Weather Geeks

Science Behind Billion Dollar Disasters

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Adam Smith, NOAA / NCEIEpisode Intro: 2023 set the record for the most billion dollar disasters in the United States in one calendar year....

Weathergami

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Jonathan Kahl, Professor at UW-MilwaukeeIf you’re a sports fan, you may know the term “Scorigami!” When you have a score combina...

Looking Back and Forward at the NWS

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Greg CarbinOver the past half a century, we’ve been experiencing the same thunderstorms, blizzards, and hurricanes. Our changing climate...

How Do People Interpret Weather Warnings (Re-release of episode 288 from 9/20/23)

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Justin SharpeWe all know the saying “if a tree falls in a forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound?” We...

Trailblazing at the SPC (Re-release of Ep 280 from 8/2/2023)

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Liz LeitmanYou are probably familiar with severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. The storm prediction center and its predecessors have b...

"Our Fragile Moment" Author Dr. Michael Mann (re-release of Ep 286 from 9/27/2023)

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Michael MannThe topic of climate change and the future of our planet is both a controversial as well as at times difficult topic to underst...

Sports & Weather: Better Together (RERUN)

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jessica ArnoldyIntroduction: A lot of us have memories of being carpooled to your Saturday morning Little League game or having PB&a...

2023 Weather Wrap-Up

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Roundtable with: Jen Carfagno, Dr. Greg Postel, Heather ZonsAnother year around the sun means another year of all sorts of weather, both the beau...

Coral Reef Watch Program

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Derek Manzello, Program CoordinatorPicture a coral reef, and you probably have visions of Flounder from The Little Mermaid or Crush from F...

Climavision - Increasing Radar Coverage

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Chris Goode, Climavision FounderIntroduction: You know the saying: if you put good in, you get good out! In the meteorology world, if...

Improving Weather Models Using Satellites

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Mayra Oyola-Merced, Assistant Professor at UW-MadisonIntroduction: Whether it is preparing for hurricane season or getting ready for ...

Digging Into The Central Sierra Snow Lab

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Andrew SchwartzFor several months of the year, the Central Sierra Snow Lab looks like a winter wonderland. Over 60 feet of snow fell t...

Further Understanding Midwestern Tornadogenesis

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Stephanie Zick, Associate Professor at Virginia TechWhen we think of tornadoes, our minds are immediately drawn to the Southern Plains...

Hurricane Otis Special

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Jen Carfagno with Guest Dr. Greg PostelWith a raging El Nino in effect, the Eastern Pacific hurricane season was bound to be above average. ...

"Hurricane Otis Special"

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Greg Postel & Jen Carfagno, The Weather ChannelIntroduction: With a raging El Nino in effect, the Eastern Pacific hurricane s...

CANARY, the Story of Dr. Lonnie Thompson

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Lonnie ThompsonIt’s not just superheroes and first responders that risk their lives to save others, but what about a climatologist?&...

Constellation of Radar Satellites

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Rei Goffer, Tomorrow.ioUrsa Minor. Canis Major. Orion. These are all star patterns that you can detect in the night sky called conste...

Solar Eclipse Expedition

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Don HartsellIntroduction: In the upcoming months, we have not one, but two solar eclipses that are set to sweep across the continenta...

Verifying Extreme Weather Records

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Randy CervenyWhen we hear about extreme weather and changing climate, often we hear about the extreme records that are associated with thes...

"Our Fragile Moment" Author Dr. Michael Mann

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Michael MannThe topic of climate change and the future of our planet is both a controversial as well as at times difficult topic to underst...

How Do People Interpret Weather Warnings

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Justin SharpeWe all know the saying “if a tree falls in a forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound?” We...

Airborne Phased Array Radar

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Linnea Avallone & Nicholas Anderson, National Science FoundationWhile aircraft radar has come along away over the past several decades...

Recapping Hurricane Idalia

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Rick KnabbIntroduction: As we approach the midpoint of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, we just experienced the landfall of Hu...

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: John ValliantWhile this year’s wildfire season in the United States hasn’t really picked up steam, the wildfires in Canada have taken over ...

New Hurricane Analysis & Forecast System

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Sundararaman GopalakrishnanWith the Atlantic hurricane season in full swing, a new hurricane forecast model is ready to improve foreca...

Mental Health at the NWS

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Lieutenant Commander Valerie Gardner, Chief of Behavior Health and Wellness at the National Weather ServiceForecasting for natural di...

A Conversation with Margaret Orr

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: WDSU New Orleans' Chief Meteorologist Margaret OrrFor over 40 years, viewers in New Orleans have tuned in and watched Margaret Orr deliver...

Trailblazing at the SPC

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Liz LeitmanIntroduction: You are probably familiar with severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. The storm prediction center and its ...

It's Time to Get FORTIFIED

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Fred Malik, IBHSIntroduction: After severe weather barrels through a town and destroys everything in its wake, there are stories of survi...

Kansas' Deadliest Tornado

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jim MinickIntroduction: Tornadoes are one of the most violent weather phenomena on our planet, the strongest of which have been rated an ...

Seeing the Weather in Virtual Reality

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jase Bernhardt, Ph.D.Introduction: They say you have to see it to believe it, and that phrase has been tested time and time again in...

Rip Currents & Ocean Safety

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Bruckner ChaseIntroduction: As we head into the swimming season, many of us are going to be flocking to the beach for a bit of surf, sand...

Enshrining NOAA into Law

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Rep. Frank LucasIntroduction: As we Weather Geeks reside in our science world, sometimes we can be critical of how other industries perce...

Promoting Diversity at the EPA

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Daniel Blackman, Senior Advisor for STEM Recruitment and Diversity at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Introduction: On...

eep Dive into Landslides with Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, Director of Earth Sciences Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterIntroduction: Studying the science of...

One Year as NWS Director

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Ken GrahamThe National Weather Service needs no introduction here on Weather Geeks and last year, a new director was appointed to lead the agen...

New Director of the National Hurricane Center

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Mike BrennanFrom June 1st to November 30th all eyes in the weather world turn to the tropics. The 2023 Hurricane Season will be the first ...

Supercell Movie

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jamie WintersternIntroduction:  If you found your passion for meteorology or storm chasing through severe weather focused movies or ...

Vice President Kamala Harris: A Conversation about Climate Change

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Marshall Shepherd, and Dr. Isaiah BoldenAll of us Weather Geeks know how important our changing climate is f...

Billion Dollar Disasters of 2023 So Far

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Weather Geeks TeamDescription: One of the biggest metrics for tracking extreme weather events that impact our country is quantifying...

Ecological Forecasting

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Steven ThurIntroduction: When extreme weather events rear their ugly heads, our first concerns are naturally with people and property...

Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Rear Admiral Ronald J. PiretIntroduction: The United States Navy is stationed all over the globe and requires accurate weather and ocean ...

A Meteorologist Goes to Washington

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Rep. Eric SorensenIntroduction: In the United States, our congressional representatives and senators play an important role in how the co...

Never Miss A Powder Day

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Joel GratzIntroduction: “Never miss a powder day.”  Those coveted days with deep, fresh, powdery snow on the slopes.  That ...

Belief Bias & Extreme Weather

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Helen RobertsYou’ve seen the warnings: "Don’t drive through floodwaters." "Evacuate when officials ask during hurricanes or wildfires." "To...

Mississippi Tornado Aftermath Special

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Weather Geeks Team with Dr. Greg PostelAs the sun set over the Magnolia state on Friday March 24th, Mississippian lives were changed fore...

Winter Severe Season

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Victor Gensini & Dr. Harold BrooksIn the minds of many, Spring may be king when it comes to tornadoes, but we know they can happe...

Communicating the Risk

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Laura MyersWatch, warning, advisory. These are just a few of the words you may hear a meteorologist say, but do you know exactly what they ...

Can We Move an Atmospheric River

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr. Upmanu Lall, Director of the Columbia Water Center at Columbia UniversityIntroduction: Since the beginning of this year, Califor...

Advancements in Storm Shelter Technology

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Kaitlin ParramoreIntroduction: If you are put under a tornado warning at this very moment, would you know where to go?  Always the l...

Great Appalachian Storm of 1950

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. David CallWhenever we look back at historical anniversaries of major events, we tend to think about the areas and the people that were impa...

On-Air Meteorologist Roundtable

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Lance Blocker, Jen Carfagno, & JD DisharoonYou watch them when you need the latest forecast when severe weather threatens your area. Broad...

Director of NOAA’s NSSL

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. DaNa CarlisIntroduction: "Expanding scientific discoveries while elevating diversity, Dr.DaNa Carlis has been a champion for both duri...

"Socioeconomic Impact of Floods"

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Andrew KruczkiewiczIntroduction: Our world constantly cycles through drought and flooding, drenching one side while parching another...

Halfway Point of Winter 2022-23

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Weather Geeks TeamIntroduction: We are now officially halfway done with meteorological winter! Some of you may be jumping for joy or...

Lightning In Lake-Effect Snow

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Jason DeeseIntroduction:  Lighting is one of the most spectacular weather phenomena, but it can also be one of the deadliest. About 2...

The Cost of Weather-Related Disasters (REPEAT)

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Steve BowenEvery year, we are seeing dozens of Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters that range from flooding to drought to landfalling hurrica...

2022: A Weather Year in Review

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Weather Geeks TeamAs the year comes to a close, the Weather Geeks team takes a look at the biggest weather moments and stories from 2...

Hurricanes and Climate Change

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Kieran BhatiaIntroduction: Over the course of the last several years, numerous major hurricanes have struck the United States, includi...

Winter 2022-23 Outlook

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Judah Cohen As the seasons change, we tend to look forward with anticipation of what’s to come, and meteorology is no different. Met...

2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recap

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Rick KnabbSeven consecutive above-average hurricane seasons in a row.  Even though it may not have always felt like it, the 2022 Hurri...

Storm Chasing Through a Different Lens

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Caryn HillIntroduction: Caryn Hill has been storm chasing and guiding educational weather tours with her husband, Roger Hill, for decades....

Navigating the Challenges of Weather & Transportation (Repeat)

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Paul PisanoGround transportation is something we all deal with on a daily basis, whether it’s in our cars, on a bus, or the subway. Navigatin...

A Look at COP27

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Carl ParkerIntroduction:  All eyes are on Egypt as the Conference of the Parties, or COP, is now underway for the 27th time. And with...

Cryospheric Changes & Coastal Communities

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Alex RobelIntroduction: Climate change and melting glaciers are synonymous at this point when the topic is discussed and usually addre...

Storm Chasing Tours

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Roger HillWhen it comes to searching the skies and finding the next storm to chase, it’s hard to find someone with more experience than Roger...

Lights... Camera... Climate!

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Tim GuinneClimate change is fact, not fiction, and is something that affects everyone on the planet. Over the years, Hollywood has touched on c...

Weather in Hollywood

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: TWC Meteorologist PanelThe weather around us can be described in many different ways and on both ends of the spectrum from absolute terror to s...

NOAA’s Chief Scientist

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Sarah Kapnick Dr. Sarah Kapnick is the newly appointed Chief Scientist at NOAA and only the third woman in NOAA’s history to be appo...

Weathering the Storm

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Mike SeidelCelebrating 30 years at the Weather Channel, Mike Seidel is no stranger to covering storms in every season. Most recently, as H...

Hurricane Ian Special Episode

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**RECORDED ON TUESDAY EVENING** Hurricane Ian is heading towards Florida's Gulf Coast and is slated to impact millions of people. Up until t...

Something to Heat Stress Over

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Paul IñiguezIf you asked 100 people what the deadliest weather risk is, odds are they would pick some of the more flashy natural disaster...

Naming Heat Waves

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Kurt ShickmanWe’ve been naming tropical systems since the late 1940s and the Weather Channel has been naming winter storms in the United Stat...

Blue Holes & Paleoclimatology

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Tyler WInklerIntroduction: The 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons were among the top 3 most active on record. But, for now, the hurricane...

Climate Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dana NuccitelliOn Aug 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. This piece of legislation is the single b...

Girls Who Chase

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Jennifer WaltonStorm chasers range from professionally trained photographers to research meteorologists to thrill seekers watching radar on the...

American Flood Coalition

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Melissa RobertsIntroduction: In recent decades, extreme rainfall events have been on the increase. There have been 36 billion dollar flood...

Assessing Hurricane Risks in Real-Time

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Mike Kozar & Robert Muir-WoodIntroduction: With August now in full swing, it’s just a matter of time before the tropics start to sti...

Joint Polar Satellite System

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Tim WalshIntroduction: Weather satellites in the Earth’s orbit supply vital information to meteorologists across the globe. Did you know...

Reducing Urban Heat Islands

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Victoria LudwigIntroduction: When the temperature heats up, people living in cities are often even hotter. That's because the parking lots...

Gauging Hurricane Intensity: An Upgrade to the Dvorak Technique

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Derrick HerndonIntroduction: After two back-to-back supercharged hurricane seasons, 2022 is again expected to be well above average. When ...

The National Weather Service's Newest Director

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Ken GrahamThe National Weather Service needs no introduction here on Weather Geeks and recently, a new director was appointed to lead the agenc...

Social Infrastructure's Role in Heat Waves

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Eric Klinenberg When we talk about preventing deaths from natural disasters, we often look at our physical infrastructure and how to build...

Assessing Disaster Damage

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Tim MarshallIntroduction: When natural disasters strike, those affected work to rebuild their lives and livelihoods; but before we reb...

Bridging the Language Gap for Weather Alerts

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Joseph Trujillo FalcónBilingual communities across the country are at a disadvantage when weather warnings are issued because the current...

Changing Climate Changes the Tropics

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Jim KossinThe 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons were both above average based on the number of named storms. The changing climate and its imp...

"Pattrn -Our Planet; Our Future"

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Ali Van FleetIntroduction:  All-time record heat waves… mega-droughts & record large wildfires…flash floods from incredible r...

Intercepting Tornadoes with Drones

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Adam HoustonIt’s been more than 25 years since the movie Twister came out, depicting scientists trying to gather data from inside tornado...

Previewing the 2022 Hurricane Season

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Phil KlotzbachIntroduction: “Is it going to be a busy hurricane season?” is one of the most commonly asked questions to meteo...

Looking Ahead: Modeling Wildfire Risk

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Ed KearnsIf you’ve been keeping tabs on the natural disasters impacting our country, you may have noticed that wildfires have become...

Weather and the Human Condition (Repeat)

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Andrew GrundsteinMany of us have seen first-hand the impacts weather can have on our daily lives, and today we’re going to focus on ...

Recognizing and Celebrating 40 years of The Weather Channel

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jen Carfagno, Kelly Cass, Felicia Combs, Paul Goodloe, Jacqui Jeras, Dr. Rick Knabb, Molly McCollumOn May 2, 1982, Th...

Chasing the Flames (Repeat)

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Craig ClementsWe saw a record number of acres of beautiful countryside go up in flames in 2020. In recent years, many across the West have...

Observing Earth with Nanosatellites

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Kevin PettyIntroduction: As technology has progressed over the past century, scientists and engineers have discovered ways to make tec...

Observing Earth with Nanosatellites

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Kevin PettyIntroduction: As technology has progressed over the past century, scientists and engineers have discovered ways to make tec...

Refining Our Estimates of Tornadic Strength

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Karen KosibaWhen we assign a rating to a tornado, it’s based on the damage it’s left behind. But what happens when a powerful tornado r...

"Tornado Vulnerability"

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr. Stephen StraderIntroduction: Severe weather comes in many forms, and tornadoes are amongst the deadliest on a yearly basis. When sever...

Studying Southeastern U.S. Tornadoes

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Tony LyzaWhen you think of tornadoes, you probably think of a big supercell in Tornado Alley in Texas or Oklahoma or Kansas. However, the idea ...

NWS Products: Getting the Word Out

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Kevin CooleyWhen life-threatening weather is occurring, the National Weather Service not only monitors the threat, but also puts out products t...

Balancing Shot Charts & Forecast Charts

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Harrison PrietoStudent athletes at the collegiate level have to balance a plethora of responsibilities, both academic and athletic. For one of ...