WeatherBrains Episode 1057 is now online (April 20th, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!
We are excited to have retired National Hurricane Center (NHC) Bill Read on tonight’s episode of WeatherBrains! Bill was the Director of the National Hurricane Center from 2008-2012, and focused on improving storm surge forecasting accuracy and strengthening collaborations with emergency managers to better communicate risks. He advanced the use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for real-time public outreach and feedback, notably during events such as Hurricane Irene in 2011, to refine messaging on inland flooding threats. Bill was the first Meteorologist in Charge (MIC) at NWS Houston and led the office for 15 years. He was also a Navy Hurricane Hunter on the P3 aircraft. Bill, welcome to WeatherBrains!
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- National Tropical Weather Conference (06:00)
- Bill’s entry in the NWS (22:45)
- Looking back at 1978’s Tropical Storm Amelia (25:00)
- Who remembers teletypes? (30:15)
- Anniversary of 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy (38:30)
- Experiences as NHC Director working Hurricane Ike (44:30)
- Are there more landfalling US hurricanes at night or during the day? (53:00)
- 3 significant tools that have moved the meteorological industry forward (54:00)
- NHC Director off-season duties (58:00)
- Process of retiring a hurricane name (01:09:00)
- Dr. Robert Simpson’s legacy (01:20:00)
- Issues with coordination between WFOs as NHC Director (01:21:00)
- Best and worst forecasts as NHC Director over the years (01:22:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week – stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:28:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1057:
Picks of the Week:
Bill Read – Cade’s Cast Weather on YouTube
James Aydelott – Reid Wiseman on X: Moon video
Jen Narramore – OTUS Project on X: Video INSIDE the Wyoming, IA tornado
Rick Smith – NIHHIS Heat Season Warm-Up Workshop
Troy Kimmel – Out
Kim Klockow-McClain – Iowa/Wisconsin tornado warnings 2026 vs 2025
John Gordon – Volcaholic on X: Video illustrating “Levante” phenomenon
Bill Murray – Out
James Spann – Roger Edwards on X: About Recent SPC Forecast Performance
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.
