WeatherBrains Episode 1070 is now online (July 20th, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

This week’s WeatherBrains episode is all about dust storms.

Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the MIC (Meteorologist in Charge) of NWS Goodland, Kansas.  A Nebraska native, he’s logged over a quarter century of service for the NWS, with prior stops in Omaha, Sioux Falls, and North Platte.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Nebraska-Lincoln.  Jeremy Martin, welcome to the show!

Guest Panelist and NWA President Kim Runk joins us tonight discussing the NWA (National Weather Association) and a preview of the upcoming NWA annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.  Thanks for joining us, Kim!

Program Chair of the 2026 NWA Annual Meeting Jessica Stumpf also joins us as Guest Panelist.  She’s the Public Safety Solution Engineer Meteorologist at Baron Weather, and has a decade of prior experience in Emergency Management.  She has a Bachelor’s from Penn State and is a former broadcast meteorologist.  Jessica, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• Tropical Depression 2 in the Gulf struggling with shear and dry air (02:00)
• What got Jeremy into meteorology?  (08:00)
• Life/culture at the Goodland KS National Weather Service (09:30)
• Dust storm official definition (14:30)
• Unusual circumstances of forecasting haboobs (20:30)
• Coordination between NWS and EMA (26:30)
• Dust Storm Warnings – do they make a difference?  (29:30)
• Debating the Dust Capital of America (43:30)
• Advocating for the field of meteorology on Capitol Hill (58:00)
• Why should I join the NWA as a meteorology student?  (01:05:30)
• 2026 NWA Annual Meeting in Omaha:   When and Where (01:17:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:20:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:22:45)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1070:  

“Connect5 Leadership: Growing Leaders by Serving Others” by Kim Runk

2026 AMS Annual Meeting

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Jeremy Martin – NASA Dust Tracker AI

Jessica Stumpf – SC Emergency Manager App

Jessica Stumpf – 2026 Esri User Conference San Diego, CA

Kim Runk – Weather and Climate Collections – NOAA Library

James Aydelott – World’s Largest Easel in Goodland, Kansas

Jen Narramore – WeatherBrains 855: Nocturnal MCS Mode

Rick Smith – How 2026 World Cup Venues Handle the Heat (and Humidity, and Storms…)

Troy Kimmel – Out

Kim Klockow-McClain – Out

John Gordon – Amazing Footage of Debris Flow in Illgraben

Bill Murray – Out

James Spann – Real Time Tropical Cyclones

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.