Episodes

  • Using AI to Assess Hurricane Damage

    Using AI to Assess Hurricane Damage

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Robin Murphy, Professor at Texas A&M University

    With many natural disasters it takes time to fully understand the scope of the devastation. We have seen that countless times over the past few years with landfalling major hurricanes. The way that we currently assess storm damage is sufficient, but AI has recently changed the game in the way natural disasters are assessed. Joining us today is Dr. Robin Murphy, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University joins us to discuss how AI is playing a role in the assessment of natural disasters.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to AI in Disaster Assessment03:18 The Evolution of Robotics and AI in Disaster Response05:44 The Role of Drones in Damage Assessment09:18 Real-Time Data Collection and Analysis16:27 Scaling AI for Large-Scale Disasters19:55 Unexpected Flooding and Rapid Response22:44 Advancements in AI and Operational Use25:48 Applications Beyond Hurricanes: Tornadoes and More28:30 Future of AI in Damage Assessment35:12 Conclusion and Future Directions

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  • Communicating Weather Impacts for RV Travelers

    Communicating Weather Impacts for RV Travelers

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dave Titley, Co-Founder of RV Weather Enterprises

    Description: When youā€™re traveling somewhere, whether itā€™s on vacation or for business, odds are you are just going to check your phoneā€™s weather app to let you know if you need to pack an umbrella or a heavier jacket at your destination. But what about traveling by RV the entire distance? Your journey could be plagued with weather impacts and youā€™re not going to want to check your phone app over and over and over. Youā€™re going to want to turn to the RV weather experts! Our guest today is a friend of the show who has taken his 30+ years of meteorological experience and is giving it back to RV travelers across the country.

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  • Atmospheric Insights at NCAR

    Atmospheric Insights at NCAR

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Everette Joseph, Director of NCAR

    Description: We have the NWS, NOAA. and NCEI, but another very valuable member of the meteorological alphabet soup is NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research! However, NCAR is not constricted by any government regulations, so they are free to dissect the atmosphere as they please. However, they have a mission to uphold, just like our government organizations, to understand the world around and above us so they can indirectly protect future lives and property. Today on Weather Geeks, we have the Director of NCAR Everette Joseph to chat about atmospheric research in the past, present and future!

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  • Fall Foliage Forecasting

    Fall Foliage Forecasting

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Evan Fisher

    As the summer season turns to cooler fall temperatures, the annual passage of time is marked by the changing of the leaves. Whether you're leaf peeping in New England or hiking to see fall colors across the Rockies, the weather will play a huge role in how those fall colors turn out and when theā€™ll start to turn. Joining us today is Evan Fisher, creator of ExploreFall.com, to talk about this colorful transition of seasons, and about how heā€™s merging science and data presentation to make a more accessible foliage forecast available. 

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background02:58 Creating Fall Foliage Maps08:00 Using AI and Deep Learning for Fall Foliage Forecasting10:03 Challenges and Limitations in Fall Foliage Forecasting15:13 Microclimates and Tree Types19:54 The Impact of Climate Change on Fall Foliage26:01 The Role of GIS in Fall Foliage Analysis

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  • Compound Disasters Along the Gulf Coast

    Compound Disasters Along the Gulf Coast

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Roy Wright, President & CEO of IBHS

    Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. After a natural disaster strikes a community, it takes a lot of time to recover, since you have to not only rebuild the infrastructure but also allow the people to rebound mentally and physically. However, some communities along the Gulf Coast do not get the luxury of extended recovery, as they are struck by compound disasters. What are those, and what can we do to improve mitigation and adaptation of these vulnerable communities so we donā€™t get fooled twice? We brought Roy Wright from IBHS on the show today to discussā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 Understanding Compound Disasters10:11 The National Academies Report on Gulf Disasters18:45 Community Engagement and Insights26:13 Key Recommendations for Future Preparedness32:57 The Role of IBHS in Disaster Mitigation

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  • Hurricane Milton: Special Episode

    Hurricane Milton: Special Episode

    · Weather Geeks

    As Hurricane Milton bears down on the state of Florida, Dr. Matt Sitkowski and Dr. Greg Postel of The Weather Channel sit down to discuss this prolific storm.

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  • The Triple Whammy Flood Problem

    The Triple Whammy Flood Problem

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Matt Bilskie, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia

    A lot of our Weather Geeks listeners will remember the classic game show, ā€œPress Your Luckā€ and living in a city along the Gulf or Atlantic coastlines is a lot like playing it! Every single hurricane season, you are hoping that you can make it across the board without hitting a Whammy. But sometimes, Mother Nature isnā€™t so kind and she could hit you with the Triple Whammy from a landfalling hurricane, which is scientifically called compound flooding! What is that and how can we mitigate against it? Our guest today Dr. Matt Bilskie has been working on methods to better assess this threat so your family and property can be safe and you donā€™t have to continue pressing your luckā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 Living on the Coast: Playing Press Your Luck06:55 The Hazards of Water in Hurricanes07:02 Understanding Compound Flooding19:42 Mitigating Compound Flooding with Nature-Based Solutions25:27 Future Floods and Climate Change

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  • Painting the Weather

    Painting the Weather

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Bill Haskell, Artist

    Artists and musicians will often cite a muse as their inspiration for their works of art, which is usually a love interest or dreams of success. But what about the weather? Can it be a muse? For us Weather Geeks, we find inspiration in the weather in every single model run and supercell structure, and it turns out that we arenā€™t the only ones! Today on the show we have Bill Haskell to discuss how he incorporates the weather around him into his beautiful landscape paintings.

    Chapters

    00:00 Finding Inspiration in Weather02:14 The Power of Weather in Art07:45 Tornadoes as Metaphors13:01 The Appeal of Tornado Paintings18:32 The Smallness of Humanity23:17 Incorporating Weather in Art

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  • NOAA: Undervalued and Underfunded?

    NOAA: Undervalued and Underfunded?

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Scott Rayder, President of Lynker

    Here on the Weather Geeks podcast, we donā€™t have to remind you what NOAA is and how they work every single day to protect life and property. But there are a lot of others out there who have never even heard of NOAA and donā€™t truly understand where their weather forecasts come from. They may be surprised that The Weather Channel or their favorite mobile phone app isnā€™t the one issuing a tornado warning for their area! NOAA does it all, and they need the funding in order to keep doing it, and unfortunately, they arenā€™t getting enough of it. On the show today we have former NOAA Chief of Staff Scott Rayder to discuss why more funding is desperately needed before itā€™s too lateā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction08:12 Advancements in Weather Forecasting14:54 The Evolving Landscape of Weather Modeling30:59 Recognizing and Supporting NOAA's Critical Work37:42 Conclusion

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  • Touching Base with NASA's PACE

    Touching Base with NASA's PACE

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Jeremy Werdell, Oceanographer at NASAā€™s Goddard Space Flight Center

    From the smallest plankton to the grandest cloud formations, the PACE mission is poised to capture the breathtaking complexity of Earth's interconnected ecosystems. PACE stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem. It's a mission that transcends mere scientific curiosity; it's a rallying cry in the face of our planet's most urgent environmental challenges. By unraveling the mysteries of Earth's ecosystems, PACE equips us with the knowledge and tools needed to confront these challenges head-on. On the show today, we have Project Scientist Dr. Jeremy Werdell to break down the mission and why itā€™s so important for the future of our planetā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to the PACE Mission06:16 The Importance of Studying Sea and Sky07:42 Aerosols: Understanding Atmospheric Particles14:51 Clouds: Their Role in Climate and Interactions20:35 Instruments of the PACE Mission26:34 Early Success and Data Release34:27 Looking Ahead: Discovery and Interconnectedness

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  • Can Pollen Change The Weather?

    Can Pollen Change The Weather?

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Jordan Schnell, Research Associate for CIRES at CU Boulder; NOAA GSL

    You know the Phil Collins song that goes ā€œI can feel it coming in the air tonight?ā€ Well thatā€™s how allergy sufferers feel when they see the trees starting to bloom again in the spring! It signals the return of pollen, which can be debilitating to millions of people. And that can even extend into the summer with ragweed and grass pollen! Scientists at NOAA have developed a brand new pollen forecast that can both help those with allergies live a sneeze-free life, but can also model how pollen particles move around in and interact with our atmosphere. Today on the show we have Dr. Jordan Schnell to discuss this exciting new product and other air quality hot topicsā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 The Impact of Pollen on Allergy Sufferers and the Development of a New Forecast04:03 Dr. Jordan Schnell: Research, Air Quality, and Electric Vehicles15:38 Modeling Pollen and Its Interaction with Weather26:11 Impact of Pollen on Weather33:29 The Future of Pollen Forecasting42:54 Innovative Projects at Ceres

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  • From Astrophysics to the AMS

    From Astrophysics to the AMS

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Stella Kafka, AMS Executive Director

    The world of meteorology is vast, with the options of different career paths spreading far and wide! You donā€™t have to be on TV in order to be a successful meteorologist, nor do you have to work for the government at the National Weather Service. In that same vein, you donā€™t have to be a meteorologist to be involved in the American Meteorological Society, even though itā€™s in the name! Your career may take you in a different direction, but there is always a weather geek in there somewhere. Thatā€™s why today on Weather Geeks, we have the new Executive Director of the AMS Dr. Stella Kafka on the show to talk about her journey into this position and where she wants to take the organization in the futureā€¦

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  • Sargassum, Coral Reefs, and Water Quality

    Sargassum, Coral Reefs, and Water Quality

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Brian LaPointe, Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University

    As we are heading into the throes of summer, a lot of you are going to be slathering on sunscreen and heading to the beaches! Heck, you may be listening to this podcast while ON the beach! While youā€™re there, wouldnā€™t you want to know more about the waters surrounding you and what little microscopic critters could be floating around in there? Maybe, maybe not, but we are going to geek out about it either way! Iā€™m here with Dr. Brian LaPointe from FAU who is an industry expert in water quality across our countryā€™s shorelines.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background08:29 Eutrophication and Water Quality27:12 Regulation and Management for Coastal Protection37:13 Warming Water Temperatures and the Growth of Sargassum45:04 The Human Alteration of the Nitrogen Cycle and Harmful Algal Blooms

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  • Twisters: Taming the Tornado

    Twisters: Taming the Tornado

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Rick Smith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWS Norman

    If you feel it, chase it! That is the tagline for one of the biggest movies of the summer and probably the biggest weather movie of the decade: Twisters. After the initial geek out took place, we were left with a lot of questions! Did it live up to its predecessor Twister, which inspired meteorologists all across the country to pursue their passion? Will we see a brand new wave of Kates and Tylers in the coming decades? Before we think too far ahead, weā€™ve got to break down the SCIENCE in the film, and who better to do that with than Rick Smith, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Normanā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Twisters and Rick Smith09:14 Involvement with the Movie Twisters23:12 Accuracy of Science in Twisters34:02 Weather Modification and Taming Tornadoes36:42 The Future of Twisters and Potential Sequels

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  • The Olympics & Sports Ecology

    The Olympics & Sports Ecology

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Jessica Murfree, Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill

    The biggest event in the sporting world is taking place in Paris this summer! The Olympics brings in hundreds of athletes and even more spectators from all across the world from so many different backgrounds and ideologies. How do all of these minds come together not just to compete, but also think about our environment and climate as they do so? We have sports ecologist Dr. Jessica Murfree here on the show today to talk about the unique intersection of sports, our changing climate, and extreme weather events, and how that intersection can make all of us more future-thinking so we can go for the gold!

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction: Exploring the Intersection of Sports, Weather, and Climate

    09:51 Understanding Sports Ecology: The Study of Relationships Between Sports and the Natural Environment

    15:49 The Environmental Challenges of the Olympics: Heat and Climate Change

    21:23 Adapting Sports to Climate Change: Considerations for Spectators and Infrastructure

    25:47 The Impact of Climate Change on Sports: Spectator Experience and Adaptation

    36:10 Rethinking Infrastructure and Practices: How Climate Change is Shaping Major Sports Leagues

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  • The Sport of Storm Chasing

    The Sport of Storm Chasing

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Charles Peek, Storm Tracker for The Weather Channel

    Itā€™s the thrill of the chase! After a record-breaking severe season, countless jaw-dropping videos of supercells and tornadoes were live streamed from every inch of Tornado Alley. Coupling that with the much anticipated release of the movie Twisters this summer, the sport of storm chasing has been a hot topic conversation. A lot of chasers would tell you that the movie Twister inspired them to pursue this career, but a LOT has changed since 1996! More technology, the rise of social media, and other avenues to make money are all on the table! On the show today, we have long-time storm chaser Charles Peek from The Weather Channel to talk about chasing in the year 2024 and beyondā€¦

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  • Weather Geeks 10th Anniversary

    Weather Geeks 10th Anniversary

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Shepherd & the Creators of Weather Geeks

    As long as there has been weather, we have had weather geeks. Before we had the radar to see storms from different layers and the satellites to see hurricanes from space, the fascination of weather has always been there. But only for the past 10 years has there been a Weather Geeks show; first starting as a half-hour geek out on The Weather Channel and now a podcast that youā€™re listening to wherever you are! And since the beginning, Dr. Marshall Shepherd from the University of Georgia has been your host and heā€™s sitting down with us to reminisce and regale about the past 10 years of Weather Geeksā€¦

    Chapters

    00:00 The Fascination of Weather Geeks02:14 Bitten by the Weather Bug04:28 Creating a Meet the Press for Weather05:07 The Reluctant Host10:39 The Evolution of Hosting16:17 Fascinating Guests21:39 Geeking Out with Ginger Zee and Janice Hough22:05 A Place to Geek Out22:42 The Value of Weather Geeks in the Weathergeek Community24:21 Challenges and Surprises of Hosting a TV Show26:33 Influencing Teaching Strategies through Weather Geeks29:03 The Future of Weather Geeks: AI, Social Sciences, and Immersive Mixed Reality31:27 Exploring the Fascination of Weather with Weather Geeks

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  • Using AI to Study Weather & Climate

    Using AI to Study Weather & Climate

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Campbell Watson, Senior Research Scientist at IBM Research

    As artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to become more pervasive in our technology, itā€™s only natural to wonder what it means for meteorology and climatology. Believe it or not, AI is already revolutionizing how we develop models in the Earth and Space sciences. Joining us today is Campbell Watson, a Senior Research Scientist at IBM Research, to discuss how we are creating these AI models, and the opportunities and advancements we hope to learn from using them.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to AI in Meteorology and Climatology01:35 Campbell Watson's Background and Interest in Weather04:18 The Use of AI in Weather Forecasting05:24 The Evolution of AI in Weather Forecasting06:26 Understanding AI at its Core08:09 Difference Between AI and Conventional Weather Model Forecasting10:44 The Difference Between AI and Conventional Weather Model Forecasting13:31 AI Models Learning from Weather Models20:30 Foundation Models and Unsupervised Learning25:12 Verification of AI in Weather Forecasting27:57 The Robustness of AI Models28:24 Learning from Observations29:23 AI Models Learning from Observations30:09 The Importance of Observations30:38 Comparing Deep Learning and AI with Traditional Weather Forecasting Models35:38 Trustworthiness in AI Forecasting36:12 Adopting AI in Weather Forecasting41:46 Nowcasting with AI44:03 AI in Climate Forecasting47:38 The Future of AI in Weather Forecasting

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  • Flash Flood Severity Index

    Flash Flood Severity Index

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Dr. Amanda Schroeder, NWS Fort Worth

    Description: Flooding can occur any time of the year and in any part of the United States. It is a weather catastrophe that knows no limitations. Each year, too many people lose their lives to flooding. Communicating the risks of flash flooding can be just as difficult as forecasting flash flooding itself. No one understands that better than Dr. Amanda Schroeder, a Senior Service Hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. She was key in the development of the Flash Flood Severity Index, a scale designed to help convey the risks associated with flood events.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction01:42 Dr. Amanda Schroeder's Background04:04 Early Work on Flash Flood Research05:16 Work on the Spread Project08:52. Role of a Senior Service Hydrologist10:21 Challenges of Flood Forecasting11:34 Impact-Based Forecasting13:17 Flash Flood Severity Index19:06 Implementation of the Index20:17 Potential Global Application23:16 Memorable Flooding Events26:01 Impact of Climate Change on Flooding28:11 Takeaways for the Public31:08 Overcoming Challenges in the Field32:27 Availability of Information on the Flash Flood Severity Index33:46 A Day in the Life of a Senior Service Hydrologist35:45 Conclusion

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  • Space Weather Prediction Center

    Space Weather Prediction Center

    · Weather Geeks

    Guest: Clinton Wallace, Director of the SWPC

    Weather Geeks often spend their time looking up at the sky, but there are some Geeks that look even farther up! Forecasters at NOAAā€™s Space Weather Prediction Center are tasked with looking at everything PAST our atmosphere to warn us of any impending threats. However, sometimes those threats can be visualized as a spectacle with the Northern Lights, which we were ALL treated to one of the greatest shows of our lifetimes back in early May. How did the Space Weather Prediction Center forecasters know this event was coming? Well they were led by Director Clinton Wallace, and we have him on the show!

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