This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about 2022's devastating Hurricane Ian.

Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode is very special guest and author Scott Withers. He's a 4-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and journalist with more than two decades of TV experience. On September 28th 2022, Scott was reporting live in Fort Myers when Hurricane Ian's storm surge submerged his vehicle and trapped his crew. Three strangers rescued them by boat, and all six then rode out the Category 4 hurricane together. Earlier this year, he released a book chronicling his experience, and has now recently released a children's hurricane adventure book entitled "The Halloween Hurricane". Thanks for joining us tonight to share your incredible story, Scott!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• 1978's Do you remember the 21st of September? (0:30)
• Scott's new book "The Halloween Hurricane" released today 9/21/26! (07:30)
• Scott's early background in weather (09:30)
• Midlife crisis or brand-new beginning? (17:00)
• The start of 2022's Hurricane Ian coverage (21:00)
• Remembering 2004's Hurricane Charley during preparation for Ian landfall (25:00)
• Wind shift in relation to Ian's eye (39:00)
• Spaghetti models vs cone/trajectory of Ian (48:00)
• Pre-Ian efforts by NHC with improving storm surge warnings (52:00)
• Complexities and logistics of hurricane preparation and risk perception (01:01:30)
• Misinformation on social media during major weather events (01:08:00)
• Scott's advice for media in the field in future major hurricanes after experiences with Ian(01:17:30)
• Cane the Hurricane Dog! (01:24:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:28:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:31:30)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:37:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1079:

"Ian's Surge: Surviving a Cat 4 Hurricane" by Scott Withers

"The Halloween Hurricane: Cane and Friends Save The City (Cane the Weather Dog)" by Scott Withers

Cane the Weather Dog

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Scott Withers - Miami-Dade County drought conditions

James Aydelott - Daily High Temp at or above 85F Tulsa OK

James Aydelott - Daily Low Temp at or above 60F Tulsa OK

Jen Narramore - Goat Locker Racing League

Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.1

Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains race car photo No.2

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - NOAA Administrator's Award

Kim Klockow-McClain - Photo of Dr. Neil Jacobs and Rick Smith

Bill Murray - Foghorn

John Gordon - Tornado touches down; hail pounds Northern Utah in raw video

James Spann - James Spann on X: Lightning and College Football

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about Wisconsin Public Radio's "Weather Guys".

Our Guest WeatherBrains for tonight's episode are some of the smartest people in the weather enterprise. Dr. Jonathan Martin joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994. He won the Edward Lawrence Teaching Award in 2016 by the AMS. He's authored 90 papers and has helped publish several books including a biography on British meteorologist Reginald Sutcliffe about inventions on modern weather systems. He was named by Princeton Review as one of the nation's top 300 professors. Dr. Martin, welcome to the show!

We are honored to also have on the show Dr. Steven Ackerman. He was the Director of CIMSS (The Cooperative Institute of Meteorological Satellite Studies) for over a decade. He was Vice Chancellor of Research and Graduate Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He's won many awards as public service medals and is very involved with leadership initiatives. He's won the Exceptional Public Service medal and is very involved with the student body. Dr. Ackerman, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Tuscaloosa, AL hits record high of 101F on 09/14/26 (01:15)
• Ridge going nowhere anytime soon! (01:30)
• What is "baratropic"? (10:45)
• Revolution in access to data over the decades (17:30)
• Advice to meteorology students who are soon entering the workforce (20:00)
• Relationship between PBS and Wisconsin (21:30)
• Development of "Weather Guys" (26:00)
• Dr. Ackerman's and Dr. Martin's recommended weather apps (38:00)
• CIMSS: What it is and when it started (46:00)
• The Next Big Thing in weather satellites? (50:00)
• CubeSat constellations (01:02:00)
• The future of radio? (01:10:30)
• Correlation between specific weather and El Niño ENSO phase (01:20:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:27:00)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1078:

UW Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

CIMSS (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies)

The Weather Guys

Wisconsin Public Radio

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Dr. Steven Ackerman - Volcanic Eruption of Anak Krakatau

Dr. Jonathan Martin - Atlantic hurricane season peak: no storms and a record hurricane delay

James Aydelott - Out

Jen Narramore - The Northeast Georgia History Center

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Disney College Program participant killed in lightning strike; Good Samaritans recount rescue attempt

Kim Klockow-McClain - NASA CubeSat to Test Miniaturized Weather Satellite Technology

Bill Murray - Out

John Gordon - Jeremy Perez on X

James Spann - James Spann on X: Auburn Football lightning delay on September 12th

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about "The Next Big Thing" by Meteorologist Rob Marciano.

Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is an award-winning meteorologist with more than two decades of experience covering some of the nation's biggest weather stories. His career includes positions at major networks such as CNN and ABC News, and he now serves as a Senior Meteorologist at CBS News. He has recently written a book entitled "The Next Big Thing". The Panel also discusses Rob's journey from his weather-obsessed childhood to his rise to a network meteorologist. Rob Marciano, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Bill Murray is back! (08:30)
• Rob's childhood and early interest in weather (10:30)
• Cornell University's meteorology program (22:00)
• Rob's experience with 2005's Hurricane Katrina (39:00)
• Reporting on the 1999 Moore, Oklahoma F5 (50:00)
• Changes in broadcast meteorology and lasting present-day issues in the field from Rob's perspective (01:05:00)
• AI: Bringing back the art of forecasting? (01:11:30)
• Rob's new book "The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" (01:14:00)
• Harnessing lightning: How does this benefit society? (01:23:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:32:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:34:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:35:30)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:44:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1077:

"The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Rob Marciano - Surfers gather at The Wedge in Newport Beach to take advantage of the massive waves

Rob Marciano - "The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow" by Rob Marciano and James Trefil

James Aydelott - Tornado Watch in Hawaii

James Aydelott - Text of Tornado Watch in Hawaii

Jen Narramore - The 1936 Gainesville Tornado

Rick Smith - College football Week 1 heatwave forces game changes as temperatures top 100 degrees

Troy Kimmel - NTSB Media Briefing 2 - Miami, FL Runway excursion accident involving a B-767-300 cargo airplane

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

Bill Murray - Foghorn

John Gordon - Hurricanes in Hawaii

James Spann - James Spann on X: Impressive waterspout this morning at Pensacola Beach

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about hydroplaning and why it happens.

Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is the Assistant Director of the Vision of Maintenance for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Discussing a national hydroplaning project with the panel in the episode, she has over two decades experience in transportation and is a friend of the field. Randi Feltner, thanks for joining us!

Joining us as Second Guest WeatherBrain is very special guest Zion Powell. He's pursuing his dream to become a meteorologist with an emphasis on mesoscale weather events. He's currently a senior at Salisbury State in Maryland majoring in meteorology and geoscience. He was selected as a NOAA Lapenta Intern for 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky where he worked on a national hydroplaning campaign. Zion, welcome!

We are excited to have Guest WeatherBrain and WeatherBrains veteran Alan Sealls joining us tonight. A 16-time Regional Emmy Winner, he's now the president of the American Meteorological Society and has had a legendary career in the field. He earned his degree in meteorology at Cornell and earned a Master's Degree at Florida State University. He is a professor at the University of South Alabama. Alan, welcome back!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Tropical Storm Eduard forms in the Gulf (01:00)
• Record heat for Alabama football's home opener? (02:30)
• Zion's early background in weather (09:30)
• All about Salisbury State's Atmospheric Science program (11:00)
• What is the William M. Lapenta Scholarship? (12:00)
• Randi's early background and path to second in command at KDOT (13:30)
• Experiences during 2021 Mayfield, KY tornado (19:00)
• "Wet Lanes, Don't Hydroplane" (24:00)
• Role of tire pressure and speed in hydroplaning (26:00)
• Complicated nature of getting national hydroplaning statistics (47:00)
• What is spectrum allocation? (01:02:45)
• AMS Annual Meeting 2027 in Denver (01:04:00)
• All about the AMS and its history (01:08:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:45)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:25:00)
• E-Mail Segment (01:27:00)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:34:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1076:

2027 AMS Annual Meeting

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Zion Powell - Zion Powell on Instragram

Zion Powell - Zion Powell on TikTok

Randi Feltner - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Alan Sealls - National Severe Weather Archive Display

James Aydelott - Tulsa Hits 102F

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - NOAA boosts weather data collection capabilities with new Mesonet contract

Kim Klockow-McClain - Principal Saved 900 Students Before His School Was Washed Away in Nepal

John Gordon - Monstrous Flash Flood & Debris Flow l Johnson Canyon, UT 7/16/2018

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Basics of the Arizona Monsoon and Desert Meteorology

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the July 2025 flooding tragedy in Texas.

Our Guest WeatherBrain for tonight's episode is Dr. JJ Gourley. An Oklahoma native, he's a senior research hydrometeorologist at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory. He manages an interdisciplinary team there that is developing the FLASH product, which is a flash flood forecasting product that Dr. Garley will discuss on this week's episode. He's won the Department of Commerce's silver medal award, as well as the AMS Journal of Hydrometeorology Editor's Award. He's also authored over 160 Paraview Journal Articles. He's even written a radar hydrology textbook! Welcome to tonight's show, Dr. Gourley!

Our Guest Panelist tonight is Dr. Keri K. Stephens from the University of Texas at Austin. She's the George Christian Centennial Professor. With over 25 years of interdisciplinary research experience, Dr. Stephens' expertise includes organizational communication, mobile technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), crisis and disaster communication, infrastructure communication, and health communication. In her professional service, Dr. Stephens currently serves on the National Weather Service NOAA Central Texas Integrated Warning Team and on the Executive Advisory Council of the Schreiner University Institute for Hazard Risk and Readiness. Dr. Stephens, thanks for joining us tonight!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Oklahoma heat trivia from NWS chat (04:30)
• Dr. Gourley's hydrometeorology background (9:00)
• Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System (MRMS) (13:00)
• FLASH project (13:30)
• Meteorological setup leading up to July 2025 Texas floods (17:30)
• Area creeks around Camp Mystic that became major players (29:00)
• Process determining approximate lead time before event (34:30)
• Warn-on-Forecast System (WoFS): From experimental to operational? (36:30)
• Combining organizational communication and disaster studies (42:30)
• Lessons learned about public safety infrastructure in the wake of post-flood hearings (58:00)
• Protocol for severe/winter weather warnings at campgrounds/RV parks (01:16:30)
• Turn Around, Don't Drown! (01:29:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:38:15)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:40:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:42:30)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:44:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1075:

NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Dr. JJ Gourley - Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts

Dr. Keri K. Stephens - Texas Institute for Hazard Risk and Readiness (TIHRR) - Schreiner University

James Aydelott - Tornado video in France

James Aydelott - Tornado video in France - Secondary Angle

James Aydelott - More absurd footage of the tornado in Pomas, France

James Aydelott - Exceptional video of the tornado that struck the area around Carcassonne!

James Aydelott - Strong tornado in France, north of the Pyrenees

Jen Narramore - University Archives and West Florida History Center

Rick Smith - IEM (Iowa Environmental Mesonet) Severe Weather Products

Troy Kimmel - United States Power Outage Map

Kim Klockow-McClain - WoFS-FLASH coupled forecasts for the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster

Kim Klockow-McClain - Hydrometeorological Analysis of the July 2025 Texas Hill Country Flash Flood Disaster

Kim Klockow-McClain - Indiana Governor Calls for NIPSCO to be Investigated Over Power Outages After Gary Storms

John Gordon - Photo from Mike Olbinski: Moonbow

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the Enhanced Fujita scale and the path toward implementation.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the EF Committee Chairman. He's the master instructor at the NWS Operations Training Unit, and he's the Team Lead in NWS forecasters course development. He's also acting Director of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program at the National Institute for Standards of Technology, and he currently chairs and cofounded the Standards Committee on estimating wind speeds of severe storms within the American Society of Civil Engineers. Jim LaDue, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Founder and CEO of Climavision. Climavision is a weather technology company that provides critical gaps in radar coverage, and improves forecast accuracy. He brings in more than 30 years of advanced weather observation predictive modeling, work spanning dual polarization radar, mobile and satellite enable systems, and the forecasting models that turn raw observations into sharper forecasts. Chris Goode, thanks for joining us!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Jim's early background in weather (09:00)
• ASCE (American Society for Civil Engineers) (11:30)
• Who decided to update the Fujita scale in the early 2000s? (14:30)
• EF Scale Subcommittee (21:30)
• Bill under construction to improve assessment of tornadoes (33:00)
• Behind the scenes with other ways to rate tornadoes in new EF Scale (37:30)
• Re-analysis process in a civil and organized fashion (46:00)
• Damage exposure simulations in the future? (50:00)
• EEC (Enterprise Electronics Corporation) (01:00:30)
• X-Band vs C-Band radars (01:03:30)
• Benefits of Climavision high resolution radar and how it improves the warning process (01:05:30)
• Relationship between Climavision and NWS (01:08:00)
• Phased array radar - when will it happen and what about major radar gaps? (01:15:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:23:45)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:26:45)
• E-Mail Segment (01:29:00)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:32:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1074:

Tornado Archive

Climavision

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: Plume from oil/gas tank fire caused by lightning strike

Jen Narramore - 7 dead from historic flooding in Indiana

Rick Smith - Norman microburst timelapse

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Hurricane Lala Hawaii Damage

John Gordon - NASA Ocean Current Simulation

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Foghorn

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about Hawaii.

Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief Meteorologist at Hawaii News Now. She has given over 15 years of service and has provided trusted coverage for the Hawaiian Islands including tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and other natural disasters. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Atmospheric Ocean Science at San Fransisco State University. Jennifer Robbins, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Tonight's Guest Panelist is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) at the NWS office in Honolulu. He works Statewide with a wide variety of partners and earned his Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan in 1998. He started at NWS Marquette MI in 1999, and has worked with the NWS Honolulu since 2006, and the WCM since 2017. John Bravender, thanks for joining us tonight!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Jennifer's early weather background (10:00)
• John's early weather background (15:30)
• What exactly is it like to forecast for the State of Hawaii? (18:00)
• Difficulties forecasting with Hawaiian microclimates (20:00)
• Employee organization at NWS Honolulu (25:30)
• Torrential rainfall and major flooding in Hawaii caused by Kona lows (33:00)
• What exactly is a Kona low? (42:30)
• What happened to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center? (49:00)
• 1992's Hurricane Iniki (50:00)
• Introduction of chickens to Hawaii in the wake of Hurricane Iniki (53:30)
• Fire weather threats and how it has changed in recent years (58:30)
• Tsunami risks and concerns in Hawaii (01:07:45)
• Warning protocol in the State of Hawaii regarding tsunamis and severe weather (01:19:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:30)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:29:00)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1073:

Hawaii News Now First Alert Weather

Honolulu, HI NWS Forecast Office

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

John Bravender - Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards

James Aydelott - Okie James on Facebook: In 1936, the start of a truly hideous stretch of never-seen-since Summer weather in Tulsa

Jen Narramore - Dyer County Historical Society

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Population structure and hybridisation in a population of Hawaiian feral chickens

John Gordon - LoriGraceWX Monsoon Photography

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Proposed changes to WPC's Excessive Rainfall Outlook

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center.

Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is the Director of the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center. Growing up in Minnesota, he always had exposure to severe weather and took a keen interest early in his life. He earned his Bachelor of Science in meteorology from Iowa State University. Their research focuses on X-band radar that operates jointly between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. They have done extensive research, with a major focus on lightning. Michael Peterson, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Tonight's Guest Panelist is a research scientist at the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center. She received a Bachelor's Degree from Penn State University, and earned her Master's Degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. Jessica Losego, thanks for joining us tonight!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Jessica's early background in the field of weather (17:00)
• REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) (2:00)
• IHOP (International H2O Project) (21:00)
• When was the Georgia Severe Storms Research Center founded and what do they do? (24:30)
• Dual Pol variables in X-Band (26:30)
• North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (39:30)
• 2008 Downtown Atlanta, GA tornado during SEC tournament (57:30)
• GA Tech's research on tornadogenesis (01:01:00)
• What is cold air damming (CAD)? (01:03:30)
• New world record lightning flash discovered by SSRC (01:06:30)
• What is the definition of a mega flash? (01:11:45)
• Difficulties forecasting random airmass convection in the Deep South (01:19:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:25:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:27:30)
• E-Mail Segment (01:29:30)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:38:30)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1072:

North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array

Georgia Severe Storms Research Center

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Jessica Losego - Weather with a Twist - Aaron Price on Substack

Jessica Losego - "Atlanta Tornado of 1975" Volume 104 Issue 8 (1976) by E. F. Greneker

Michael Peterson - Call for Papers - 2027 AMS Annual Meeting

James Aydelott - OU Launches Oklahoma 3D Mesonet

Jen Narramore - The Governor's Tornado - March 24, 1975

Rick Smith - Where Have the EF5s Gone? A Closer Look at the "Drought" of the Most Violent Tornadoes in the United States

Troy Kimmel - GOES Image Viewer

Kim Klockow-McClain - The Tiny Rain Icon On Your Weather App is Crushing Small Businesses

John Gordon - Tornadoes in Wisconsin since 1950

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - NOAA's use of cloud infrastructure grows to include weather prediction models

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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about the 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood.

Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is meteorologist Matt Kelsch. He earned his Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma and has written numerous papers on mountain meteorology and hydrology. Retiring in 2022, he's an avid outdoorsmen, biker and gardener. It's great to see you tonight, Matt!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• WSR 88-D NEXRAD (10:45)
• World Meteorological Organization: What They Do (13:00)
• What tools were available for the NWS in 1976? (15:00)
• Significant 2013 Colorado flood (21:30)
• Photos of 1976 Big Thompson Flash Flood damage (27:00)
• July 28th, 1997 Spring Creek Flood at Fort Collins, CO (32:00)
• Proven success of converting creeks to floodways in 2013 (35:30)
• Devastating 1889 Johnstown, PA flood (37:30)
• Meteorological setup of Fort Collins 1997 Spring Creek flood (43:30)
• 2013 Colorado Flood (Great Erosional Flood) meteorological setup (48:30)
• Social science perspective on Call-To-Action for general public during floods (59:30)
• 500 Year Flood vs 1000 Year Flood (01:01:30)
• Profound lack of snowfall in Colorado during winter of 2025-2026 (01:10:00)
• Tips for meteorologists to better forecast and anticipate major flash flooding in present day (01:12:00)
• What is the definition of a flash flood? (01:14:00)
• Flash Flood Watch/Warning protocol in 1976 (01:16:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (01:31:30)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:27:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1071:

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Matt Kelsch - Real-time Air Quality Monitoring by PurpleAir

James Aydelott - River Photo

James Aydelott - Photo of sculpture by Bradley T. Mullnix

Jen Narramore - Rare waterspout near Montreal, Canada on July 23rd, 2008

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - Out

John Gordon - Matt Kelsch paper "Flash Flood Cases, Summary of Characteristics"

John Gordon - Bob Maddox paper "Synoptic and Meso-a Scale Aspects of Flash Flood Events"

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - 40 Years Later, Jim Cantore on Mount Rushmore of TV Weather

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.

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 protected].

• 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.

This week's WeatherBrains episode is all about hydrology. Tonight's episode examines the devastating 1997 Red River Flood.

Joining us tonight as Guest WeatherBrain is from Devils Lake, North Dakota. She is the Service Hydrologist at NWS Grand Forks, and is a twenty-year veteran in Federal service. Amanda Lee, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Second Guest WeatherBrain is the Senior Hydrologist at NWS North Central RFC (River Forecast Center) in Chanhassen, Minnesota. A Syracuse native, he joined the US Air Force as a weather officer, then earned his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah. He's spent over 15 years at the RFC (River Forecast Center). Justin Palmer, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our Third Guest WeatherBrain tonight is a retired National Weather Service senior meteorologist technician, the former Data Acquisition Program Manager of the Grand Forks National Weather Service office. Mark attended North Dakota State University in Fargo during the late 80s into the early 90s, working with former state climatologist Dr John Enz. Mark Retired in November of 2014 after 40 1/2 years of combined federal and military service. Mark is currently 3:00 to 6:00 PM afternoon host on KNOX Radio in Grand Forks ND, and has been associated with latent broadcasting since 2016. Mark also operates Home On The Prairie Weather LLC, providing agricultural climate forecasts and other related information to agricultural and civic groups. Mark Ewens, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected].

• Amanda's background in meteorology (10:00)
• Working as a Service Hydrologist: What do they do? (12:00)
• What is a River Forecast Center (RFC)? (17:30)
• What is CHPS? (Community Hydrologic Prediction System) (28:00)
• Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Data Set Hydrology Section (31:30)
• Advantages of being a Service Hydrologist concerning shift work (39:30)
• How accurate is Hydro modeling, and what factors are involved? (42:00)
• Snow cores: The Basics (45:00)
• Snow pack in the Dakotas: How long does it last, and how thick does it get? (55:30)
• Meteorological background of 1997 Red River Flood event (58:30)
• 1997 Red River Flood's public and Emergency Management response (01:01:30)
• Disinformation found online regarding river flooding (01:12:00)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:19:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:21:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1069:

KNOX News Radio

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Amanda Lee - "A River Runs North (Managing an International River)" by Gene Krenz and Jay Leitch

Amanda Lee - "Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City" by Ashley Shelby

Justin Palmer - USGS Endangered, Discontinued and Rescued Streamgages Mapper

Mark Ewens - NDAWN - North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network

James Aydelott - Footage near Tulliby Lake in central Alberta, Canada

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - Out

Kim Klockow-McClain - An ethical analysis of hydrometeorological prediction and decision making: The case of the 1997 Red River flood

John Gordon - LIT/LZK back online with upper air launches

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Gulf Coast Weather

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.