Weather Geeks

Guest: Dr. Walker Ashley, professor & researcher at Northern Illinois UniversityDr. Walker Ashley is a professor at Northern Illinois University who focuses onexamining the impacts of severe and hazardous weather on society. With more extremeweather events on the rise, we see an increasing number of vulnerabilities being exposedwithin communities, leading to wide spread loss of life and property. Improving thecommunication of risks imposed by severe weather is a major focus of scientists and somepolicy-makers. Today we’ll discuss how urban sprawl and development, local infrastructure,and even socioeconomic factors have been found to play a major role in how a disasterunfolds. We’ll also explore ways we can mitigate or prevent future disasters throughpreparedness and risk assessment.

Guest: Phil Magney, Founder & Principal Advisor for VSIDescription: While we listened to our record collection years ago, some of us dreamed of a future with cars flying through the air...while that may not be where we are headed, self-driving vehicles are here and there are big businesses working on the challenges to bring this to fruition. Weather is perhaps the biggest challenge...how can technology handle changing road conditions while keeping everyone safe? We are joined by Phil Magney, founder of VSI, a leading researcher of active safety and automated vehicle technologies to discuss what is being done to make sure weather doesn’t put on the brakes to the future of automated vehicles.

Guest: Stephen Bennett, Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Riskpulse Your package is shipped, but it is still 3 days out...3 days of traversing through weather to get to you. Will storms cause a delay? Does the product need refrigeration? Can the product be left out in the cold? What if the answers to these questions started before the order went out for shipping? Taking the weather forecast into account - charting and changing the way your package gets delivered...it could mean big savings for you and companies. Well...this technology exists and Stephen Bennett, Founder and Chief Operating Officer for Riskpulse if here to tell us all about it. 

Guest: Matthew Cappucci, Undergraduate at Harvard & Capital Weather Gang Contributor Description: It’s been a special weather phenomenon for meteorologists for a long time, but Jim Cantore took it to a whole new level in 2015...Thundersnow!! Winter storm fans routinely share their videos of lighting during a heavy snow, but just how does lighting form in winter storms? How rare is it? There are many open questions and today we are joined by a rising star in the meteorological community, Matthew Cappucci to get some answers. Matthew has researched thundersnow, is a contributor to Capital Weather Gang and will be graduating from Harvard in a few weeks! So, let’s dive in and breakdown how a flash of light and clap of thunder can give so many people a jolt of excitement!

Guest: Ovie Mughelli, Former NFL Pro Bowl Running Back, Sustainability Advocate, Creator of Comic  Book Gridiron GreenDescription: Former NFL pro bowl running back Ovie Mughelli talks about his incredible journey from All Pro NFL running back to sustainability advocate. Mughelli will fill us in on why he feels a comic book that features a superhero character that becomes the guardian to the plant could be the key to changing the climate narrative and what role did his kids play in launching his unexpected second career choice….This is a discussion that is not one you’ll want to miss.

We go inside the storm with Jim Cantore. As we dive deep into his 30 plus year journey at The Weather Channel, we find out: how have things changed; some of Jim’s most memorable moments; and what will the future bring. All that and more from one of Weather’s most influential names.

Guest: Brett Kern, NFL Punter for Tennessee TitansDescription: In a game where inches can mean the difference between the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, punters can make all the difference in the world. One NFL punter has found a way to turn his inner weather geek into a real advantage on the gridiron. Today we’ll talk with two time pro-bowl punter and current member of the Tennessee Titans, Brett Kern, to talk about how his dream of one day chasing tornadoes is helping him excel at his NFL career.  

GUEST: Jim Bridenstine, Administrator of NASADESCRIPTION:From flying high above the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, to being elected as a Congressman of Oklahoma in the U.S. House of Representatives, our guest has dedicated his life to serving his country. Today we’re excited to welcome newly confirmed NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine.  Jim hails from Tulsa, OK where he became all too familiar with extreme weather, so he understands the importance of improving our forecasting capabilities. We’ll discuss the major piece of legislation he helped pass to support the expansion of weather research and forecasting. Plus, we’ll hear about his evolution on issues like climate change and how the work at NASA can further our understanding of its impacts. If that’s not enough, we’ll also get Jim’s thoughts on the future of space exploration. Could it include a visit to Mars? It’s all next!

Guest: Mark Maxwell, founder and owner of sportsweather.comDescription:  This week on Weather Geeks, we sit down with Mark Maxwell. He is the creator of sportsweather.com, a data-driven weather service site he created to give sports gamblers and fantasy players a competitive edge in an increasingly popular and lucrative niche in the world of sports. So if you want to add never-before-available weather-related insights to your sports betting or fantasy strategy, this podcast’s for you!

Guests: Dr. Jon Martin & Dr. Michael Morgan - Professors, University Of Wisconsin-MadisonDescription: They can cancel school, shut down airports and the big ones can even paralyze cities for days...winter storms track all across the country ever year. They are complicated weather systems where details of temperature structure, pockets of dry air and subtle bands of intense snowfall make all the difference between a few flurries and feet of snow. University of Wisconsin - Madison professors Dr. Jon Martin and Dr. Michael Morgan join us today to discuss why winter storms behave the way they do, how we can understand them better and how a shrinking cold pole in the northern hemisphere might alter these storms in the near future. Get ready weather geek fans...we are really going to roll up our sleeves and get into the details of winter storms!   

Guest: Steve Bowen, Director (Meteorologist), Aon When natural disasters strike they can impact just about every aspect of life... The ultimate cost of such disasters is a science of its own and no one is more familiar with those costs than those charged with insuring all that is important to us. Today we’ll talk with Steve Bowen, Director and meteorologist at Aon, to look back at the weather related disasters of 2018...plus…fascinating conversation that will explain how Mr. Bowen utilizes analytics to help communicate & prepare the world for the risks associated with a future that promises to bring more and more extreme weather events.

Guest: Dr. James McClintock, Endowed University Professor of Polar and Marine BiologyUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamThis week on Weather Geeks we go to the bottom of the earth….Antarctica! A white desert covered in snow and ice. But did you know plants and algae make up an underwater forest at its edges and that these plants can be used to develop drugs to help with cancer and the flu?! Dr. James McClintock from The University of Alabama - Birmingham joins us to discuss why studying this part of the world is important and why so many people are making the trip down to Antarctica to learn more about the region and experience climate change in action. 

Guest:  Gabriel Sassone & Jacques Kerner - Avalanche StudiosDescription:Today on Weather Geeks we dive into a world where extreme weather is the most dangerous game. Video games continue to push the bounds of depicting accurate atmospheric physics in virtual worlds. But how are these gaming “engines” built? How is weather recreated in a virtual world? We’ll get the answers from Gabriel Sassone and Jacques Kerner from Avalanche Studios, which recently released Just Cause 4, a game where weather is not only a main character but a core element of the story and how you play. The experience is amazing, the weather is realistic, and the process to get there is fascinating.

Guest: David Inmon, UPS Airlines MeteorologistDescription:It’s that time of year again! Millions of packages will be delivered this holiday season. One of the busiest companies getting packages from here to there is UPS and we are joined today by David Inman, an airlines meteorologist with the company. So, just how does weather play a role in meeting the delivery deadline? How are logistics changed as a result of the forecast? And how about this time of year… does the pressure ramp up, especially if the surface pressure dives down? All this and more.

Guest: Dr. Richard Alley, Evan Pugh Professor, Penn State UniversityDescription:Oftentimes, when a scientist explains their work to the public there is a breakdown of communication. The person listening gets lost in the complex explanation and foreign terminology. But there are small handful of amazing scientists that have an incredible ability to communicate... keeping the audience engaged and wanting more. And today we are joined by one such person, Dr. Richard Alley from Penn State University. We are going to talk glaciology, meteorology, and climatology and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Guest: Tom Niziol, Winter Weather Expert at The Weather Channel. DescriptionThe first snowstorm this year for New York City should not have been this memorable. A manageable 6 inches of snow come down in a hurry, but the region was gridlock early on in the event. Was this a forecast fail? A communication calamity? Or pitiful planning? The Weather Channel Winter Weather Expert Tom Niziol has spent decades forecasting and communicating winter weather. He joins us today to talk about this event and the handful of others where winter weather seems to catch cities by surprise. Just what can be done to prevent the situations from happening again?

Al Roker has been giving forecasts for ‘your neck of the woods’ for over 20 years...He is America’s Weatherman, appearing on the TODAY show, Nightly News and a host of other television and news shows over the years. He has a knack for channeling his on-air charisma into many different media platforms, including penning a New York Times best seller, dishing out award-winning cookbooks, and lending his voice to critically-acclaimed movies. In this week's Weather Geeks podcast we learn about Al’s deep passion for weather, how he continues to evolve with the ever-changing media landscape and how he manages to balance it all.

Guest: Clark Schweers, Principal; BDO Forensic Insurance and Recovery PracticeDescription:Natural disasters happen every year all across the country changing the lives of those directly affected forever. Just look at this year’s hurricanes, the deadly and destructive wildfires in California...but there is also an indirect effect to these disasters that ripples across the country and hits the wallet of nearly every American. Clark Schweers joins us today from BDO Global to breakdown how weather and natural disasters have lasting impacts for millions, well after the rebuilding has begun and in some cases fully completed.

Guest: Dr. Judah Cohen, Director of Seasonal Forecasting at Atmospheric & Environmental ResearchDescription:Colored leaves are on the ground and some flakes have already fallen. Winter is just around the corner and everyone is wondering how cold will it get? How much snow will fall? Today, Dr. Judah Cohen gives us a sense of what we can expect. We dive into seasonal forecasting and examine how today’s weather can provide clues into next month's weather. What is El Nino’s role? Why is Siberian snow cover important, and why do we need to pay attention to the stratosphere...thousands of feet above where planes fly? We’ll break it all down as we discuss the 2018-2019 winter outlook.

Guest: Harry Enten, Senior Writer and Analyst, CNN PoliticsDescription: Millions of Americans will be voting this November for their favorite candidate. When they head out to the polls some will enjoy sunshine, others will get cold and rain, and maybe even a few folks will see snowflakes. Weather might even keep some people from even heading out the door. Just how does weather affect elections...and more generally politics? Today, we’ll pose these questions and more to Harry Enten from CNN Politics. Harry has a passion for both weather and for politics. We'll look back at what history has taught us and what the future may hold for the intersection of weather & politics.