WeatherBrains Episode 1063 is now online (June 1st, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!
This week’s WeatherBrains episode is all about Canadian tornadoes!
Tonight’s episode features Guest WeatherBrain David Sills. David earned a PhD from York University in Toronto. He served as a Severe Weather Scientist at Environmental Canada, before becoming Director of the Northern Tornadoes Project with Western Engineering in 2019. He’s been an adjunct professor at both Western University in Ontario and the University of Manitoba. David, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Second Guest WeatherBrain tonight is Connell Miller. He’s the Director of the Northern Mesonet Project and is an adjunct professor at Western University. He received a BESC in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Civil Engineering from Western University in 2020. He’s also coordinator for the Summer Undergrad Internship Program for the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory. Connell, it’s great to have you join us tonight!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- David’s meteorological background (07:00)
- Canadian tornado alley (09:00)
- Project Unstable (12:30)
- Canadian peak tornado chasing season (14:00)
- Canadian assistance with Enderlin EF5 tornado (21:30)
- All about the Northern Mesonet Project (25:00)
- What is a hail sensor and what does it look like? (28:30)
- QLCS circulations vs supercell circulations (35:00)
- Tornado culture in Canada (45:45)
- Current hail projects at Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (47:00)
- CSSL collaboration with NSSL (59:00)
- Myths surrounding tornadoes and other natural phenomena (01:05:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:30)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:21:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains Episodes (01:23:30)
- E-Mail Segment
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1063:
Western University Northern Tornadoes Project Dashboard
CSSL (Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory)
Picks of the Week:
David Sills – “An Updated National Tornado Climatology for Canada” by David Sills
Connell Miller – Canadian Mesonet Portal
James Aydelott – IEM LSR App
Jen Narramore – Edmonton, Alberta F4 Tornado – July 31st, 1987
Rick Smith – Out
Troy Kimmel – Don Day’s Wyoming Weather Forecast: Saturday, May 30th, 2026 photo
Kim Klockow-McClain – Order on Motion for Preliminary Injunction – University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
John Gordon – Massimo on X: Giant elk walking on beach toward a magnificent rainbow in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Bill Murray – Out
James Spann – Foghorn
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.