Weather Geeks

Latest Episodes:

Chasing the Flames (Repeat) Apr 27, 2022

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Guest: Dr. Craig Clements

We saw a record number of acres of beautiful countryside go up in flames in 2020. In recent years, many across the West have seen some of the deadliest & most destructive wildfires that our country has ever experienced. Whether they have been accelerated by climate change or extreme drought conditions, there is no denying that millions of lives have been changed forever as these millions of acres are scorched beyond repair. Today on the show, we are talking with someone who wants this trend to stop and wants to forecast the wildfires before they cause their destruction. His name is Dr. Craig Clements from the SJSU Fire Weather Research Lab in California and we are so excited to sit down with him today...

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Observing Earth with Nanosatellites Apr 25, 2022

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Guest: Dr. Kevin Petty

Introduction: As technology has progressed over the past century, scientists and engineers have discovered ways to make technology smaller and smaller and still yield the same or even greater results. Satellite technology is no exception to this progress of miniaturization. Nanosatellites are satellites that have a mass between 1 and 10 kg and are populating low-level orbit more and more frequently. As of August 2021, over 1,600 nanosatellites were in orbit around Earth. Joining us is Dr. Kevin Petty, Vice President of Earth System Science and Technology at Spire, a company that utilizes nanosatellites to predict environmental change.

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Observing Earth with Nanosatellites Apr 20, 2022

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Guest: Dr. Kevin Petty

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Refining Our Estimates of Tornadic Strength Apr 13, 2022

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Guest: Dr. Karen Kosiba

When we assign a rating to a tornado, it’s based on the damage it’s left behind. But what happens when a powerful tornado roars through a field? Is the rating assigned accurate if there wasn’t a building there to damage? Dr. Karen Kosiba joins us to talk about the research she and her colleagues have done in this subject and we’ll get an inside look on what it’s like to experience a storm from inside a mobile radar, the tool used to help determine tornadic wind speeds in these rural tornadoes. She’s also part of the PERiLS research team we talked about a few weeks ago here on the podcast and we’ll get an update on the research after the storms we’ve seen roll through the south over the past few weeks.

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"Tornado Vulnerability" Apr 06, 2022

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Guest: Dr. Stephen Strader

Introduction: Severe weather comes in many forms, and tornadoes are amongst the deadliest on a yearly basis. When severe weather strikes, many people feel as if the safest place to be is their home, but is that the case for all types of homes? Our next guest has studied the vulnerability of humans that live in mobile and manufactured homes during severe weather events. Dr. Stephen Strader, assistant professor at Villanova University, is here today to discuss his findings and ways that we can improve safety throughout tornadic events…

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Studying Southeastern U.S. Tornadoes Mar 30, 2022

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Guest: Tony Lyza

When 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.

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NWS Products: Getting the Word Out Mar 23, 2022

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Guest: Kevin Cooley

When 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.

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Balancing Shot Charts & Forecast Charts Mar 16, 2022

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Guest: Harrison Prieto

Student 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.

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First Heat Officer in the U.S. Mar 09, 2022

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GUEST: David Hondula

INTRODUCTION: 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!

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The Cost of Weather-Related Disasters Mar 02, 2022

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Guest: Steve Bowen

Looking 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 severityof 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.

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