WeatherBrains

WeatherBrains Episode 313 is now online (January 23, 2012). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Scott Unger is a forecaster at the NWS in Birmingham. After a stint in the Air Force, he got the weather bug and became an intern at Birmingham. He was promoted to a journeyman forecaster position in 2007 and has assumed responsibility as the focal point for the upcoming dual polarization radar upgrade. The Birmingham WSR-88D is scheduled to have the upgrade completed during February. He joins us tonight to talk about that process, the radar products, and some other interesting topics.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

83 at Fort Myers, FL, and Brownsville, TX

minus 8 at Westby, MA

JB out tonight getting some well needed rest from severe weather last night

James fills in for JB with a R-A-N-T

James provides a second R-A-N-T

and more!

Our mail bag officer continues his desperate search for someone to fill his position. But for the time being,he continues to enjoy the extensive perks on the WeatherBrains lear jet flitting across the country on secret government missions and spending lavishly using the WeatherBrains unlimited credit card! Oh, and he also summarizes the incoming mail!

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: This week in WeatherBrains 101 we continue with part two on the history of upper air observations.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of January 24th. Rains in Hawaii, a frozen river, and a couple of big snows make the cut for This Week in Weather History.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 313:

NWS Birmingham, AL

Dual Polarization Radar

Picks of the Week:

Bill Murray – Storm Surge Forum

Brian Peters – Live Camera for Aurora Borealis

Kevin Selle – Space Weather Prediction Site

James Spann – SPC Mesoscale Analysis

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Kevin Selle, Bill Murray, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

WeatherBrains Episode 312 is now online (January 16, 2012). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is one of the leading severe weather researchers in the world. Dr. Harold Brooks leads the Modeling, Observation, and Analysis Team at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, OK. Originally from St. Louis, MO, Dr. Brooks has served in a variety of positions primarily in the area of meteorological research since receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Atmospheric Sciences in 1990. He has formally and informally be associated with over 100 publications including several books.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Extremes today included 85 in South Texas and minus 27 at Saranac Lake, NY

minus 50 at Bettles, AK

Valdez, AK, has over 70 inches of snow

and more!

Kevin is still trying to pawn off the mail bag, but he manages to come up with a summary.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Measuring our atmosphere is a challenge. We need observations of how the atmosphere is changing, something we humans have been trying to do for over 200 years. So what is the history of getting upper air data? 101 starts a series this episode on the history of upper air observations in the United States.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of January 17th. Snow, avalanches, cold, a tornado, and tropical rain make the headlines for this week.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 312:

Harold Brooks web page

National Severe Storms Laboratory

Warn on Forecast

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – Extreme Snow in Valdez, AK

Bill Murray – Full Surface Obs Plot from HPC

Brian Peters – Hard Drives So Small

Kevin Selle – How Often to Post to Twitter/Facebook?

James Spann – Wolfram Alpha, computational knowledge engine

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Bill Murray, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

WeatherBrains Episode 311 is now online (January 10, 2012). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the National Weather Service, Mobile, Alabama. Jeff Garmon grew up in Centre, AL. He is an FSU Seminole – Go Noles! – and 21 year veteran with the NWS.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Extremes: 82 at Gainesville, FL, and -9 at Kremmling, CO

Slight risk over AL and MS but little happening on January 10

69 inches of snow in parts of Alaska

Nome having fuel delivery problems due to winter storm

11 inches of snow in Midland, TX

and more!

Our email officer shoulders the old mail bag even as he tries to pawn off the EMO job!

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Weather observations are taken by machine, but that can be a good thing. This episode of 101 takes a look at some of the items the ASOS weather observing equipment can “see” along with some of the limitations that go with automated equipment.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of January 10th. Some of the big events included cold, high wind, and lake effect snows to name just a few.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 311:

NWS Mobile

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – Epic Snowfall in Texas/New Mexico

Bill Murray – Call to Action Statements

Brian Peters – Snow Photos from Cordova, AK

Kevin Selle – Newsletter from WFO Midland, TX

James Spann – Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Bill Murray, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

WeatherBrains Episode 310 is now online (January 3, 2012). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s show is an idea from listener Dan Goff. In August, he wrote, “I think it would be great if you guys had someone from the NWS IMET program on the show. Fire weather experts are definitely in high demand these days. Even if it’s not a glamorous as severe weather, it’s a crucial part of operational meteorology.” Quite right.

So it’s another two for one on WeatherBrains as we head into 2012. First up on the guest menus is Jaret Rogers. Jaret is a Mesoscale Assistant Forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma. Part of his routine duties include issuing fire weather forecasts, convective outlooks, and mesoscale discussions. Prior to working at SPC, Jaret worked at the Phoenix, Arizona, weather forecast office as a meteorologist intern. Jaret holds a M.S. degree in Atmospheric Science from Texas Tech University in 2007, and a B.S. degree in Geography from Arizona State University in 2005. Some of his research interests include boundary interactions in the local storm environment, the relationship between tornadoes and thunderstorm mergers, and the Southwest Monsoon.

And number two guest WeatherBrain is Joseph Goudsward. Joseph is a Senior Forecaster and Incident Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Little Rock, AR. He is a graduate of Lyndon State College in Vermont. He did television weather in Wausau, WI, before entering the NWS. He caught the fire weather big during a fire camp in Great Falls, MT, where he worked at the NWS for a time. He jumped at the chance when an IMET position opened in Little Rock in 2001 and has been there since. Many thanks to Renee Fair, the MIC at Little Rock, and Jim Stefkovich, the Birmingham MIC, for recommending Joseph.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Coldest in the lower 48 – minus 19 at Embarrass, MN

Warmest in the lower 48 – 91 at Riverside, CA

National radar picture shows only a few showers in Northwest and some snow in Great Lakes

Bitter cold in South

and more!

Our email officer always has some sort of excuse about the mail bag, but he usually comes through with all the news that our listeners write to us about.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Surface observations help to lay out the picture of what weather is happening to us. But how are these observations taken? Are they machine or human, real or Memorex? This episode of 101 takes a look at the ASOS system.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of January 3rd. Tornadoes in January? Yes, plus ice in Hawaii? Another affirmative. The week also featured some snow events and a big wind gust.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 310:

NWS Little Rock, AR

SPC, Norman, OK

12 Billion Dollar Disasters in 2011

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – Earth Science Picture of the Day – snow crystals

Bill Murray – ESPN3

Brian Peters – National NWS Radar Site

Kevin Selle – Gets the horn! !

James Spann – Google+ Weather

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Bill Murray, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.