WeatherBrains

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about weather wisdom, forecasting in the model era, communicating uncertainty, climate change, and what meteorologists can still learn by opening the window and looking outside.
Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is Dr. Lou McNally AKA "Altitude Lou".  He's spent half a century proving that good forecasting involves more than simply reading model input.  He's a long time broadcast meteorologist, a professor, historical climatologist and champion of natural weather forecasting.  Dr. McNally, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Guest Panelist tonight is Sandy LaCorte.  Sandy supports various programs at NOAA's Weather Program Office, and is here tonight to speak about the upcoming student conference portion of the NWA Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.  Sandy, welcome!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
Panelist thoughts on upcoming post-Polo rain event (03:30)
What is driving placement uncertainty with this upcoming SW Oklahoma rain event?  (05:30)
Possible supercells across Oklahoma Wednesday night?  (07:45)
Guest Panelist Sandy LaCorte discusses upcoming 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Student Conference in Omaha, NE (14:00)
Mock interviews at 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Student Conference!  (17:00)
Dr. Lou McNally's background and introduction!  (20:30)
Difference between making a forecast for colleagues in academia vs public perception (22:30)
Weather Enterprise gains vs quiet losses as forecasting becomes more automated (23:30)
Dr. McNally's most impactful past forecasted events (33:00)
Important habits and things to look for as a new meteorologist (37:00)
Weather folklore favorites - good and bad! (48:00)
All about numerical model guidance and ensembles (51:00)
Maine's climate, maritime influence and forecast challenges (01:05:00)
"Nor'easter" vs "Northeaster" terminology (01:09:00)
Maine's history with tropical cyclone landfalls (01:16:00)
Dr. McNally's time at WBZ in Boston (01:27:00)
State of broadcast meteorology in 2026 (01:30:00)
The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:00)
This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:00)
E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:43:30)
and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1080:  
NOAA's Weather Program Office
2026 NWA Annual Meeting October 17th-21st Omaha, Nebraska
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Sandy LaCorte - As the Weekend Storm Departs, A Look Back at the Spectacular UWS Sunsets it Produced
Dr. Lou McNally - Quote Origin: If You Don't Like Our Weather, Just Wait a Few Minutes
James Aydelott - 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Jen Narramore - Foghorn
Rick Smith - Utility of Radar-Based Preliminary Tornado Tracks with Super-Resolution Velocity Data for Impact-Based Decision Support
Troy Kimmel - Texas Hazardous Weather Coordination Workshop Thursday, September 24, 2026
Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn
Bill Murray - Weatherwise magazine
John Gordon - Foghorn
James Spann - Phillip Klotzbach on X
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about 2022's devastating Hurricane Ian.
Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is very special guest and author Scott Withers.  He's a 4-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and journalist with more than two decades of TV experience.  On September 28th 2022, Scott was reporting live in Fort Myers when Hurricane Ian's storm surge submerged his vehicle and trapped his crew.  Three strangers rescued them by boat, and all six then rode out the Category 4 hurricane together.  Earlier this year, he released a book chronicling his experience, and has now recently released a children's hurricane adventure book entitled "The Halloween Hurricane".  Thanks for joining us tonight to share your incredible story, Scott!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
1978's Do you remember the 21st of September?  (0:30)
Scott's new book "The Halloween Hurricane" released today 9/21/26!  (07:30)
Scott's early background in weather (09:30)
Midlife crisis or brand-new beginning?  (17:00)
The start of 2022's Hurricane Ian coverage (21:00)
Remembering 2004's Hurricane Charley during preparation for Ian landfall (25:00)
Wind shift in relation to Ian's eye (39:00)
Spaghetti models vs cone/trajectory of Ian (48:00)
Pre-Ian efforts by NHC with improving storm surge warnings (52:00)
Complexities and logistics of hurricane preparation and risk perception (01:01:30)
Misinformation on social media during major weather events (01:08:00)
Scott's advice for media in the field in future major hurricanes after experiences with Ian(01:17:30)
Cane the Hurricane Dog! (01:24:00)
The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:30)
This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:30)
E-Mail Segment (01:31:30)
Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:37:30)
and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1079:  
"Ian's Surge: Surviving a Cat 4 Hurricane" by Scott Withers
"The Halloween Hurricane: Cane and Friends Save The City (Cane the Weather Dog)" by Scott Withers
Cane the Weather Dog
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Scott Withers - Miami-Dade County drought conditions
James Aydelott - Daily High Temp at or above 85F Tulsa OK
James Aydelott - Daily Low Temp at or above 60F Tulsa OK
Jen Narramore - Goat Locker Racing League
Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.1
Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.2
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Out
Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA Administrator's Award
Kim Klockow-McClain - Photo of Dr. Neil Jacobs and Rick Smith
Bill Murray - Foghorn
John Gordon - Tornado touches down; hail pounds Northern Utah in raw video
James Spann - James Spann on X: Lightning and College Football
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about Wisconsin Public Radio's "Weather Guys".
Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode are some of the smartest people in the weather enterprise.  Dr. Jonathan Martin joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994.  He won the Edward Lawrence Teaching Award in 2016 by the AMS.  He's authored 90 papers and has helped publish several books including a biography on British meteorologist Reginald Sutcliffe about inventions on modern weather systems.  He was named by Princeton Review as one of the nation's top 300 professors.  Dr. Martin, welcome to the show!
We are honored to also have on the show Dr. Steven Ackerman.  He was the Director of CIMSS (The Cooperative Institute of Meteorological Satellite Studies) for over a decade.  He was Vice Chancellor of Research and Graduate Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He's won many awards as public service medals and is very involved with leadership initiatives.  He's won the Exceptional Public Service medal and is very involved with the student body.  Dr. Ackerman, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
Tuscaloosa, AL hits record high of 101F on 09/14/26 (01:15)
Ridge going nowhere anytime soon!  (01:30)
What is "baratropic"?  (10:45)
Revolution in access to data over the decades (17:30)
Advice to meteorology students who are soon entering the workforce (20:00)
Relationship between PBS and Wisconsin (21:30)
Development of "Weather Guys" (26:00)
Dr. Ackerman's and Dr. Martin's recommended weather apps  (38:00)
CIMSS:  What it is and when it started (46:00)
The Next Big Thing in weather satellites? (50:00)
CubeSat constellations (01:02:00)
The future of radio? (01:10:30)
Correlation between specific weather and El Niño ENSO phase (01:20:00)
The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:00)
E-Mail Segment (01:27:00)
Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:30)
and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1078:  
UW Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
CIMSS (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies)
The Weather Guys
Wisconsin Public Radio
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Steven Ackerman - Volcanic Eruption of Anak Krakatau
Dr. Jonathan Martin - Atlantic hurricane season peak: no storms and a record hurricane delay
James Aydelott - Out
Jen Narramore - The Northeast Georgia History Center
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - Disney College Program participant killed in lightning strike; Good Samaritans recount rescue attempt
Kim Klockow-McClain - NASA CubeSat to Test Miniaturized Weather Satellite Technology
Bill Murray - Out
John Gordon - Jeremy Perez on X
James Spann - James Spann on X: Auburn Football lightning delay on September 12th
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about "The Next Big Thing" by Meteorologist Rob Marciano.
Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is an award-winning meteorologist with more than two decades of experience covering some of the nation's biggest weather stories. His career includes positions at major networks such as CNN and ABC News, and he now serves as a Senior Meteorologist at CBS News.  He has recently written a book entitled "The Next Big Thing".  The Panel also discusses Rob's journey from his weather-obsessed childhood to his rise to a network meteorologist.  Rob Marciano, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
Bill Murray is back!  (08:30)
Rob's childhood and early interest in weather (10:30)
Cornell University's meteorology program (22:00)
Rob's experience with 2005's Hurricane Katrina (39:00)
Reporting on the 1999 Moore, Oklahoma F5 (50:00)
Changes in broadcast meteorology and lasting present-day issues in the field from Rob's perspective (01:05:00)
AI:  Bringing back the art of forecasting? (01:11:30)
Rob's new book "The Next Big Thing:  Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" (01:14:00)
Harnessing lightning:  How does this benefit society?  (01:23:30)
The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:30)
This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:00)
E-Mail Segment (01:35:30)
Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:44:00)
and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1077:  
"The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Rob Marciano - Surfers gather at The Wedge in Newport Beach to take advantage of the massive waves
Rob Marciano - "The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil
James Aydelott - Tornado Watch in Hawaii
James Aydelott - Text of Tornado Watch in Hawaii
Jen Narramore - The 1936 Gainesville Tornado
Rick Smith - College football Week 1 heatwave forces game changes as temperatures top 100 degrees
Troy Kimmel - NTSB Media Briefing 2 - Miami, FL Runway excursion accident involving a B-767-300 cargo airplane
Kim Klockow-McClain - Out
Bill Murray - Foghorn
John Gordon - Hurricanes in Hawaii
James Spann - James Spann on X: Impressive waterspout this morning at Pensacola Beach
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about hydroplaning and why it happens.
Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is the Assistant Director of the Vision of Maintenance for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.  Discussing a national hydroplaning project with the panel in the episode, she has over two decades experience in transportation and is a friend of the field.  Randi Feltner, thanks for joining us!
Joining us as Second Guest WeatherBrain is very special guest Zion Powell.  He's pursuing his dream to become a meteorologist with an emphasis on mesoscale weather events.  He's currently a senior at Salisbury State in Maryland majoring in meteorology and geoscience.  He was selected as a NOAA Lapenta Intern for 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky where he worked on a national hydroplaning campaign.  Zion, welcome!
We are excited to have Guest WeatherBrain and WeatherBrains veteran Alan Sealls joining us tonight.  A 16-time Regional Emmy Winner, he's now the president of the American Meteorological Society and has had a legendary career in the field.  He earned his degree in meteorology at Cornell and earned a Master's Degree at Florida State University.  He is a professor at the University of South Alabama.  Alan, welcome back!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
Tropical Storm Eduard forms in the Gulf (01:00)
Record heat for Alabama football's home opener?  (02:30)
Zion's early background in weather (09:30)
All about Salisbury State's Atmospheric Science program (11:00)
What is the William M. Lapenta Scholarship? (12:00)
Randi's early background and path to second in command at KDOT (13:30)
Experiences during 2021 Mayfield, KY tornado (19:00)
"Wet Lanes, Don't Hydroplane" (24:00)
Role of tire pressure and speed in hydroplaning (26:00)
Complicated nature of getting national hydroplaning statistics (47:00)
What is spectrum allocation? (01:02:45)
AMS Annual Meeting 2027 in Denver (01:04:00)
All about the AMS and its history (01:08:00)
The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:45)
This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:25:00)
E-Mail Segment (01:27:00)
Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00)
and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1076:  
2027 AMS Annual Meeting
Alabama Weather Network
Picks of the Week:
Zion Powell - Zion Powell on Instragram
Zion Powell - Zion Powell on TikTok
Randi Feltner - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Alan Sealls - National Severe Weather Archive Display
James Aydelott - Tulsa Hits 102F
Jen Narramore - Out
Rick Smith - Out
Troy Kimmel - NOAA boosts weather data collection capabilities with new Mesonet contract
Kim Klockow-McClain - Principal Saved 900 Students Before His School Was Washed Away in Nepal
John Gordon - Monstrous Flash Flood & Debris Flow l Johnson Canyon, UT 7/16/2018
Bill Murray - Out
James Spann - Basics of the Arizona Monsoon and Desert Meteorology
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.