monumental hurricane season and all of the records that it shattered. We will also talk about Dr. Klotzbach’s seasonal forecasts from CSU that he championed after the legendary Dr. William Gray’s passing. 

Guest: Mike Bettes2020 was, to put it lightly, an insane year.  Mother Nature didn’t care about a global pandemic either, as she lashed out during every single season.  From deadly tornadoes in the Spring, to raging wildfires in the summer, to a record number of tropical cyclones, to finally ending the year with a bonafide nor’easter!  Phew…  Well, I’ve got someone with me today who was in the studio talking about all of these events this year: The Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes!  We are going to go down the list to discuss the weather events that shaped our 2020. 

Guest: Steve Conney & Luke Stone, PowderchasersWhen you were a kid, you would fall asleep on a winter night dreaming of waking up to a snow day, though children that lived in the southern tier of the U.S. had a dream a little bit harder. You didn’t have to go to school and you could play in the snow all day! Well my guests today spend their days playing in the snow and have made a career out of it! Steve Conney and Luke Stone are members of the Powderchasers team that travels across the Rockies to forecast the biggest snowstorms to give you the freshest powder for your weekend ski trip! How will this upcoming La Nina winter impact their chases? Let’s find out...

Guest: Brian Cizek, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather SquadronWith new frontiers developing in spaceflight, it’s more important than ever to make sure we get the forecast right. There are many variables meteorologists have to monitor: cloud cover, precipitation chances, even cloud height and electric potential! To make sure every launch goes off without a hitch, you need a team of skilled, dedicated forecasters like those found at the 45th Weather Squadron. Today we’re happy to welcome Brian Cizek who serves as a launch weather officer. He’ll offer us an inside look at how these forecasts are made and why they need to be so accurate. Let’s get started in T minus 3...2...1...