Archive for April, 2011

WeatherBrains 274: Attack of the Yeti

WeatherBrains Episode 274 is now online (April 25, 2011). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

We tried taking you right into the teeth of the storms, but our planned guest is really in the middle of the storms. So we’ll go with Plan B! Coming to us from our very own backyard is guest Weather Brain this evening, Jim Stefkovich, Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office for Central Alabama in Calera (Birmingham area). Besides the job of running an NWS Forecast Office, Jim is also the program committee chair for the upcoming National Weather Association (NWA) national conference to be held in Birmingham in October, 2011.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

  • Mississippi River headed for levels not seen in 70 years
  • Astronaut to kick off NWA Conference
  • Tornadoes reported in Arkansas and Texas during the show
  • 292 confirmed tornadoes in the US in April
  • Two levee breaks in Missouri with heavy rain
  • Half of all counties in the US under some sort of weather concern
  • and more!
  • Our mail bag continues to push the draw strings, so Kevin performs his usual fabulous summary of what we’ve heard this week.

    From The Weather Center:

    WeatherBrains 101: Listener Glynne has posed a question about weather radars at television stations. Apologies to Glynne for not getting to his question sooner, but I try to provide an answer to the question that has been bugging him for some time now.

    TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of April 26th. Flooding of near Biblical proportion in Tennessee was one of the highlights for the upcoming week.

    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 274:

    Memphis NWS Web Page

    National Weather Association

    National Weather Association Conference

    NWA Conference Blog

    Picks of the Week:

    Dr. Tim Coleman – Gets the Fog Horn!!

    JB Elliott – NCEP Seasonal Drought Outlook

    Bill Murray – Hail Size Descriptions

    Brian Peters – Wondrous Views of Earth

    Kevin Selle – Interesting Weather Event in Estonia

    James Spann – Vilonia-Mt. Vernon, AR Radar Couplet

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

    WeatherBrains 273: Pepperoni TVS and Beer Markers

    WeatherBrains Episode 273 is now online (April 18, 2011). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

    Our guest WeatherBrains tonight is Nate Johnson from WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC. Our friend Nate was on the air through the entire event on Saturday as several long tracked tornadoes wreaked havoc across the Tar Heel State, including one that moved directly through his city.

    Our mail bag has been getting some attention and Kevin puts it in perspective.

    From The Weather Center:

    WeatherBrains 101: For the last couple of episodes, 101 has been discussing various aspects of the GFDL hurricane forecast system. So one of the burning questions concerns how the model has performed. So that is the topic for this week.

    TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of April 19th. Fog in the Gulf resulted in a maritime disaster.

    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 273:

    WRAL-TV Web Site

    SPC Storm Reports for April 15, 2011

    COMET

    USDA Meteorology distance learning

    Picks of the Week:

    JB Elliott – Mountain Wave Clouds

    Nate Johnson – WRAL-TV April 16 video and pictures

    Bill Murray – Newseum

    Brian Peters – Gets the fog horn!!!

    Kevin Selle – Article on Spann from LostRemote

    James Spann – ABC 3340 Viewer Flickr Page

    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.