WeatherBrains Episode 1053 is now online (March 23rd, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. He previously led its Hurricane Specialist Unit and served as a senior hurricane specialist, producing forecasts and warnings for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. His work focuses on improving hurricane track and intensity forecasts, integrating new data into models, and training meteorologists on forecasting and communication. Before joining NHC leadership, he was the Science and Operations Officer at the Weather Prediction Center, where he guided scientific practices and staff training. He is active in the scientific community as a presenter, journal reviewer, and associate editor. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from North Carolina State University, with research focused on weather forecasting and meteorology in the eastern United States. Dr. Michael Brennan, welcome to the show!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Notable Virginia hurricanes (12:00)
- When can NOAA Hurricane Hunters fly into a developing tropical cyclone? (15:00)
- Extending tropical weather outlooks beyond a week? (18:00)
- Considering population density with regards to hurricane watches/warnings (25:00)
- Operational tempo atNHC during 2025’s Hurricane Melissa (35:30)
- Receiving and analyzing real-time reports during landfalling tropical cyclones (46:00)
- Behind the scenes: a normal day at NHC vs active event protocol (49:45)
- Dealing with the media as NHC Director (54:30)
- Social media attacks and appropriate professional responses in the weather enterprise (01:13:00)
- NHC seasonal outlooks and call to action (01:18:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:27:00)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:20)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:30)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1053:
Picks of the Week:
Dr. Michael Brennan – NHC Tropical Cyclone Video Series
James Aydelott – Foghorn
Jen Narramore – Hurricane Gloria September 27th, 1985
Rick Smith – U.S. Drought Monitor Current Map
Troy Kimmel – NWS Houston/Galveston Hurricane Guide
Kim Klockow-McClain – The Fifth Hurricane Hazard: A Case Study of Heat Risks Faced by Disaster Relief Workers After Hurricane Beryl’s Landfall
John Gordon – Kentucky Mesonet at WKU
Bill Murray – Out
James Spann – Conditional Warning Probabilities
James Spann – NOAA’s NWS eyes the cloud for next-gen applications
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.
