WeatherBrains 481: Floating Dumpsters

WeatherBrains Episode 481 is now online (April 13, 2015). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain has worked for the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA for over 30 years. He is the Data Archivist for the Division and this led into his becoming the keeper of its history. He is the author of the recent book published by the AMS: Hurricane Pioneer, Memoirs of Robert Simpson. Neal Dorst was named NOAA’s Employee of the Month for October, 2014! Neal serves crucial roles as HRD’s historian and webmaster and has been their data manager, tape librarian, and archivist for all analog, digital, and film data from the early beginnings of the “U. S. Weather Bureau” hurricane flights in 1956 to the present day. He also led the project to preserve all this archived analog data into a digital state for use by future hurricane research scientists in perpetuity. Neal Dorst, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

Our email bag officer is under the weather for the show, so others will tackle at least one email.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: It was no April Fool’s joke with what happened on April the first 55 years ago. It was the launch of the world’s first meteorological satellite and definitely was a huge milestone in keeping an eye on the weather on our planet. So we look back a few years to that first satellite.

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 481:

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

1954 Hurricane Season

Book, Memoirs of Bob Simpson

Hurricane Center’s Wallet Project

Information on Project Stormfury

2015 Seasonal Hurricane Forecast from Klotzbach and Gray

Picks of the Week (POW):

Nate Johnson – Supercell video from Lubbock

Brian Peters – Timeline of Weather Service History

John Scala – Impact of Snow Storms on Boston’s Economy

Kevin Selle – Panorama of gravity wave

Rick Smith – NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit

James Spann – Warning Polygons

SkyDavers Blog – The Fog Bank

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

Category: WeatherBrains