Guest: Dr. Matt Bilskie, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia A lot of our Weather Geeks listeners will remember the classic game show, “Press Your Luck” and living in a city along the Gulf or Atlantic coastlines is a lot like playing it! Every single hurricane season, you are hoping that you can make it across the board without hitting a Whammy. But sometimes, Mother Nature isn’t so kind and she could hit you with the Triple Whammy from a landfalling hurricane, which is scientifically called compound flooding! What is that and how can we mitigate against it? Our guest today Dr. Matt Bilskie has been working on methods to better assess this threat so your family and property can be safe and you don’t have to continue pressing your luck… Chapters 00:00 Living on the Coast: Playing Press Your Luck 06:55 The Hazards of Water in Hurricanes 07:02 Understanding Compound Flooding 19:42 Mitigating Compound Flooding with Nature-Based Solutions 25:27 Future Floods and 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: Bill Haskell, Artist Artists and musicians will often cite a muse as their inspiration for their works of art, which is usually a love interest or dreams of success. But what about the weather? Can it be a muse? For us Weather Geeks, we find inspiration in the weather in every single model run and supercell structure, and it turns out that we aren’t the only ones! Today on the show we have Bill Haskell to discuss how he incorporates the weather around him into his beautiful landscape paintings. Chapters 00:00 Finding Inspiration in Weather 02:14 The Power of Weather in Art 07:45 Tornadoes as Metaphors 13:01 The Appeal of Tornado Paintings 18:32 The Smallness of Humanity 23:17 Incorporating Weather in Art See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Scott Rayder, President of Lynker Here on the Weather Geeks podcast, we don’t have to remind you what NOAA is and how they work every single day to protect life and property. But there are a lot of others out there who have never even heard of NOAA and don’t truly understand where their weather forecasts come from. They may be surprised that The Weather Channel or their favorite mobile phone app isn’t the one issuing a tornado warning for their area! NOAA does it all, and they need the funding in order to keep doing it, and unfortunately, they aren’t getting enough of it. On the show today we have former NOAA Chief of Staff Scott Rayder to discuss why more funding is desperately needed before it’s too late… Chapters 00:00 Introduction 08:12 Advancements in Weather Forecasting 14:54 The Evolving Landscape of Weather Modeling 30:59 Recognizing and Supporting NOAA's Critical Work 37:42 Conclusion See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jeremy Werdell, Oceanographer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center From the smallest plankton to the grandest cloud formations, the PACE mission is poised to capture the breathtaking complexity of Earth's interconnected ecosystems. PACE stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem. It's a mission that transcends mere scientific curiosity; it's a rallying cry in the face of our planet's most urgent environmental challenges. By unraveling the mysteries of Earth's ecosystems, PACE equips us with the knowledge and tools needed to confront these challenges head-on. On the show today, we have Project Scientist Dr. Jeremy Werdell to break down the mission and why it’s so important for the future of our planet… Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the PACE Mission 06:16 The Importance of Studying Sea and Sky 07:42 Aerosols: Understanding Atmospheric Particles 14:51 Clouds: Their Role in Climate and Interactions 20:35 Instruments of the PACE Mission 26:34 Early Success and Data Release 34:27 Looking Ahead: Discovery and Interconnectedness See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jordan Schnell, Research Associate for CIRES at CU Boulder; NOAA GSL You know the Phil Collins song that goes “I can feel it coming in the air tonight?” Well that’s how allergy sufferers feel when they see the trees starting to bloom again in the spring! It signals the return of pollen, which can be debilitating to millions of people. And that can even extend into the summer with ragweed and grass pollen! Scientists at NOAA have developed a brand new pollen forecast that can both help those with allergies live a sneeze-free life, but can also model how pollen particles move around in and interact with our atmosphere. Today on the show we have Dr. Jordan Schnell to discuss this exciting new product and other air quality hot topics… Chapters 00:00 The Impact of Pollen on Allergy Sufferers and the Development of a New Forecast 04:03 Dr. Jordan Schnell: Research, Air Quality, and Electric Vehicles 15:38 Modeling Pollen and Its Interaction with Weather 26:11 Impact of Pollen on Weather 33:29 The Future of Pollen Forecasting 42:54 Innovative Projects at Ceres See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Stella Kafka, AMS Executive Director The world of meteorology is vast, with the options of different career paths spreading far and wide! You don’t have to be on TV in order to be a successful meteorologist, nor do you have to work for the government at the National Weather Service. In that same vein, you don’t have to be a meteorologist to be involved in the American Meteorological Society, even though it’s in the name! Your career may take you in a different direction, but there is always a weather geek in there somewhere. That’s why today on Weather Geeks, we have the new Executive Director of the AMS Dr. Stella Kafka on the show to talk about her journey into this position and where she wants to take the organization in 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. Brian LaPointe, Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University As we are heading into the throes of summer, a lot of you are going to be slathering on sunscreen and heading to the beaches! Heck, you may be listening to this podcast while ON the beach! While you’re there, wouldn’t you want to know more about the waters surrounding you and what little microscopic critters could be floating around in there? Maybe, maybe not, but we are going to geek out about it either way! I’m here with Dr. Brian LaPointe from FAU who is an industry expert in water quality across our country’s shorelines. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 08:29 Eutrophication and Water Quality 27:12 Regulation and Management for Coastal Protection 37:13 Warming Water Temperatures and the Growth of Sargassum 45:04 The Human Alteration of the Nitrogen Cycle and Harmful Algal Blooms See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Rick Smith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWS Norman If you feel it, chase it! That is the tagline for one of the biggest movies of the summer and probably the biggest weather movie of the decade: Twisters. After the initial geek out took place, we were left with a lot of questions! Did it live up to its predecessor Twister, which inspired meteorologists all across the country to pursue their passion? Will we see a brand new wave of Kates and Tylers in the coming decades? Before we think too far ahead, we’ve got to break down the SCIENCE in the film, and who better to do that with than Rick Smith, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Norman… Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Twisters and Rick Smith 09:14 Involvement with the Movie Twisters 23:12 Accuracy of Science in Twisters 34:02 Weather Modification and Taming Tornadoes 36:42 The Future of Twisters and Potential Sequels See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jessica Murfree, Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill The biggest event in the sporting world is taking place in Paris this summer! The Olympics brings in hundreds of athletes and even more spectators from all across the world from so many different backgrounds and ideologies. How do all of these minds come together not just to compete, but also think about our environment and climate as they do so? We have sports ecologist Dr. Jessica Murfree here on the show today to talk about the unique intersection of sports, our changing climate, and extreme weather events, and how that intersection can make all of us more future-thinking so we can go for the gold! Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Exploring the Intersection of Sports, Weather, and Climate 09:51 Understanding Sports Ecology: The Study of Relationships Between Sports and the Natural Environment 15:49 The Environmental Challenges of the Olympics: Heat and Climate Change 21:23 Adapting Sports to Climate Change: Considerations for Spectators and Infrastructure 25:47 The Impact of Climate Change on Sports: Spectator Experience and Adaptation 36:10 Rethinking Infrastructure and Practices: How Climate Change is Shaping Major Sports Leagues See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Charles Peek, Storm Tracker for The Weather Channel It’s the thrill of the chase! After a record-breaking severe season, countless jaw-dropping videos of supercells and tornadoes were live streamed from every inch of Tornado Alley. Coupling that with the much anticipated release of the movie Twisters this summer, the sport of storm chasing has been a hot topic conversation. A lot of chasers would tell you that the movie Twister inspired them to pursue this career, but a LOT has changed since 1996! More technology, the rise of social media, and other avenues to make money are all on the table! On the show today, we have long-time storm chaser Charles Peek from The Weather Channel to talk about chasing in the year 2024 and beyond… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Shepherd & the Creators of Weather Geeks As long as there has been weather, we have had weather geeks. Before we had the radar to see storms from different layers and the satellites to see hurricanes from space, the fascination of weather has always been there. But only for the past 10 years has there been a Weather Geeks show; first starting as a half-hour geek out on The Weather Channel and now a podcast that you’re listening to wherever you are! And since the beginning, Dr. Marshall Shepherd from the University of Georgia has been your host and he’s sitting down with us to reminisce and regale about the past 10 years of Weather Geeks… Chapters 00:00 The Fascination of Weather Geeks 02:14 Bitten by the Weather Bug 04:28 Creating a Meet the Press for Weather 05:07 The Reluctant Host 10:39 The Evolution of Hosting 16:17 Fascinating Guests 21:39 Geeking Out with Ginger Zee and Janice Hough 22:05 A Place to Geek Out 22:42 The Value of Weather Geeks in the Weathergeek Community 24:21 Challenges and Surprises of Hosting a TV Show 26:33 Influencing Teaching Strategies through Weather Geeks 29:03 The Future of Weather Geeks: AI, Social Sciences, and Immersive Mixed Reality 31:27 Exploring the Fascination of Weather with Weather Geeks See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Campbell Watson, Senior Research Scientist at IBM Research As artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to become more pervasive in our technology, it’s only natural to wonder what it means for meteorology and climatology. Believe it or not, AI is already revolutionizing how we develop models in the Earth and Space sciences. Joining us today is Campbell Watson, a Senior Research Scientist at IBM Research, to discuss how we are creating these AI models, and the opportunities and advancements we hope to learn from using them. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI in Meteorology and Climatology 01:35 Campbell Watson's Background and Interest in Weather 04:18 The Use of AI in Weather Forecasting 05:24 The Evolution of AI in Weather Forecasting 06:26 Understanding AI at its Core 08:09 Difference Between AI and Conventional Weather Model Forecasting 10:44 The Difference Between AI and Conventional Weather Model Forecasting 13:31 AI Models Learning from Weather Models 20:30 Foundation Models and Unsupervised Learning 25:12 Verification of AI in Weather Forecasting 27:57 The Robustness of AI Models 28:24 Learning from Observations 29:23 AI Models Learning from Observations 30:09 The Importance of Observations 30:38 Comparing Deep Learning and AI with Traditional Weather Forecasting Models 35:38 Trustworthiness in AI Forecasting 36:12 Adopting AI in Weather Forecasting 41:46 Nowcasting with AI 44:03 AI in Climate Forecasting 47:38 The Future of AI in Weather Forecasting See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Amanda Schroeder, NWS Fort Worth Description: Flooding can occur any time of the year and in any part of the United States. It is a weather catastrophe that knows no limitations. Each year, too many people lose their lives to flooding. Communicating the risks of flash flooding can be just as difficult as forecasting flash flooding itself. No one understands that better than Dr. Amanda Schroeder, a Senior Service Hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. She was key in the development of the Flash Flood Severity Index, a scale designed to help convey the risks associated with flood events. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:42 Dr. Amanda Schroeder's Background 04:04 Early Work on Flash Flood Research 05:16 Work on the Spread Project 08:52. Role of a Senior Service Hydrologist 10:21 Challenges of Flood Forecasting 11:34 Impact-Based Forecasting 13:17 Flash Flood Severity Index 19:06 Implementation of the Index 20:17 Potential Global Application 23:16 Memorable Flooding Events 26:01 Impact of Climate Change on Flooding 28:11 Takeaways for the Public 31:08 Overcoming Challenges in the Field 32:27 Availability of Information on the Flash Flood Severity Index 33:46 A Day in the Life of a Senior Service Hydrologist 35:45 Conclusion See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Clinton Wallace, Director of the SWPC Weather Geeks often spend their time looking up at the sky, but there are some Geeks that look even farther up! Forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center are tasked with looking at everything PAST our atmosphere to warn us of any impending threats. However, sometimes those threats can be visualized as a spectacle with the Northern Lights, which we were ALL treated to one of the greatest shows of our lifetimes back in early May. How did the Space Weather Prediction Center forecasters know this event was coming? Well they were led by Director Clinton Wallace, and we have him on the show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Dawn Wright, United States Science Envoy One of the greatest joys in being a scientist is passing your knowledge onto others, whether that is esteemed colleagues on the other side of a breakthrough or young minds that are infatuated with the field. Sometimes, passing that knowledge takes us out of our comfort zone and into other fields, and even other countries! Our guest today is one of the newly selected Science Envoys for the United States, where she will be sharing her wealth of knowledge while also collaborating and barrier-breaking along the way. Dr. Dawn Wright is an esteemed oceanographer with wondrous stories to tell us about her journeys to the bottom of the sea, and she joins us on the Weather Geeks podcast… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Jason Senkbeil, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama Hurricane season is rapidly approaching! Many elements that go into a busy tropical season, like warm SST’s and the ENSO phase, already have forecasters worried that we could have a blockbuster season. I’m sure a lot of us Weather Geeks are prepared for what that could entail, but is the rest of the general public ready? And today we’re not talking about prep kits or boarded up windows, we’re talking about how the public understands the risks that they are under during a landfalling tropical cyclone. Let’s discuss that and many more topics with the University of Alabama’s Dr. Jason Senkbeil… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: John Ross, author Whether you’ve heard about D-Day or the Battle of Normandy through a textbook at school many years ago or from a documentary on TV, the images you’ve seen of the seaborne invasion surely are etched into your mind. All of the troops storming the beaches from the sea, flanked by gunfire and explosions. Of course the logistics of conducting such an organized siege is one thing, but one aspect that many people don’t know is how much of an impact the weather had on that pivotal battle. And if that battle did not happen, there would be cascading effects that would change our history forever. Ahead of the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we have author John Ross on the podcast today See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Paul Markowski, Penn State We are in the throes of the springtime severe season and even as we transition to summer, the potential for supercells and tornadoes doesn’t slow down. In fact, the severe risk moves more from the Central Plains and into the Eastern states…and that’s where we find today’s guest! Dr. Paul Markowski is the Head of the Meteorology and Atmospheric Science Department at Penn State and an expert in tornado research. You will be surprised with how many papers he’s written on aspects of tornadoes you’ve probably never even heard of! We’ve also got Dr. Greg Postel on the show today so we can have an all-encompassing tornado geek out! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Charlie Peachey, Mount Washington Weather Observer The United States sees almost every kind of meteorological phenomena imaginable, but there’s one place where the weather can be amplified. Located at over 6000 feet in New Hampshire, Mount Washington is famous for its weather extremes. The Mount Washington Observatory is a world renowned institution with a mission to advance understanding of the natural systems that create Earth’s weather and climate. Our guest today is a Weather Observer and Research/IT Specialist with the observatory… welcome to the show Charlie Peachey! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Jared Rennie, NCEI Research Meteorologist Gathering and analyzing data today to help us prepare for tomorrow. One sentence with a multitude of implications. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information seeks to provide not just data, but solutions to help the U.S. and those around the world as our climate continues to change. Jared Rennie is a Research Meteorologist with NCEI and works to support the integration of both climate and socioeconomic data. His work encompasses an operational as well as a research aspect with respect to software used in data processing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.