WeatherBrains 503: Polar Bears Prefer Climatologists

WeatherBrains Episode 503 is now online (September 7, 2015). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

It’s a triple header tonight on WeatherBrains with not one, not two, but THREE guests.

Tonights first Guest WeatherBrain is a veteran journalist who has written three books over his 33 year career including The Storm of the Century, The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, published by National Geographic Books. He is a Contributing Editor for National Geographic News who resides in North Carolina. He is a graduate of the UNC Chapel Hill. Willie Drye, welcome to WeatherBrains.

Thomas Neil Knowles was born in Key West, FL, and was raised there during the 1940s and 1950s. His ancestors came over to the Island City from the Bahamas in the mid-1850s. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology then served as a naval officer during the Vietnam conflict. After leaving the Navy he obtained a Master’s degree in business administration from the Florida State University and worked as a university administrator for 32 years.

He began researching the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in the 1990s, and during a ten year period located forgotten Weather Bureau records and interviewed survivors of the storm and family members of victims. He collected much historical information about the hurricane, the weather service, and the Florida Keys and Key West. These resources formed the basis for ten, nonfiction articles published in historical journals from 2004 through 2011 and for two nonfiction books, Category 5: the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane (2009-University Press of Florida) and Long Key: Flagler’s Island Getaway for the Rich & Famous (2014 University Press of Florida).

Retired, he resides in Tallahassee and continues to enjoy delving into history and sharing his findings with others through his writings and presentations.

And last, but certainly not least, we have tonight’s third guest who is a show alum and an Instructor in Meteorology and Climatology in the Distance Learning program at Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. 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 March, 1992. He always had a strong interest for weather but when the Superstorm of 1993 hit, his interest became his passion. The pressure dropped to 28.53″ at his house during the peak of the storm! Greg enjoys studying all types of weather from Nor’easters to tornadoes, but his favorite is hurricanes. Some of his storm chases have included Lili (Abbeville, LA), Isabel (Oriental, NC), Charley (Charlotte Harbor, FL), Frances (Fort Pierce, FL), Ivan (Spanish Fort, AL), Cindy (Pass Christian, MS), Dennis (Pensacola, FL), Katrina (Gulfport, MS), Rita (Orange, TX), Gustav (Lafayette, LA), and Ike (Galveston Island, TX). Greg Nordstrom, Welcome to WeatherBrains again!

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

• Extremes: 107 at Needles, CA, Palm Springs, CA, & Death Valley, CA, and 19 at West Yellowstone, MT
• Grace moving toward the northern section of the Leeward Islands, but also weakening
• Relatively quiet weather across the Nation
• Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice
• and more!

Our email officer has decided to take a little time off.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Geostationary satellites, better known as GOES, are the mainstay of weather observations and forecasting. This is part one of two parts about these essential tools.

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 503:

Love cut short by hurricane

Willie Drye’s book, Storm of the Century

Story of the first flight into a hurricane

Thomas Knowles’ book, Category 5: The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane

1943 Surprise Hurricane

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

Picks of the Week:

Willie Drye – Blog – Dryegoods

Thomas Knowles – favorite author from Tallahassee Democrat

Brian Peters – Dust devil video from eastern Arkansas

Bill Murray – Key West Weather Reports from 1935

Greg Nordstrom – Jim Leonard web page

John Scala – 30th Anniversary of Hurricane Elena

Kevin Selle – NE US schools early release due to heat

Rick Smith – Alex’s Weather Notes – Football Climatology

James Spann – Meteorologist Compendium App

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.

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Category: WeatherBrains