WeatherBrains 622: Bumped by Chicken Conference

WeatherBrains Episode 622 is now online (December 18, 2017). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is a CCM, a CBM, and NSH. She is a graduate of Cornell University and the AMS Commissioner on Professional Affairs. She is also the morning meteorologist at News 13 in Orlando. Maureen McCann, welcome to WeatherBrains.

Maureen McCann knew she wanted to be a broadcast meteorologist since the age of 4, when Hurricane Gloria blew through her New England hometown. So, it’s fitting that Maureen has landed in Central Florida, since it was a hurricane that sparked her interest in weather in the first place. A native of Massachusetts, Maureen joined News 13 from KMGH in Denver. Beyond her work in-studio, she was often reporting live in blizzards and severe weather. In 2011, her storm chase adventures transformed into a 30-minute special, “Tracking Twisters,” which was honored with an Emmy Award and a Colorado Broadcasters Association award.

Although Colorado’s weather is drastically different than Florida’s, Maureen is no stranger to 24-hour news. Before Denver, she spent several years at our sister Spectrum News station in Austin, which gave her experience with lengthy rounds of severe weather coverage. There, she also completed graduate coursework at the University of Texas at Austin. She is continuing her graduate studies currently at University of Central Florida, focusing on geographic information systems and emergency management.

Maureen graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Atmospheric Science. Her career began at WABI in Bangor, ME, followed by WTVH in Syracuse, NY.

A Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) by the American Meteorological Society, Maureen is an active member within the organization, having served on the Board of Broadcast Meteorology where she helped award the CBM seals to her peers and organized the annual AMS Broadcast Conference.

Currently, Maureen is the AMS Commissioner on Professional Affairs. In this nationally recognized role, she oversees several boards and committees involving the Society’s certification programs, including the CBM seals. Maureen is also one of very few broadcasters to earn the prestigious Certified Consulting Meteorologist seal, or CCM. The CCM designation is issued by the Society to highly qualified meteorologists providing research and services to a wide variety of users of weather information. CCMs must demonstrate exemplary qualities of character and devotion to high professional standards.

Anyone who knows her is aware that Huey Lewis and the News is her favorite band and she is a big fan of all the Boston sports teams. Her other interests include skiing, hot yoga, tennis, golf and running. She completed the Disney Marathon in 2010, and she’s hoping that if she runs it again, the weather will be warmer; that was the year with record cold in Central Florida!

Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:

• Extremes: 85 at Pembroke Pines, FL, Fort Myers, FL, & Fort Myers/Southwest Florida International Airport, FL, and -17 at Big Black River, ME
• GOES-R underwent an identity crisis today
• Severe weather possible in SE US on Wednesday
• Rainy from Texas to Georgia
• Warm in Florida/cold in Oklahoma
• Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice
• and more!

Our email bag officer is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: In this episode of 101 we’re going to look back a bit to trace the history of weather radar to the present day. And believe it or not, you have to go all the way back to the 1880s for the first appearance of the idea of radar.

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 622:

Matt Parker, AMS

WeatherBrains Episode 561

Picks of the Week:

Maureen McCann – Board for Private Sector Meteorologists

Kim Klockow-McClain – Boundaries of Metropolises by algorithm

Bill Murray – Hashtag #WhyINWA

Brian Peters – No pick so he gets the fog horn!

Kevin Selle – Ships triggering lightning

Rick Smith – AMS 98th annual meeting

James Spann – EMC’s GEFS plumes

Aubrey Urbanowicz – Dreaming of a white Christmas?

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.

A little treat for those who page all the way to the end:

Thanks to Tony Rice!

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Category: ALL POSTS, WeatherBrains