Weather Hype

So many of us use social media sites for networking and communicating with one another, and the meteorology community is no different, adopting Twitter as a platform for engagement. Using the hashtag #wxtwitter, meteorologists and weather enthusiasts discuss a myriad of subjects, including storm chasing, severe weather, and other hot-button topics. Users also hop onto #wxtwitter to share research and ideas with one another and brainstorm potential collaborations for the future. While #wxtwitter can certainly provide many positives, there are several downsides that we discuss, including the terse nature of tweeting and the "drama" that can often unfold between members in the community. Minh and Castle break it all down and bring back our good friend Dakota Smith from "The Weather Junkies" to discuss the wonderful world of #wxtwitter. Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Note Drop" by Broke

After an amazing National Weather Podcast Month in March, Castle and Minh are ready to take it a little easy for April. Thesis and manuscript writing are making things hectic for these guys, but no worries, they're not neglecting WeatherHype :) Join in on the conversation as they talk about the difficult decisions and repercussions of local TV stations cutting away from major televised events to cover severe weather. It happened in Columbus, OH recently, right before a stunning buzzer-beater of a March Madness game. You can bet people were pretty angry, but could this situation have turned out better? We'll have that, stories about Harry Potter a fun "Castle Tries Something New" segment, and much more on WeatherHype! Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Only Knows" by Broke for Free: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Welcome back to National Weather Podcast Month (#NWPM)! Ready to hit the slopes?! We are extremely excited to have Kyle Nelson (@WxKyleNelson) on the show! He is a meteorologist, professional ski patroller, and natural hazards educator. We discuss everything from skiing, the role of a ski patroller, working the Winter X Games, and finally preparedness messaging on the slopes. As always, you can expect our shenanigans and this time we get Kyle involved in the fun! We finish up with our Songs of the Week, and we actually get to play one this time! So stay tuned, because WeatherHype is coming up! Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Supersonic" by Rob Gasser and No Copyright Sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdEo002K2GQ. A brief excerpt of "Supersonic" is also played during our Songs of the Week segment of the podcast!

WeatherHype is proud to be one of several great weather and science-themed podcasts participating in the first annual National Weather Podcast Month (#NWPM). On this week's episode, we have Dakota Smith (@weatherDak), the co-host of The Weather Junkies, on to talk about his inspiration behind a collaborative podcast project "Weather Ready or Not." Minh, Castle and Dakota talk about the importance of sharing personal stories and narratives from people directly affected by weather and climate events and also share their own stories on how to effectively talk to people about climate change and science in general. Of course, we have a little (actually a lot of) fun, and we share our songs of the week. So join WeatherHype for our first episode of #NWPM! Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "As Colorful as Ever" by Broke for Free: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

We teased the 'See a Flash, Dash Inside' campaign in Season 1, however, on this episode we follow up with two important people who helped start the campaign! We are joined by Jennifer Saari (NWS Huntsville) and Trevor Boucher (NWS San Antonio) to discuss their grassroots efforts to improve the dissemination of weather information to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. Finally, they breakdown the new "See a Flash, Dash Inside!" campaign and give us the inside scoop on the development process of this new messaging. We finish up with an exciting announcement about National Weather Podcast Month starting in March 2017! Stick around because another electrifying episode of WeatherHype is coming up next! Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "If" by Broke for Free: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

It has been a wild couple of weeks since the inauguration of President Trump, and it doesn't look so great for scientists and the science community. We break down some of the early executive orders and directives that have really impacted many of our federal organizations. Also, we look back at the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting in Seattle and recap some of the highlights from our experience. And flying out of SeaTac International, Minh joined in on a protest against the Trump Travel Ban. Hear about his experience and also how you can take part in the March for Science on April 22, 2017. It is a jam-packed episode full of science and politics.   Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Sourpuss" by Greater Than or Equal To: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

We're back for Season 2! As we gear up for AMS 2017, we thought it would be fun to talk about some of our previous experiences, provide some tips/tricks for attending the conference, and give you some opportunities to check out while you are in Seattle. The How-To-Guide for #AMS2017 has everything you will need! The shenanigans are back, we have our songs of the week, but there is something a little different for Season 2. Stay tuned hypsters, because WeatherHype is coming up next! See you in Seattle! Modifications were made for the Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "B-3" by Boxcat Games: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Are you ready for some good, old-fashion fun?! On this reunion episode of sorts, Castle and Minh take a stab at a live session and look back on the first season of WeatherHype! We talk about our favorite episodes, weather events, and life events that occurred in 2016. The good, the bad, and the ugly of 2016 are up for grabs in this last podcast episode. Get ready because the tangents are real in this episode! We finish up with a few teasers for Season 2 of WeatherHype and upcoming events on where to find us in January. Lastly, we want to wish all of our listeners a Happy New Year and we are looking forward to a fresh start in 2017! Until next year, stay hyped!! Modifications were made for Introduction music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Ok, so we might have stretched the title of our last full episode in 2016,  but we wanted to make it relevant to the holidays...! Join Castle, Minh, and our special guest, Emily Wilson (@emwilson27 on Twitter), as we talk about weather and aviation. Emily works in the private sector, and her research in graduate school was on clear air turbulence. So not to freak you out about flying this holiday season, but we figured we'd provide some interesting and related insight. That, our usual fun bantering, and our song of the week are coming your way!   Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Frantic" by Boxcat Games: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On Episode 19, Castle and Minh discuss an article by Meteorologist James Spann (ABC 33/40 - Birmingham and WeatherBrains Podcast), where he writes about the many frustrations relating to his viewers' lack of geographical awareness and his interactions with social media negativity. We also look at the National Weather Service - Birmingham's Facebook post from late November that caught the attention of many folks on "Weather Twitter." The post generated a lot of buzz for its confrontational and rant-like tone. We debate on what the best practices are for using social media as a tool to promote preparedness and education. And, we discuss the Southeast drought and wildfires that ravaged Eastern Tennessee, including the deadly Gatlinburg fires. We haven't had a chance to talk with one another for quite some time, so we do a little bit of catching up. That, the usual shenanigans, and our songs of the week are coming your way.   Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather"

Welcome to WeatherHype! This week on the podcast, we are joined by Dr. Tyra Brown and Dr. Laura Myers to talk all about NOAA Weather Radio. We start off by providing a brief overview of the current product, where you can find it, and the challenges of the current system. We then move into discussing the three phases of the new project, and elaborate on the results from Phase 1: Stakeholder Engagement. We answer two big questions: what stakeholders did they engage, and what were some of the takeaways from the project? Then our guests weigh in on the future of NOAA Weather Radio, and examine some exciting prospects for integrating new technology with the NOAA Weather Radio. The future of NOAA Weather Radio is bright with potential paths including: Geo-tagging, reducing the general public's perception of false alarms, and even providing all-clear notifications. We even sneak in a question about the NOAA Weather Radio voice! Stay tuned, because all of this is coming up next on WeatherHype! To view the links discu

We've heard for a while now that weather can affect elections, but are there facts and research to back up that claim? In Episode 17, we do a little digging and find some interesting literature that discusses how inclement weather plays a role in people's decision to go to the polls and exercise their right. We also look at research that discusses how changing individual environments can sway someone's salience and perception on topics like climate change. And, how are both emergency management and disasters significant when it comes to re-election? We'll break it down for you. That, social time, and our songs of the week are just a click away! Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "American Life (Instrumental" by Silence is Sexy: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nl/

This week on WeatherHype, we are discussing the communication challenges that were brought up during Hurricane Matthew. We start with a discussion on the variety of fear and emotional appeals that occurred during the event. From Dr. Rick Knabb's message, to Bryan Norcross' message, and finally the extremely provoking message by Fox News anchor Shep Smith. Then we discuss an article by Brad Panovich on the communication issues in North Carolina, and remarks by the governor of North Carolina to tweak the Saffir-Simpson scale. We end our chat on communication challenges by discussing the role that media plays during weather events. Do live shots affect people's threat perceptions, or show that it is safe to venture out during a storm? We break it all down, and offer our opinions on the topic. Next, we answer a listener's question regarding working with your best friend. We have a little experience with that, so we give a little advice! As always, we finish up with a few personal stories and our songs of the week

From the days leading up to the storm's impact on the Georgia coast, meteorologists all around the southeast were already gearing up for what would be one of the most dangerous hurricanes in recent memory. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for all coastal county areas east of Interstate 95, prompting a mass exodus inland away from the water. Minh and his family hunkered down for the storm miles inland away where they were safe from the storm surge. But they weren't safe from the strong winds that whipped across the region. Hurricane Matthew lashed the Coastal Georgia, leaving a trail of destruction behind. Thousands of large trees fell all over the area, and power was knocked out to hundreds of thousands of people. Minh offers his personal perspective from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and sheds light on the insight from others who experienced Matthew's fury. While the damage to Savannah and the coast of Georgia and South Carolina was extensive, many know that the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry dodg

On this episode of WeatherHype, we are joined by WBRZ meteorologist Josh Eachus to discuss the challenges associated with lightning risk communication. We discuss his recent Weather Social blog post on the topic, and then apply those principles to a real-world application: the recent OU vs. Ohio State football Game on September 17, 2016 where students refused to leave the stadium during a weather/lightning delay. After, Minh discusses his personal connection with Typhoon Megi, Castle gets a new bed, and we give our thoughts on the Clinton v. Trump debate. As always, we finish with our songs of the week! You do not want to miss this episode! For more information on the things discussed on this episode, please visit: http://www.weatherhypepodcast.com/episode-14.html Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Paraside" by Ryan Little: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ You can find Josh Eac

Nick Kosir, the morning meteorologist at FOX46 in Charlotte, North Carolina has a unique take on delivering the weather to thousands of viewers in the Tar Heel State. Nick didn't always want to be a weatherman, but through his experiences and luck on his side, he ended up with an opportunity to do the weather for a small station in Ohio. Nick has always had a passion for creativity and humor, so what better way to combine that with meteorology than to rap a weathercast? That's exactly what he did when he was in Beaumont, Texas, and the rest is history. Since then, he has gone viral with many of his hilarious weather videos, and he's developed a niche in the broadcast weather market as the funniest guy in weather. But it's not all about fun and games for Nick; he takes meteorology and forecasting very seriously. Combine that with a few shenanigans thrown into the mix and the usual banter between Castle and Minh, you'll definitely want to check out Episode 13 of WeatherHype!   Nick Kosir can be found on Faceboo

On this week's episode of WeatherHype, we're talking all things Tropical in the Atlantic and Pacific. However, we're going to emphasize the buzz and communication challenges associated with the 99L --> TD9 --> Tropical Storm Hermine --> Hurricane Hermine system! We start off with a discussion on the definition of an "invest" and the various tropical systems currently impacting the United States. We then look at the attention 99L has gotten in the past two weeks, and Castle takes us through a mini-experiment he conducted with social media data. Then we talk about the communication challenges associated with issuing Tropical Storm/Hurricane products with only a Tropical Depression in the Gulf, as well as a look at the new prototype Storm Surge Watch/Warning Products from the National Hurricane Center. We finish up our weather chat with an examination of the Zika virus and how these tropical systems may potentially impact the spread of this virus. Finally, we share a few personal stories and our Songs of the Wee

The devastating floods in Louisiana have destroyed thousands of homes and have left thousands of families homeless. But why is there such little coverage on the biggest natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy (2012)? We explore some of the nuances of mass media in trying to dissect why there was an overall lack of attention to this major weather event. Additionally, we look at the meteorology behind the floods and the relationship between the deluge and climate change. We also take a look at the communication of the event before the onset of the initial rains and as the flood waters continued to rise in many parts of the Pelican State.For links to items discussed on this episode of WeatherHype, please visit: http://www.weatherhypepodcast.com/episode-10.htmlModifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Everest" by Scott Holmes: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Welcome to the Olympic Games! On this episode of WeatherHype, we breakdown the opening ceremony of the Olympics and their decision to focus on climate change. Was it a good idea? Then we discuss the high winds that occurred on two different days in Rio that caused most of the water events to be cancelled for Sunday and Wednesday. Then we talk about the "normal" weather conditions for Rio, and explain how the summer Olympics can be occurring when it's winter in Rio! As always we finish up with some personal stories. Minh meets up with more weather folks, and we talk about the interesting concept involving weather forecasts and toast. Finally, we close up this episode with our Songs of the Week! For links to items discussed on this episode of WeatherHype, please visit: http://www.weatherhypepodcast.com/episode-10.html Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Mt Fox Shop" by Boxcat Games: https://crea

On this week's episode of WeatherHype, we are talking all about Lightning and Lightning Safety. We start off by discussing several lightning deaths and injuries that have recently been in the news, followed by a look at the statistics/demographic information associated with lightning fatalities. Then, Minh shares a close call with lightning while hiking in Colorado and the lessons he learned from that experience. Then we tackle several common misconceptions associated with lightning in a lightning round of myths. Lastly, we take a look at the new lightning safety campaign for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities entitled "See a Flash, Dash Inside." We end the podcast with a few personal stories and our songs of the week! For links to the items discussed during the podcast, please visit: http://www.weatherhypepodcast.com/episode-9.html Modifications were made for Introduction and transition music "Baby, I'm Bad Weather" by Toussaint Morrison: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ and "Against the Wall" b