Archive for October, 2008

WeatherBrains 142: Alaskan Weather

WeatherBrains Episode 142 is now online (October 13, 2008). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

This could be the most northerly guest we’ve ever had on WeatherBrains. Our guest for the show tonight is Todd Foisy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage, Alaska. Todd was getting to the end of his shift. He grew up in the Birmingham area, and the blizzard of 1993 got him interested in weather. He has gradually moved to snowier climates because of his interest in snow. His main interests are mountain weather and snow. Anchorage NWS is unique because they have such a large forecast area.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

  • Freezing spray for the Bering Sea
  • Alaskan Weather Challenge – forecasting snow in Anchorage
  • Chasing chinooks
  • Clear skies with good sun and temperatures drop
  • A 30-minute weather show from the Anchorage NWS
  • Which WeatherBrains crew member has been the farthest north?
  • and more!

    • Our mail bag has been getting a lot of attention. Some mailbag bumper music suggestions. A question about lightning in a square pattern. Climate web sites. Thanks for filling the mail bag.

    From The Weather Center:

    WeatherBrains 101: Just how thick can it be? Well, the well known professor delves into thickness by first looking in the dictionary and then going into the field of weather to find the meaning.

    TWIWH – This Week in Weather History: Bill Murray discusses 1954 Hurricane Hazel and a honeymooning couple who actually survived the storm. Hazel caused damage all the way to Canada.

    Listener SurveyListener 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 142:

    NWS Anchorage

    E-wall from Penn State

    Davis Weather Stations

    Galileo Thermometer

    Paul Douglas web site

    Global climate change links provided by Jan Curtis:

    http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/Timeseries/
    Create a monthly or seasonal time series of climate variables

    http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html
    Climate at a glance

    http://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/website/ims-climatls/index.html
    US Climate Atlas (click upper left menu for scales)

    http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/state.php3?c=US&s=&refer=
    Simple tables

    http://www.worldclimate.com/
    More tables

    http://prism.oregonstate.edu/products/matrix.phtml?view=maps
    PRISM: Spatial climate data

    http://elnino.agen.ufl.edu/tools/yieldRisk/index.php
    Statistic climate modeling link

    Editor’s note: My apology for not getting this included with the original show notes. Truth is I got distracted and completely forgot. Special thanks to WeatherBrains listener David Phillips from Winston-Salem, NC, for noting my omission. -Brian-

    Join James Spann, JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Brian Peters, and Dr. Tim Coleman as they come together for another riveting netcast about the weather.

    We love to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used in future episodes. Also, feel free to post comments to the site and drop us an email at email at (at symbol) weatherbrains dot com.

    Oct 14, 2008 | 0 comments View Post

    WeatherBrains 141: Banter including Fog-nadoes

    WeatherBrains Episode 141 is now online (October 6, 2008). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

    The WeatherBrains crew goes into free form mode that can sometimes take the podcast into some strange topics. These topics in addition to some current weather.

    Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

  • Nation’s weather taking on a wintery look
  • But on a warmer note, a new tropical storm was named – Marco
  • Winter season predictions
  • What about the spiders or other natural indicators for a seasonal prediction
  • And the crew goes around the horn to select the defining moment in their careers
  • Plus a WeatherBrains first – fog-nadoes!
  • and more!

    • Our mail bag has not gotten a great deal of attention lately, but the Email Officer, Kevin, is letting the weather get in the way! Since North Central Texas has some serious weather, Kevin is not with us, so next week will see some email discussion. But James tries to pick up a few including a submission for the bumper music for the email officer.

    From The Weather Center:

    WeatherBrains 101: This week we tackle a topic that you often hear mentioned – wind shear. The illustrious, internationally known professor takes a look at what wind shear is and what it contributes to the atmosphere.

    TWIWH – This Week in Weather History: Bill Murray discusses a legend for a fire in Chicago where weather contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Another fire north of Chicago was affected by the same drought that contributed to the Chicago fire.

    Listener SurveyListener 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 141:

    Kestrel Personal Weather Stations

    Civil Defense Museum

    Autumn foliage

    BufKit – forecast and analysis tool

    Join James Spann, JB Elliott, Brian Peters, and Dr. Tim Coleman come together for another fascinating netcast about the weather.

    We love to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used in future episodes. Also, feel free to post comments to the site and drop us an email at email at (at symbol) weatherbrains dot com.

    Oct 07, 2008 | 0 comments View Post
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