Weather Brains 96: Football to Flags and Weather, too

WeatherBrains Episode 96 is now online (November 26, 2007). This is THE netcast audio program for people who love everything weather. And only four more episodes until we turn 100!!

WOW!! The Weather Brains crew is all over the place with topics from the world of weather. It nearly happened in 1983 when tornado warnings were issued during one of the biggest college football rivalries taking place at Legion Field in Birmingham. J. B. Elliott and James Spann recount some of the events that occurred during that harrowing evening. And Brian and Kevin chime in with some speculation on what kind of impact a strong or violent tornado might have on a football stadium. Or what about a NASCAR event with over 160,000 people outside.

And how was the 2007 hurricane season which ends this week? Some people including Max Mayfield don’t have very good opinions of seasonal forecasting.

Is there really freedom to talk once you leave the government? Apparently so according to two of our crew. Plus Brian notes that the size of the official photos gets smaller as you move up the ladder in the government weather hierarchy. So what does that mean?

Party? Did someone say party? James Spann puts in a plug for weatherparty.com where lots of interesting news is posted. Hear what one person in the United Kingdom is doing to combat global warming.

Storm Flags. They were always interesting and a big part of the weather history of this country, but they went away in 1989. But now they are back! The U. S. Coast Guard returned a tradition with the reinstatement of storm flags at Coast Guard stations.

And can you guess what we’re testing for a future review? There’s a clue in the links for this episode below.

Hold JB back. You might not believe some of the wording in a recent forecast.

And while the listener mail bag is running over, Kevin has had some horrible computer troubles (Get a Mac Kevin!!) but still manages to debut a new jingle for the mail bag segment.

From The Weather Center:

• WeatherBrains 101: There are all sorts of thingys on a radar – sort of like seeing dinosaurs or dragons in the clouds. But actually some elements that you see on radar come about because of what is going on in the atmosphere. This week Weather Brains 101 looks at bright bands.
• This Week In Weather History: The end of November brings a look back at some of the interesting tropical events of 2007 including some intense storms, some rapid storms, and a deadly storm. Hear all the details from Mr. Bill Murray in this segment.

Listener Surveys: Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. It just takes a minute or two, and we love to hear from you. The best parts are learning where you are from and hearing your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web sites from Episode 96:

Coast Guard Re-establishes Storm Flag Program

NWS Information on Storm Flags

Kestrel Wind and Weather Instruments

Notes and images from the 1983 Iron Bowl in Birmingham, AL

Miami Herald Story on Herb Saffir who died this week

Join the legendary JB Elliott, James Spann, Brian Peters, and Kevin Selle for this look at the field of weather in the latest episode of WeatherBrains.

We love to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used in future episodes. Also, feel free to post comments to the site and send us an email at question@weatherbrains.com.