Category: WeatherBrains
WeatherBrains 376: Twitter Tweeters Weather
WeatherBrains Episode 376 is now online (April 8, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
Lee Sandlin is a journalist and essayist who was born in Wildwood, Illinois, and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He briefly attended the University of Chicago and Roosevelt University before leaving school to travel and write. He lives in Chicago.
He has written feature journalism, historical studies, and music reviews on opera and classical works — mostly for the Chicago Reader, where he was also for many years the TV critic. More recently, he has become a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal.
His essay “Losing the War,” first appeared in 1997, subtitled “World War II has faded into movies, anecdotes, and archives that nobody cares about anymore. Are we finally losing the war?” It has been on university reading lists and praised in blogs of both anti-war activists and neocon crusaders. A segment was adapted for broadcast by the public radio show “This American Life” and anthologized by its host, Ira Glass, in a 2007 collection, “The New Kings of Nonfiction.”
“Saving His Life,” his biography of his father-in-law, a Russian emigre who grew up in China, was recently published in a limited edition by Sherwin Beach Press. The Distancers (2004) chronicles the American Midwest of several generations, as reflected in the history of a single house. His most recent work is “Wicked River,” a narrative history of the Mississippi River in the 19th century. An exhaustive survey of his other interests can be found on the Enthusiasms page.
Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:
Our email bag officer is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners and is happy to see more email messages.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: So Superstorm Sandy created quite a stir for a number of reasons. One of those factors concerned the dropping of hurricane warnings since Sandy went non-tropical as she was headed toward shore. Well, the controversy may not be over, but there are some changes being made that may keep that sort of thing from happening again.
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of April 8th.
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 376:
Release on Hurricane Definition Changes
Picks of the Week:
Nate Johnson – Houston Chronicle article about Dated Storm Protection
Bill Murray – Gets the Fog Horn!!
Brian Peters – Joplin Tornado NWS Service Assessment
Kevin Selle – Digital Meteorologist article
James Spann – Feedly – a Better Reader
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.
WeatherBrains 375: I Took my Girlfriend to Hooters
WeatherBrains Episode 375 is now online (April 1, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is no stranger to the WeatherBrains crew. This friend of the podcast is a leading social scientist that has made a name for herself in the weatherworld. She is a Research Professor with the Social Science Research Center (SSRC) at Mississippi State University. Dr. Laura Myers serves as Principal Investigator on a Department of Homeland Security grant concerning regional disaster response planning; through this grant, she will develop regional emergency planning networks on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Dr. Myers holds a doctorate in criminology from Florida State University, and her publication and training areas include disaster management and planning, criminal justice education, criminal courts, criminal justice ethics, criminal justice administration, and cultural diversity. Her publications can be found in the Journal of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning, the Journal of Criminal Justice Education, and the Prison Journal, among others. Dr. Myers’ latest textbook on criminal justice will be her third book published in this field.!
Our guest panelist is from Waco, TX. Conley Isom works for KXVV-TV. Conley grew up in the Fort Worth area and was fascinated with weather at an early age. It was the hail storm of May, 1995, that made him want to become a TV meteorologist. He took that passion to Texas A&M University where he received his B.S. in Meteorology. While in college, Conley had the opportunity to storm chase and loves to track severe storms.
Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:
Our email bag officer is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners, so keep Nate busy by piling on those emails.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: Admit it – the field of meteorology has almost as many abbreviations and acronyms as the U. S.Government!! One of those that you run into often is MOS, not to be confused with the 12,000 variations of carpeted green “moss” in the woods. There is much that goes into creating the MOS table that many of us refer to, so this episode takes a look at what comprises MOS.
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of April 1. This week in weather history included the Super Outbreak of Tornadoes on April 3rd and 4th, 1974.
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 375:
Mississippi State University Social Science Research Center
Center for Advanced Public Safety, University of Alabama
Meteorological Development Lab
Picks of the Week:
Conley Isom – Texas Storm Chaser web page
Nate Johnson – 53rd Anniversary of First Weather Satellite Images
Dark Sky Forecast
Bill Murray – Analysis of Tri-State Tornado of March, 1925
Brian Peters – Weather Message – software to help with siren activation
Kevin Selle – Snow when to hold ‘em
James Spann – Article about James Hansen leaving NASA
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.
WeatherBrains 374: A Radar Cake Kapooya?
WeatherBrains Episode 374 is now online (March 25, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
Our guest WeatherBrain is Greg Nordstrom. He was born in Hollywood, CA, and grew up in Los Angeles, CA, until he was almost 12 years old. After a brief stop in Raleigh, NC, he moved to Arlington, VA, in 1992. Greg always had a strong interest for weather, especially hurricanes, but a year later when the Superstorm of 1993 hit, his interest became a passion. The pressure dropped to 28.53″ at his house during the height of the storm! He enjoys studying all types of weather from Nor’easters to tornadoes, but my favorite is hurricanes. In his opinion, there is nothing that can compare to the power of a hurricane! He has been very fortunate to have experienced some of the strongest hurricanes of my era, and his ultimate goal is to chase 100 hurricanes before he dies. He loves being a part of a great university like Mississippi State with an excellent department!
In his spare time, Greg loves to watch sports including Raiders, Lakers, UCLA, and the Dodgers. He loves forecasting, historical weather, photography, videography, traveling to the Florida Keys, and, of course, storm chasing ALL types of weather any chance I get! If you ever see him storm chasing, stop him and say hello.
Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:
Our email bag officer is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners but submits an audio version since he is off doing something else.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: You hear all kinds of phrases when you are avidly watching the weather. One of those phrase you may have seen is “dew point depression.” So what is that and what meaning does it hold for weather enthusiasts?
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 25th. The week features a tornado event in Talladega County, AL, that involved four deaths in mobile homes.
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 374:
Mississippi State University Geosciences Department
Mississippi State Severe Weather Symposium
Picks of the Week:
Bill Murray – Gets the Fog Horn
Greg Nordstrom – tropmet.com
Brian Peters – Summary of Hurricane Ivan
Kevin Selle – Weather Story from The Verge
James Spann – Kapooya-Autotune Remix
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.
WeatherBrains 373: Ultra Fabricated Crapola
WeatherBrains Episode 373 is now online (March 19, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
This week’s Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. Tonight’s marks his entrance into the WeatherBrains three time Brain club, an accomplishment only endured by a small group of brave and foolish souls. But all kidding aside, he is one of the legends of our industry. Tonight, we welcome back the man, the myth and legend, Dr. Chuck Doswell.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: Having just completed a long and technical rundown on the dual polarization upgrade to NWS Doppler radars, we now turn to something less technical (red less boring!!) – and that is weather folklore. This week we take a look at a couple of folklore sayings and explore their validity.
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 18th.
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 373:
Picks of the Week:
Nate Johnson – Delorean Electric car
Kevin Selle – Smart Phone anemometer
James Spann – New enhanced SPC mesoanalysis page
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.
WeatherBrains 372: Category Two Hair
WeatherBrains Episode 372 is now online (March 12, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M University. Steve LaNore is a 6-time award-winning broadcaster with nearly three decades of television experience, including stints in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. He has served as Chief Meteorologist at KXII-TV in Sherman since 2006.
Steve first stepped in front of the camera in 1984. Part-time jobs while a student at Texas A&M then led to his first full-time position as Chief Meteorologist in Victoria, Texas, in 1986. From there, he took on the Chief Meteorologist role in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he covered the stormy skies of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas for three years.
LaNore then covered the flash-flood prone climate of San Antonio, Texas, for nine years before assuming the role of Chief Meteorologist at KDAF in Dallas in 1998. Steve’s most recent work before coming to KXII was a six-year stint at the CBS affiliate in Austin, Texas. He joined the KXII-TV News12 team in 2006.
Steve has received “Best Weathercast” awards five times in his career; three times from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB) and twice from the Associated Press.
LaNore enjoys sharing his love for science with others and in 2012 he released his first book entitled “Weather Wits & Science Snickers”. It combines humor and facts for a fun and interesting read. It is available online at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.
Steve is married to Gera LaNore and has an adult stepson, Geraed (pronounced “Jared”). He graduated from Pottsboro High School in 2009 and is now studying computer programming. Steve’s varied interests include music, writing, travel, history, philosophy, and, of course, science! Steve and Gera especially enjoy traveling as time permits.
LaNore serves on the board of the Texoma Regional Blood Center and encourages all who can to give.
Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:
Our email bag officer is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: First it was hook echo, and then it became TVS. But the next generation upgrade to the Doppler radar network now brings us TDS. So what is that and what does it mean in a dual polarization environment?
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 12th.
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 372:
Picks of the Week:
JB Elliott – Southeast Severe Storms Symposium – Mississippi State
Nate Johnson – Capital Weather Gang Storm Names
Bill Murray – Univ of Georgia Researchers Analyze Debris After Tornadoes
Kevin Selle – Boston.com winter weather images
James Spann – RadarScope 2.0 for iPhone
The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, and Kevin Selle. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.
