WeatherBrains 321: Winnies and Sauerkraut

WeatherBrains Episode 321 is now online (March 19, 2012). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is the Warnings Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Norman, OK. In that role, Rick Smith leads WFO Norman’s hazardous weather preparedness activities. He leads a team of forecasters who help train severe storm spotters throughout the office’s 56-county area of responsibility and works closely with the media, emergency managers and other state, county and local government officials to ensure that communities in central and western Oklahoma and western north Texas are ready when hazardous weather threatens.

Rick’s professional interests include severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, the human factors in warning perception and response, and effective warning communication.

Rick earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis in 1993 and began his National Weather Service career as a student volunteer/student trainee at the Memphis NWS office. Upon graduation, Rick became a meteorologist intern, and in 1997 was selected as a forecaster at the NWS office in Tulsa, OK. In 1999, Rick was selected to fill the newly developed Performance and Evaluation Meteorologist position at Southern Region Headquarters in Fort Worth. In 2002, Rick moved to Norman to become the Warning Coordination Meteorologist.

Rick’s hobbies include spending time with his family and storm chasing.

Also making a return visit to the show is Bruce Thomas from Midland Radio.

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Our mail bag has been getting some logos but the Email Officer is watching weather so look for two weeks of email next week.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: It’s a topic that you’ve probably heard numerous times within meteorological discussions. That term is jet stream and it refers to some fast moving current of air. So we take on that subject for our listeners.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 20th.

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 321:

NWS Norman, OK

National Weather Center

Picks of the Week:

JB Elliott – Live Science: Image Gallery: Curious Clouds

Bill Murray – Record Events Map

Brian Peters – NASA Time Lapse Earth and Stars

Kevin Selle – Gets the Horn in absentia!!

James Spann – JB Elliott as Ben Franklin or vice versa

JP Spann – Gets the Horn but adds Dexter, MI, Tornado Picture

Bruce Thomas – CoCoRaHS March Madness

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

Category: WeatherBrains