WeatherBrains

Our Guest WeatherBrain couldn't make it tonight, so our panel holds a homegrown episode to kick off 2026.  Discussions include storm-based vs county-warnings, public storm reports, and a deep-dive into fundamentals of modern-day radar. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Severe storms possible on Friday in Deep South 1/9/26 (05:00) Storm-based warnings vs county-wide warnings (26:00) Pete Wolf Charitable Foundation (38:00) Helping the general public with radar interpretation (48:00) Public storm reports and how often they are used in NWS warnings (53:00) MPING (57:30) NWS app is needed (59:00) Protecting people living in mobile homes during severe weather (01:06:00) Threats-In-Motion (TIM) (01:08:00) Threat Confirmation Defined (01:14:00) Social media AI engagement farms (01:16:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:22:00) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:24:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1042:   Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 224 Jen Narramore - WeatherBrains 998 Rick Smith - The Annual Lightning Report 2025 Troy Kimmel - US Drought Monitor From 2000-2025 Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Extreme Temperatures Around The World Bill Murray - Out James Spann - AEM Releases 2025 U.S. Lightning Report The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

On WeatherBrains this week this our annual year-ender episode with Greg Carbin.  Greg needs no introduction; tonight we look back at 2025's notable weather events, and what the meteorology community has learned in the past year.  Greg has presented his "Year-in-Review" presentation to the NWA Annual Meeting every year since 2004. His professional society memberships have included the NWA, AMS, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Greg currently serves as Chair on the NWA's Professional Development Committee.   Thanks for joining us this week for this year's WeatherBrains finale! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Looking back at 2025 (11:45) 2025 Gulf Coast snowstorm (19:30) Legendary meteorologist Chuck Doswell passes away (21:00) 17 tornadoes in Alabama in 2025 (42:00) Mid-May tornado outbreak near St. Louis (53:00) July 2025 Texas flooding tragedy (55:30) Remnants of Typhoon Halong cross Alaska (01:05:30) Dr. Neil Frank 2021 interview clip/Rewatch Episode 819 for entire interview (01:14:30) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:11:05) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:13:00) E-Mail Segment (No segment this week - Happy New Year!) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1041:   Remembering former KHOU-11 TV chief meteorologist Dr. Neil Frank Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Greg Carbin - Ensemble QPF Tracking James Aydelott - Tulsa, OK record high temperature graphic Jen Narramore - Ethan Mok on X: Zion, IL fake AI tornado damage Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Foghorn John Gordon - Tom Niziol on X: Wind-driven seiche on Lake Erie John Gordon - Tom Niziol on X: 80 mph wind gusts at Buffalo, NY Bill Murray - James Spann speaks with FOX Weather's Bob Van Dillen James Spann - Aaron Rigbsy on X: Tree damage video associated with a blizzard The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

On WeatherBrains this week are two special guests.  Friend of the show and WeatherBrains veteran Mark Sudduth is the owner of HurricaneTrack.com and has over three decades of experience documenting landfalling hurricanes and other high impact weather events.  He founded the Hurricane Intercept Research Team, which pioneers the use of unmanned camera systems to safely capture severe weather.  Welcome to the show! Last but certainly not least is our second Guest WeatherBrain Bruce Thomas.  He's the President of WeatherCall and is the former spokesman of Midland Weather Radio and is a former broadcast meteorologist.  He covered the 1997 Jarrell, TX tornado and has even worked with the Red Cross.  Bruce, it's great to have you on the show. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Mark's major projects in 2025 (08:00) 2025 Hurricane season's overall unexpected lack of activity (13:30) Launch of Mark's new podcast (18:00) Self-appointed Mayor of Weatherville (47:00) What is WeatherCall and where is it going?  (53:00) AL/MS are the most dangerous places on Earth for tornadoes (01:08:00) Turning the page to 2026's very early hurricane season predictions (01:19:00) Jobseekers, watch what you post on social media!!! (01:30:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week) E-Mail Segment (01:24:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1040:   Alabama Weather Network WeatherCall Picks of the Week: Bruce Thomas - Fire photo from Yuma, Colorado James Aydelott - Tule Fog over California's Central Valley Jen Narramore - 144 MPH Wind Gust On Wednesday One Of The Strongest Ever Recorded in Wyoming Rick Smith - Out Troy Kimmel - StormReady Kim Klockow-McClain - Out John Gordon - Ice Tsunami Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Foghorn The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

On WeatherBrains this week are meteorologist Jim Abraham with Environment Canada and meteorologist Ken MacDonald.  Jim actually started the Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax, and has been working in meteorology for over four decades.  Ken MacDonald has been in the weather field for over 48 years.  He launched his career in 1975, and has been an instructor, a forecaster, and a researcher in areas all over Canada.  It's great to see you both and thank you for joining us tonight! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. Origin of "Boomer Sooner" (07:15) NWS vs Canadian forecast offices (12:00) Canadian forecast offices and their relationship with the Canadian military (18:00) Monitoring/Observational networks across Environment Canada (21:00) Importance of cloud typing in Mexican and Canadian forecast offices vs NWS (27:00) US and Canadian weather radio equivalents (33:30) Environment and Climate Change Canada (56:00) June 2021 British Columbia Heat Dome (01:02:00) 2022 Hurricane Fiona (01:07:00) "Fire Weather:  A True Story from a Hotter World" by John Vaillant (01:17:00) Canadian weather warning Color Coded System (01:18:00) POD/FAR in Canada (01:22:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (No segment this week) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:30:00) E-Mail Segment (01:33:00) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1039:   Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Jim Abraham - 11 jaw-dropping videos from the Fort McMurray wildfire James Aydelott - Out Jen Narramore - Anniversary of the 2021 Historic December 15tyh Derecho Rick Smith - All Things Radar: Severe Weather/From the Girls Who Chase special workshop series Troy Kimmel - Foghorn Kim Klockow-McClain - Western launches Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory John Gordon - Snow tarp video on X Bill Murray - Out James Spann - December 16th, 2000 Tuscaloosa Tornado coverage on YouTube The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

On WeatherBrains this week, we're diving deep into the Weather Prediction Center's Winter Program - how they forecast snow and ice, the challenges of nailing accumulation totals, the coordination calls with NWS field offices, and what the future may hold for winter weather headlines. Joining us are two of WC's best: Peter Mullinax, a lead winter forecaster who produces national snow and ice guidance, Key Messages, and a wide range of surface, short-range, rainfall, and tropical products; and Dr. Owen Shieh, WPC's Warning Coordination Meteorologist, providing national-level decision support for winter storms, flooding, and extreme temperatures. He returns after last week's episode, bringing his deep background in emergency management, training, and operational meteorology from JTWC to the U.S. Navy Reserve. Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [email protected]. How many people work at the Weather Prediction Center?  (15:30) WPC Ops Program (15:45) WPC's Excessive Rainfall Outlook (18:00) What is the Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI)?  (26:00) Why does the SPC do the Winter Weather mesoscale discussions?  (40:00) Does WPC use MBM, and what is their future plan?  (47:00) Probabilistic Precipitation Portal (49:15) AI and its assistance to WFOs in the future (01:08:00) Reducing common gaps between WFO and WPC messaging (01:13:30) Probabilistic Precipitation Portal good/bad (01:19:00) Job-seeking advice at the WPC (01:27:00) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:30:30) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:33:15) E-Mail Segment (01:34:15) and more! Web Sites from Episode 1038:   Alabama Weather Network Picks of the Week: Owen Shieh - NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal Owen Shieh - WPC URRD (Urban Rain Rate Dashboard) James Aydelott - Creek turnpike bridge over the Arkansas River Jen Narramore - National Weather Network Rick Smith - Dan Robinson - Winter Driving Education YouTube Channel Troy Kimmel - EverythingWeather App on Google Play Kim Klockow-McClain - John Fausett Song: One Team John Gordon - Godzilla atmospheric river in Pacific Northwest Bill Murray - Out James Spann - Nick Petelos on X: Kilauea video The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.