WeatherBrains Episode 1066 is now online (June 22nd, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!
This week’s WeatherBrains episode is a home-grown show all about storm chasing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.
Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.
- Waning interest in storm chasing (04:00)
- Holding it while dealing with long-form severe weather coverage (10:00)
- Current state of storm chasing in 2026 (16:00)
- Importance of enforcing traffic laws when dealing with a saturated chaser community (27:30)
- Oklahoma traffic laws concerning emergency lights (31:30)
- Liability insurance requirements for those who continue to storm chase? (36:00)
- NOAA’s OPG (Operations Proving Ground) (49:30)
- What is the purpose of a service assessment? (59:30)
- State of Connecticut doesn’t need 3 WFOs! (01:02:00)
- Importance of interacting directly with the people we serve in the field of weather to mitigate loss of life (01:10:00)
- Discriminating between weaknesses and strengths in the warning process (01:21:30)
- Effectively utilizing user generated content during long-form severe weather coverage (01:23:30)
- Private Slack chat session with trusted weather professionals to weed out AI/fake images (01:28:00)
- The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week – stay tuned!)
- This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:29:30)
- E-Mail Segment (01:30:30)
- Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:41:00)
- and more!
Web Sites from Episode 1066:
Picks of the Week:
James Aydelott – Illinois: More tornadoes than Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas combined, year to date. (225 vs 191)
Jen Narramore – Tennessee Valley Weather on X: “Tennessee Valley Weather Adds Weather Balloon Launch Capability to Strengthen Severe Weather Forecasting”
Rick Smith – Facts About Derechos
Troy Kimmel – IEM Generated Regional Temperature and Precipitation Report
Kim Klockow-McClain – Foghorn
John Gordon – Dave Throup on X: Shelf Cloud pic at Glastonbury Tor
Bill Murray – Out
James Spann – SkyeCalm Storm Anxiety App
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.
