WeatherBrains 594: Oh Crap!

WeatherBrains Episode 594 is now online (June 5, 2017). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest Panelists have experience in a husband/wife meteorologist relationship. His B.S. is in Computer Science and his Masters is in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Wisconsin. He has worked for the National Weather Service and is very involved in meteorology everyday. He and his wife Lori both worked shifts at the NWS in Fort Worth from the mid 1990s to 2000.

Chris started his life in weather as a 1970s grade-schooler who was quite intrigued about how the weather worked. Later, he became equally as fascinated by computers and what they could do. He subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and a master’s degree in atmospheric sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has worked with the National Weather Service (NWS), first as a hydrologist at the West Gulf River Forecast Center (WGRFC) in Fort Worth, TX, and later as a computer programmer with a satellite data focus at the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center in Chanhassen, MN. While he currently does not have a job in the weather industry, he does follow it quite closely. He is a strong supporter of his local AMS/NWA chapter, weather radio, and of helping people understand weather in specific and science in general. He lives in a southern suburb of the Twin Cities with his wife who was one of his students at UW-Madison and two teenage boys.

Chris’ experience with couples working in weather, and specifically shift work, is when he and his wife, Lori both worked at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, TX from the mid-1990s to 2000. In 1998, as a WFO forecaster, she transferred to a HAS forecaster position at the WGRFC. Chris was an RFC hydrologist that whole time. After their oldest son was born in early 2000, they had to make further adjustments to their ’round-the-clock work and family schedule. In 2000, they looked into moving back to Minnesota and stay in the NWS, but they resigned ourselves that at least one of them would have to leave the NWS or weather. Lori got a job with (then) DTN/Meteorlogix, but Chris had to find a job outside of weather.

Our Guest WeatherBrains are Ari Sarsalari and Jen Watson, a husband and wife team of meteorologists, talk about their careers and how they balance their jobs, marriage, and a growing family. Jen has been on WeatherBrains on episode 324 and episode 581.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

• Extremes: 111 at Needles, CA, & Death Valley, CA, and 25 at Cabin Lake, OR, Colgate, OR, & Klamath Marsh, OR
• SPC has small marginal risk areas over next several days
• Wet over the Southeast US
• Hot over SW US, cool over New England
• Drier weather on tap for SE US end of week
• Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice
• and more!

Our email officer has been AWOL but she returns in full force for this episode recapping the incoming mail.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Work is always going on to improve the computer guidance that meteorologists use, so for this episode we look at a resolution change being implemented in the GFS and especially the MOS guidance.

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 594:

InFor

West Gulf River Forecast Center

We Love Weather

To subscribe to the brand new SkyWritings, an email newsletter from the WeatherBrains gang, click HERE.

Picks of the Week:

Brian Peters – Dr. Doswell on tornado vs storm chasing

Rick Smith – Awesome super cell time lapse

James Spann – GOES-16 Images and Loops

Aubrey Urbanowicz – Model charts

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Aubrey Urbanowicz, Rick Smith, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

Category: ALL POSTS, WeatherBrains