Weather Geeks

Guest: Rachael Gauthier, IBHS

From hurricane shutters to fortified roofs, storm prep advice is everywhere, but how do you know what actually works? At the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, science leads the way. They test building materials, simulate real storms, and turn hard data into practical, life-saving guidance. Today, we're joined by Rachael Gauthier, a passionate voice for resilience and preparedn...

Guest: Dr. Grace Ahn, University of Georgia

When a hurricane threatens, the most dangerous part often isn’t the wind—it’s the water. Storm surge can arrive fast, rise high, and turn familiar streets into life-threatening hazards. But what if you could experience that danger in a safe way, before it ever happens? Dr. Grace Ahn at the University of Georgia has developed Weather the Storm, a virtual reality experience that put...

Guest: Ignacio Gallego-Marcos, Founder of Turbli

If you have ever flown, odds are that you have experienced turbulence. Whether it was minor, or severe enough to make you never want to fly again, turbulence is part of everyday aviation. Our next guest has spent the past several years working on modeling to forecast WHERE and WHEN turbulence might be the worst. Ignacio Gallego-Marcos is using his engineering background to si...

Guest: Tom Weber

When we talk about weather forecasting, we often picture meteorologists at a green screen or storm chasers racing toward a supercell. But behind every forecast is a global network of scientists, technologists, and communicators working on the front lines of climate and extreme weather. In his book Cloud Warriors, journalist Tom Weber introduces us to the pioneers transforming how we understand and resp...

Guests: Dr. Ellen Prager & Dave Jones

Ever heard someone say sharks are growing legs, or that peeing on a jellyfish sting actually helps? Yeah… same here. The ocean and atmosphere are full of wonder but also full of wild claims that just won’t go away. That’s where today’s guests come in. Dr. Ellen Prager and Dave Jones teamed up to write Megalodons, Mermaids, and Climate Change—a book that tackles your strang...

Guest: Dr. Jon Nese

When we think of the Battle of Gettysburg, we picture tactics, terrain, and turning points but what about the temperature? The clouds? The crushing heat, the unexpected storms, the impassable rivers? In their book The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign, meteorologist Dr. Jon Nese and historian Jeffrey Harding uncover a side of the Civil War that’s often overlooked: the weather. Using firstha...

Guest: Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead

When we talk about climate change, the conversation is often full of data, models, and projections, but sometimes, the most powerful insights come from stories. Long before satellites and Doppler radar, Laura Ingalls Wilder was documenting the weather in her own way: through her vivid accounts of prairie blizzards, scorching droughts, and the struggle to survive it all. In a brand new boo...

Guest: Dr. Neal Driscoll

Wildfire season used to have a start and end date, but in today’s climate, it feels like it never really stops. As flames race across parched landscapes and smoke clouds drift for miles, the stakes for early detection, response, and resilience have never been higher. Enter ALERTCalifornia, a groundbreaking program using high-tech cameras, real-time data, and cutting-edge research to help first ...

Guest: Dr. Renato Molina, University of Miami

Every year, hurricanes threaten lives, infrastructure, and the economies of coastal communities—but what if better forecasting could actually save billions of dollars? Turns out, it already has! But how can we put a dollar value on something as complex as a weather forecast? Today on Weather Geeks, we’re joined by Dr. Renato Molina of the University of Miami, who has d...

Guest: Daryl Herzmann, Iowa State University

Whether you’re a farmer tracking rainfall, a storm chaser following severe weather, or just someone who loves keeping an eye on the sky, today’s episode is for you! We have the pleasure of talking with Daryl Herzmann about the Iowa Environmental Mesonet: a powerful network of weather stations that collects and organizes real-time weather data across the state. We’ll dive into his...

Weather Geeks Team

What began as Fourth of July thunderstorms in Kerr County, Texas rapidly evolved into a catastrophic flash flood that overwhelmed campgrounds, highways, and homes.  Today on Weather Geeks, we’re dedicating our episode to understanding the flood disaster in Texas’ Hill Country, how it happened so fast, and how we can better prepare for the next time the sky opens up. We’ll unpack the meteorological se...

Guests: Bejan Abtahi & Maria Augutis

Every four years the most incredible athletes from around the globe gather to showcase their athletic abilities in the Olympics. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee plays a pivotal role in providing critical resources to ensure the athletes excel on the Global Stage. One of the biggest influencers of the games can be the weather. Joining us today are Bejan Abtahi and...

Guest: Chris Van Arsdale, Google Climate & Energy Research Lead

Wildfires aren’t just a summer problem anymore. This past January, California faced an unusual and intense wildfire outbreak, with flames ripping through communities and forcing thousands to evacuate. What if we could catch wildfires in their earliest stages, before they spiral out of control? That’s the goal of Google’s FireSat, a revolutionary satell...

Guests: Nelson & Louis Tucker

When it comes to tornadoes, getting close is both the goal and the danger. For decades, scientists have relied on radar, storm chasers, and ground-based instruments to study these violent storms. But what if we could send something right into the heart of a developing tornado? Maybe something small, nimble, and packed with sensors? That’s the mission behind the OTUS Project. Using...

Guest: Dr. Brian Bledsoe, University of Georgia

When a hurricane makes landfall, we expect the strongest impacts to hit the coast. But Hurricane Helene proved that the story doesn’t end there. With hurricane-force winds reaching more than 350 miles inland, this storm challenged the way we think about extreme weather risk. Are we truly prepared for the full reach of a hurricane, not just this decade but for centuries to come...

Guest: Dr. Anne Heggli, Assistant Research Professor at the Desert Research Institute

Weather forecasts are more than just high and low temperatures or the chance of rain—they’re a complex mix of data, models, and probabilities. But how do we effectively communicate uncertainty in forecasts? And why do so many people struggle with understanding probability-based predictions? It may be easy for us Weather Geeks, but we ...

Guest: Pamela James, CEO & Founder of Paloma St. James

It’s no mystery that industrialization has a negative impact on the environment; however, an unexpected contributor is the fashion industry. Recent studies have shown that the production of textiles contributes nearly to 8-10% of global carbon emissions, superseding emissions from the aviation and shipping industries combined. Designer and CEO, Pamela James, joins u...

Guest: Dr. Levi Boggs, Georgia Tech Research Institute

When we think of lightning, we picture bolts striking the ground during a thunderstorm—but not all electrical activity stays within the lower atmosphere. High above the clouds, mysterious and fleeting flashes of light dance across the sky—sprites, blue jets, and gigantic jets—phenomena that are still not fully understood. Today on Weather Geeks, we’re exploring the...

Guest: Dr. Al Gasiewski, Chief Scientist at Weather Stream

From hurricanes to heat waves, accurate weather forecasting relies on one crucial factor: data. But much of our atmospheric data comes from outdated or sparse observation networks, leaving gaps in our understanding of rapidly changing weather patterns. Enter microsatellites—small but powerful spacecraft revolutionizing how we monitor the atmosphere in real time.&nbs...