WeatherBrains 996: Pull the METARs

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a seasoned broadcast meteorologist and weather anchor at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon.  He brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for weather to his viewers daily.  His forecasting career has spanned nearly 30 years, taking him from the hurricanes of south Texas to the lake effect snows of Michigan, the tornadoes of the Ohio valley and yes, the hard to predict weather of the Pacific Northwest.  Rod grew up in Missouri and graduated from Mizzou. He later earned his certificate of broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State. Soon after, Rod earned the seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. He later served on the NWA certification board for more than five years.  Rod Hill, it's great to see you and thanks for joining us!

Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: [e-mail].

• Figuring out the puzzle as a synoptic weather forecaster (18:30)
• Advice for TV meteorologists with job security concerns (25:30)
• Uncertainty for the future in operational meteorology (28:00)
• Where will traditional television stations be a decade from now?  (37:00)
• Current morale and level of fear and uncertainty in the NWS offices (53:00)
• Complexities of Pacific Northwest weather (01:02:30)
• Social media strategies (01:09:45)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:03)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:19:50)
• E-Mail Segment (No segment this week)
• National Weather Round-Up
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 996:

Midland Weather Radio

Portland Weather - Rod Hill on YouTube

Portland Weather

Picks of the Week:

Bruce Jones - Mount Washington Observatory records more than 160 mph wind gusts

James Aydelott - Okie J's snowshoes on Facebook

Jen Narramore - Out

Rick Smith - NOAA: Meeting the Moment

Neil Jacobs - Out

Troy Kimmel - Foghorn

Kim Klockow-McClain - Pillow Shaker for Weather and Emergency Radios - SHKR100

Bill Murray - Natural Disaster Survey Report - Mississippi Delta Tornadoes of February 21, 1971

James Spann - New Study Exposes Gap in TV Station Online Weather Coverage Strategy

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann