WeatherBrains 219: Communications and Weather

WeatherBrains Episode 219 is now online (Apr. 6, 2010). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

WeatherBrains - April 6, 2010

Our WeatherBrains guest panelist for episode 219 is Dr. John Knox. He is an assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Georgia. He went to the same high school that Bill Murray did, just three years behind him. He has been published numerous times. Both Bill and John had the same mentor in JB Elliott. One of John’s topics interests Dr. Tim, too, since John has published some work on waves.

Our first Guest WeatherBrain is Gina Eosco. She has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland and an Master of Science in Communication from Cornell University. She is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma. Her thesis is about how hurricane track graphics are used by forecasters to prioritize and convey weather information visually. She is a Communication Research Associate for the American Meteorological Society’s Policy Program where she puts her research to work studying the effectiveness of hazard and weather messages. In her free time, she enjoys playing the flute.

Jeff Lazo is our second Guest WeatherBrain. He received a BA in economics and philosophy from the University of Denver and his Masters and PhD in environmental and natural resource economics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is an economist with extensive experience in nonmarket valuation of environmental and natural resource commodities. He is the Director of the Collaborative Program on the Societal Impacts and Economic Benefits of Weather Information at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Jeff has been at NCAR since 2004.

And bringing up the last of the largest group of guests on WeatherBrains is Julie Demuth. She’s a PhD student at Colorado State University.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

JB’s Miss Molly was the victim of a vicious attack by another dog but doing well

JB’s lunch which was late included a banana and can of vienna sausage plus diet ginger ale

13 percent of lower 48 with snow cover

201 inches of snow at Basin Lake at 11,000 feet

records tied or broken in east central and southeast US

-20 at Dead Horse, AK

Tornadoes in Central Iowa this evening

and more!

Our cheerful email officer provides another riveting rundown on the latest from the world of his email bag. But we all know the real skill behind or EMO is his talented son, Matthew.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Our WeatherBrains guest last week, Eric Pinder, spoke about the undercast visible from Mt. Washington. So that seemed like an appropriate topic to explore on this edition of WeatherBrains 101.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of April 3rd. The night of April 3rd, 1974, is one that will never be forgotten. Bill brings back a remembrance of that night coming from a lady in Guin, AL.

Listener 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 219:

University Center for Atmospheric Research

Tornado Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974, Synoptic Analysis

Picks of the Week:

Dr. Tim Coleman – Weather Channel appearances of Dr. Coleman and Spann

JB Elliott – Fog Horn AGAIN ! !

John Knox – Video game Effing Hail

Bill Murray – Translating “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs”

Brian Peters – RAP Real-time Weather Data

Kevin Selle – 50th Anniversary of TIROS I

James Spann – Video from April 3-4, 1974 featuring JB Elliott

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.