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Call for questions: Meteorology! (Patreon)

Published:
2022-11-08 22:45:50
Edited:
2022-11-08 22:46:36
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Ooooh, finally interviewing Dr. Marshall Shepherd on Thursday! He's an Atmospheric Science professor, former NASA scientist, hosts the podcast Weather Geeks, and is just an all around great guy and expert on WEATHER.

So let's have those meteorology questions, folks! Aaaaaah! I'm so nervous. He's so cool. 

Okay bye,

Ward

Ps: new episode of Smologies is up, about FLAGS! 

Pps: JR, I know you wish this was metrology and I promise: 2023 

Comments

Average_pi

Explain sleet, and hail

Ashley Oki

Why does rain make people’s joints hurt?

Kendall Hargis

What's your favorite kind of weather?

Hannah Matousek

Please tell me how on earth we can actually predict weather…

Shelby Smith

How can you predict the weather as far as 10 days out. Seems like magic.

Elizabeth

Why is it so hard to predict the weather?

Trevor Durning

ENSO is highly predictable, how far away would you say we are from being able to predict the AMO at similar resolution?

Jillian

Why does weather even exist?

Aubrey Nelson

I grew up with a meteorologist on my local station who was NEVER wrong, but now I feel like I can never trust the weather forecast because it’s rarely correct. Has something changed, or was he just really gifted?

Aoife Holmes

Has climate change had a big factor in todays meteorology?

Amy Narimatsu

Can some people really feel if rain is coming based on their joints or an old injury hurting?

RJ Doidge

“I feel it in MAH BONESSSS 🦴” Is it barometric pressure? (Actually what is barometric pressure…?) what causes those with aching joints to know that a change in weather is coming? Also just HOW can predictions work? How can they tell with decent accuracy where a storm is gonna track??

Chase Penix

Where are the least terrible places to live when it comes to weather-relates disasters?

Brittany Kaufman

It would make my day if you talked about graupel and derechos (these are separate topics!).

Maisie Lopez

can you explain the % rain thing (like 60% rain)? what does the percent mean? is it chance of rain? is it percent of area getting rain? i need to know how to read my weather app so i can dress properly!

Diana Teeter

How much harder is it to predict the weather because of climate change? Is past data still helpful for future predictions or is it all shot to shit at this point?

Adam Silk

Can you talk about how weather prediction got worse during covid because of the grounded planes? What other unusual or not commonly known sources do we pull weather prediction information from?

Sarah king

I have lived in 5 states from the west to the Midwest over 28 years and every single one of them has a dad joke funny of “you know you’re in Colorado (other states) when it’s raining one second and sunny the next” is this true for any actual state over another?

Kendall Hargis

What is acid rain? Also what is smog?

Mushroom Morgan

Why does my skin get dry when it's cold even when it's relatively humid?

CoffeeLeaf90

How can people learn best practices for weather if they are unfamiliar with a particular system or situation? It seems that the old standard "we don't get (insert weather) here" isn't going to mean anything going forward 🫤

Jessica Kleist

Jessica Kleist (Kly-st) As a Floridian: just the whole topic of hurricanes?! I watch different sources of weather around the clock (usually on Twitter or YouTube, sometimes Facebook) when a storm is approaching and my friends seem to have no clue a storm is coming. How can social media inform our decisions in dangerous weather situations? It can provide real time info but have also seen it downplay and sometimes overhype storms and affect people’s preparedness. How can we combat this?

Alex Joseph

Is ball lightning real and if so how

Janna Wisniewski

What’s going on with weather modification programs? To what extent is it possible to control the weather, and what are the impacts?

Richard

Why doesn't every thunderstorm updraft make a tornado? Why do they live for minutes/hours but hurricanes last so long?

Sarah king

Raining in the sun.. why does this happen and why is it so majestic?

Amber Lewis

First time questioner: At what altitude does Meteorology end and space begin

Tom Whittaker

What are the largest challenges facing atmospheric science researchers these days?

Anna Thompson

I grew up in Virginia and weather seemed consistent across the area. I now live in North Texas and feel like it can be pouring rain downtown and be perfectly sunny at my house 10 miles away. Is there something to this locationally or is my circle of activity just bigger now that I'm an adult with a car instead of a preteen dependent on my parents to take me places?

Tyler nelson

Is a fall 40° actual colder than a spring 40° because of differences in moisture or is it all in our heads?

Rachel von Morrigan

How is climate change affecting weather prediction? Are weather patterns and behaviors changing in new ways you’ve never seen?

Jenna Catalano

What causes droughts and dry seasons?

Lizzy Martinez

Where/how do hurricanes and tropical storms get their names and when did we start naming them?!

Dantooine

climate change climate change climate change...

Anna Thompson

Is there any progress on the concept of seeding clouds to make it rain or is that a pipe dream?

Emily Staw-fur

Is it true that it can't snow if it's too cold?

Dantooine

is acid rain still a thing?

Laura M

Why humidity though? And why can the air in some places support higher humidity than others?

Dantooine

how do the clouds hold water?

Doug Paice

When I was a kid (1970s) we tended to get 3 day forecasts, now, it's 10. It's there a theoretical upper limit to how fast in the future we'll be able to predict the weather? Given the chaotic nature of weather systems.

kexi

How and how much do weather models for different areas differ? It seems when I travel that "my" weather report is not as precise as the local ones.

Laura M

What is your favorite weather? I love summer thunderstorms that smell like rain before and drop the temperature and humidity afterwards. Can you talk about why that happens?

Aoife Holmes

Do you know of any old wives tales for predicting the weather that have some level of scientific merit or explanation? Because honestly some if them seem really accurate in Ireland anyways

NiceWarmBooks

Which iOS weather app do you recommend for local accuracy? What’s the most accurate a forecast can possibly be? What’s the biggest limiting factor in making forecasts more accurate? (We need more satellites, more powerful computers, more weather stations on the ground?) How much have forecasts improved in recent decades? Will they keep getting better, or has accuracy plateaued?

Ro6ot

has anybody made the best version of a joke on the premise “meaty urologist”?

Gerald Thompson

I've lived in South Florida for my whole life. What makes the track/severity of a hurricane so unpredictable yet we can forecast thunderstorms with so much more certainty?

Bigcat9320

Why is it so hard to predict snow? I live in Wisconsin and every year we have major snowfall warnings and wake up to just a dusting.

kexi

What factors into a wether prediction? How much are e.g. big bodies of water and mountain ranges part of the model?

Kyle

As an atmospheric scientist, do you ever feel like you're under a lot of pressure?

Shay Allen

Acid rain! How do we know if rain is acidic? Does to depend on where you are? What’s the damage?

Tatum

Is it too late for humans to do anything about climate change? If not, what can we do on an individual, corporate, and national level?

Brian Madsen

Somebody please, please explain Coriolis force to me, especially as used in meteorological contexts. I swear, I am smart enough to understand this, but I can't find anybody who can explain it in terms I can follow.

AJ Groth

I just moved to Denver, CO and they say the sun is more intense because of the elevation. Is there any truth to that?

Emily Staw-fur

I live in New England and we are seeing worse snow storms every year. I don't remember having blizzards as a child, but now we have one, sometimes even two a year. Of course people like to use these storms as "evidence" that global warming isn't real. Can you explain how these are actually proof of climate change and how the warming of the earth causes severe cold weather events?

Isabelle Leclerc

Weather and aviation safety. Can you comment on dangerous weather partners or events (for.example: shear winds, micro bursts, etc)? Which are the most dangerous during takeoff and landing?

Dawn Smolczyk (pronounced small-check)

In Chicago you can have a 75 degree day followed by a 25 degree day…. Does this happen everywhere, or is it specific to certain places? 😅 can it be explained?

Nick A

Did you grow up somewhere different from where you are now?

Jona

Red Sprites! What's up with that? Is there any new science on that magnificent supercell phenomenon? Last thing I heard is that storm chasers (cheers to YT Pecos Hank) could link a red sprite above the supercell to very powerful lightning under the supercell. Is there any new research?

Patrick W

How much do you know about Chinook winds and Chinook migraines? I know some people who get splitting headaches when it happens. Do we know why? (I believe outside of Alberta they're known as föhn winds. But these things are wild in the wintertime and can evaporate feets of snow overnight in the dead of winter.)

Nicole Story

How much of the Farmers Almanac is fact or flim flam?

Jona

Also, Mammatus Clouds, am I right?

Aubrey Nelson

Yep but he retired before I moved and the replacement wasn’t nearly as good. More wrong than not.

Brooke

Can you explain intertropical convergence zones(aka doldrums)? Do other planets also have doldrums that we know of?

SalmonLikeTheFish

Yes! What an under-appreciated subject! Could climate change affect trade winds? And if so, what could that have the potential to change on a larger scale environmentally?

Katie Collins

Floridian here. Why are hurricanes so hard to track? Ian hit 100ish miles south of predicted and this much uncertainty makes evacuations and preparation so hard particularly for people who are low income/disabled.

Grandma Theresa

What’s up with hurricanes and storms getting worse and worse. Is there any chance this is cyclical or is climate change the only answer.

Mallory Nettleton

Hi there! Can you tell if it'll keep raining by the amount of bubbles present in puddles? I heard that it has to do with the atmospheric pressure, but I'm not entirely sure what atmospheric pressure is🤷🏻‍♀️

Joe Porfido

Do you have different accuracy levels for predictions that are further in the future

Lee Parker

Are there any real technologies that can influence the weather?

Katie Pinette

What's your favorite cloud? Can you predict how good a sunset or sunrise is going to be based on clouds? I've gotten pretty good at it (I'm a photographer), but I'm hit or miss with storm clouds- sometimes they just turn a purple gray, other times, they're the most vibrant colors! I have noticed that thin, whispy clouds tend to turn pink- they're a light pink before the sun has set and a darker, more vibrant, almost red pink after the sun has set. I've gotten very good at predicting pink sunsets!

choirqueer

That's who you call when it's cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Katie Pinette

New England is the same. It's either summer or winter from day-to-day in the spring and fall. There are very few perfect 65-70 degree days anymore during these seasons.

Nick A

What industries would benefit from hiring meteorologists (vs just following the general forecast)?

cameron elliott

I am told that large wildfires create their own weather such a lightning storm without rain. So what happens to the moisture in the clouds?

Will from Nehalem

Are there any wide-eyed climate change ideas that are of interest to meteorologists that could augment our efforts to reduce emissions? Like a planet-scale atmospheric dialysis machine? Also why isn't meteorology about meteors?

Kevin Wilson

It seems that people become “numb” with certain things because of their jobs and dealing with things everyday, do you still find joy in looking at the clouds? And if so, do you still see shapes in them? Or are they just clouds at this point? *dazes off at the doggo in the sky*

Alex Morales

Is it true that weather forecasts are only accurate 3 days out and the rest of the predictions are based on historical data?

Kevin Wilson

That was a long winded post… sorry! Hahaha

Kai Kishimoto

Do different weather apps/sites use different algorithms drawing from the same data? If so, how many algorithms are there? Are they patented?

Nicole Kleinman

I have epilepsy, and when the barometric pressure changes drastically it can trigger a seizure. Why does barometric pressure have such an effect on us physically?

Frances Hurst Brubaker

With climate change increasing will the scales having to do with storm strength used for tornados and hurricanes have to change? Is this being discussed in the meteorology world and if so, how would they be changed? Also, do cloud formations vary around the world? Is there a specific place that has the best clouds?

choirqueer

What are some recent innovations in weather prediction technology? How much better are we at predicting the weather than we were, say, when you first got interested in meteorology? FTQA, pronouns ze/zir

Shawna

Yay! I'm so excited! I'm a first time question asker and I can't decide which question to ask first so I'll start with the basic etymology question, why does meteorology sound like it's the study of meteors? What is the scope of meteorology? How does meteorology interact with other earth sciences like seismology? Why do changes in weather and air pressure cause some migraines?

Nina Giacobbe

What are some cool old timey ways a non science person can predict the weather? (Last name pronounced "juh-KOH-bee". Your recent pronunciation was *chef's kiss*)

AJ Gray

Do you know of any interesting or significant attempts by governments of private entities to control or create meteorological events??

Felix Lasselle

Do meteorologist ever celebrate when they actually correctly predict the weather? I feel like everybody has a certain distrust of people who forecast the weather.

Cat Kessler

What’s the deal with high/low pressure systems and warm/cold fronts? These have never made sense to me. Is there a fun pneumonic device to help me remember? (FQA, I think!) Also, my husband wants to know — how do you quantify the chance of precipitation? Isn’t anything between 0 and 100 just a guess? Do the percentages say anything about the amount of rain expected, or just probability?

Cate Muenker

Why are snow storm totals hard to predict? I live in CT on the shore and sometimes the guestimations are completely off. I feel bad for the weatherperson!

Carlos Ariza

How hard would it be to weaken or disperse hurricanes before they form? Is that even possible?

Adam Weaver

How qualified are "meteorologists" on local news stations? Are they actual scientists or just people pointing at maps relaying information?

Ashley Walther

What are 3 key things you use to explain climate change to people who believe it’s not real? Why are there so many models to predict weather? What is the difference between models that are used?

Miranda Panda

On a scale of 1-fucked, how fucked are we in terms of weather and climate change?

Matt Ceccato

Why is rainfall measures by height and not volume?

Joe Savina

What does it actually mean when the weather forecast says 30% chance of rain? Is it really 30% yes 70% no?

James Jakes

Do the predictions of rainfall match up with actual rainfall? When they forecast 50% chance of rain, does it actually rain 50% of the time? Is any weather irrigation beyond 5 days worthwhile?

Olivia French

How has meteorology changed over the years regarding technology used to assess and predict weather patterns? Are we getting more accurate/ are we able to make more long term predictions?

Deacon Raid

And the mysterious Graupel!

Olivia French

Also, please explain how the % chance of rain/precipitation works! Is it likelihood of rain or a percentage of the local area that will def get rained on? I feel personally victimised by my inability to understand this data and thus unable to make considered outfit choices! p.s. Love from Australia to you and ol' pop Ward

Deacon Raid

Can you explain cloud seeding? How much can we change weather on the short term?

Naomi Jane

Why does the US use Fahrenheit?! Celsius makes so much more sense!?

David Ruscalleda Gómez

What are some easy-to-spot cloud shapes with a clear forecast associated to them?

Sam Burnett

How do you differentiate bird migrations and other non-weather phenomena from weather data

Benjamin N DuBow

Fahrenheit better for weather, Celsius for science :)

Claudia Chiang

What's their most favorite and bizarre weather phenomenon?

Corina Radulescu

How can someone start a career in this field in US? We are about to get our citizenship, my husband has a foreign US recognized masters in this field, but couldn’t get a starting point. Would be super helpful to know!

Miranda Panda

I agree with Benjamin. Degrees in Celsius are too far apart, even if it does make more sense for freezing and boiling.

Kent Durvin

Why does wind gust sometimes? In March especially it seems to blow hard every 20 minutes or so, for example.

Sydonie S.

Tell us a little about the history of meteorology and television/news. How did the field go from science to our local news station weatherperson?

Rose C.M

First time question asker (by the way I looovveee your podcast, it brings me so much joy and hope for a better future, thank you Aly for everything 💖): - What's your favorite cloud? - Do you think there are still clouds or weather phenomenon that haven't been discovered yet? - How is it that climate change affect so much the weather and create so much wind/storm/hurricane

Allison Fallon

Is it true that we can engineer clouds to suck up carbon dioxide from the air? what would geoengineering actually do to cool the planet? Where would the CO2 go?

Naomi Jane

Interesting! 🤔 It confuses me so much (I'm in the UK, we do ⁰C) doesn't everything just get rounded anyway, making the nuance moot?

Suzen Baxter

First time asker here. Can you tell us about graupel? What is it exactly, why is it different from hail or sleet? I heard about it for the first time a couple of years ago and I’m fascinated!

Aninvan

How is probability of precipitation calculated?

Meg Ahern

At this point, about how far out are weather forecasts reasonably accurate on average? My 8th-grade science teacher said it was about 3 days, but that was in 1993. Has this changed?

Anika's Cat Arya

More of a sociological question, but why do you think this is a topic that’s so easy for people to find common ground on and that we continue to be interested enough to talk about with strangers on the regular?

Jennifer Huseman

First time question ask, so nervous! What can you tell us about weather balloons? Are High Altitude Balloons also weather balloons, are they the same? How often are they launched and are they recovered? What information do they provide? Did my Dad really have more than one register on his Flightracker24 app, is that possible?

Tabor Aragon

Do meteorologists in colorado even have to have an actual idea of what the weather is going to do? Seems like they’re basically always wrong about what is gonna happen. Expect that one time we had a bomb cyclone hit and they were right about that. How often do those bomb cyclones come around? Anyways. Thanks. Weather is neat.

Julie Weinberger

First time questioner and now you will always thinK

Joe Timko

What is the biggest limiting factor in improving weather forecasts?

Anna C

I live in Australia, and the forecasts in 2020 seemed to be much less accurate than before. I heard that was because meteorologists use observations from large airliners to inform their predictions, and our borders were closed for most of 2020. Is that true? And why didn't the accuracy seem to improve when intercontinental flights came back?

Andrea Devlin

Is climate change making it more difficult to predict the weather?

Sarah Montgomery

First time question asker... My understanding is that hurricanes can only rotate in one direction due to the Coriolis effect. I heard that tornadoes though can rotate in either direction because their diameter is so small. Is this true?

Julie Weinberger

Ok clearly too old to figure this out, but what I was trying to say was: I am a first time questioner and unfortunately now you will probably remember me as “that asshole,” but isn’t it meteorology- not meterology?

Julie Weinberger

edited your call or I read it wrong?? Sliding into a sinkhole of shame now…

Kristi Hager

This is a great question.... and kinda depends on what "disaster" type you want to avoid.

Megan Dawe

How much does proximaty impact the accuracy of forecasts? Is my local forecast more accurate to my town because they are paying closer attention? Or because it is somehow easier to determine when you are getting data close to the source?

Kristi Hager

So many versions of this. "It's Minnesota. If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes."

Casey Broughton

Why is there sometimes such a big difference between the actual temperature and the real feel when it's not even windy?

Jessica Ventre

I’m too excited to formulate a question so I can finally be a first time question asker!! Dr. Shepherd taught my weather and climate class at UGA!!! He was a fabulous professor. I taught high school science for a decade and ALWAYS recommended his class to my students. I still have my notes from his class! ❤️

Leah Anderson

Where I grew up (Western Wisconsin), kids always told one another that tornadoes would never hit our town because we were surrounded by the Mississippi and big bluffs. I assume this "knowledge" came from an adult, but I very much doubt its veracity. Are there actually places whose geological formations prevent tornadoes? (Recognizing that there probably won't be tornados in the Grand Canyon, for example, not because of the canyon but because it's dang dry there.)

Clara

Why are there such big differences between different weather apps? Where do different apps get their data and why isn’t it uniform? Is it true that the NWS can’t publicly share radar readings?

Clara

You’re doing great, no worries :)

Leah Anderson

Alie, thanks for sharing your humanity and telling us you're nervous because your guest is cool. But seriously, I can think of no one cooler than you.

Sadie Vipond

Is the diversity of types of weather a specifically Earth thing? Are there planets with some insane weather??

Sadie Vipond

Also what is the most beautiful type of weather in your opinion?

Mykenzie King

Okay I have to ask, it’s November and Florida is expecting a hurricane. What the hell is up with that?

Rebekah Rodarte

What is a wall cloud and how does it relate to tornadoes?

Brie Stewart

Shelby, age 9: how to hurricanes form? Tucker, age 11: what do meteors have to do with the weather?

Carsyn

I've read a book of alternate, nature-y ways to tell the weather such as counting the chirps of a cricket in a certain period of time to calculate the temperature or birds landing and things floating up in swamps indicate a drop in air pressure and an incoming storm. What do you think of these and do you have any observational tips to know if you're going to get rained on?

Timmy H.

Talk to us about the meteorologists against climate change!!! How did that happen? Why??

Emily

Long Time Listener, First Time Question Asker: I just watched Twister for the first time recently and I want to know: How accurate is it? I know it's an older film, but hey, it made me excited for weather. Also, what's the craziest weather phenomenon that blew your mind when you first learned about it?

Hannah H

What are the coolest clouds and how are they formed and where can I see them?

Melissa Wise

Yay! So why do rain storms look so black and dark in the distance, but when they get to you, the sky is barely gray?

Hannah H

How fast is weather modelling technology moving? Is anyone trying to model the weather on Mars?

Melissa Wise

Can interstates stop rain? I swear we live on one side of an interstate and every time it's coming from the other side, it breaks up before it gets to us (no hills or mountains)

Lisa Butler

What are some career options for people studying meteorology? I considered that in undergrad but went a different path, and I always felt like I didn’t know what you could do with it, other than the news weather person. Also… what is your favorite kind of cloud?!?

BRG

Is it common for a TV weatherperson to have a fandom? In Alabama, EVERYone knows James Spann as the voice of tornado season.

Rachel

From my son (Heathcliff, 7): Why does weather even happen? From me: Is there a scenario where humans try to control the weather and it does NOT result in an apocalypse?

Nancy Kay Clark

Have you been in the planes that fly over a tornado to release dropsondes, and if so, how scary was that?

Kass C.

How do we get the precision of in-situ measurements with the coverage of remote sensing to improve model accuracy?

Dylan V

Is he sick of people making jokes about him being a doctor for males with large genitalia (meaty urologist)?

Dylan V

How does atmospheric composition of other planets in our solar system affect their weather patterns?

Adam Foote

Living in upstate New York only one question comes to mind: What the heck is going on with Lake Effect snow? And why don't I hear about lake effect rain in the summer?

Hannah Johnson

If someone could snap their fingers and magically get rid of hurricanes, would there be any negative consequences? Are they important for any ecological processes?

Michael

My partner was wondering how the weather people know the highs and lows of temperature for the day and throughout the week

Liz Ross

I think it's because the atmosphere is thinner.

Liz Ross

Why is weather, especially storms, so fucking cool?! I get so bored when it's the same all the time!

Elizabeth Reed

How long will our atmosphere last? Also, what changes will happen once it’s gone?

Nicole Nordi

Lenticular clouds are my all time favorite and I see them over Mt. Rainier pretty frequently. I have seen pictures of some that have formed not over mountains, what would cause that?

The Blighted

Hey,First time question asker! So I know the government in the past has released certain chemicals into clouds to induce rain, is this still done or is it a thing of the past? Also how much would the average cloud weigh, is there even an average of the mass of a cloud?

Maddie Rodriguez

What is the weirdest weather related event you have ever heard of?

Tim McCollow

Why forces make clouds have different shapes?

Maddie Rodriguez

I'm in Southwest Missouri and it seems like it is becoming the norm to have 20-30° shifts in temperature from day to day. It happens all the time (although really I might just be paying more attention and it has always been this way lol). What's up with that?!

The Squirrel Queen

Can you explain a bit about how weather modification was done by the US military during Operation Popeye in Vietnam? Also, what research has been done into beneficial, non-warfare weather modification, such as hurricane manipulation?

Greg Walloch

What do you think of the phenomenon of news meteorologists often having names that match what they do? Storm Fields, Dallas Raines, Amy Freeze, Johnny Mountain. Was the weather just their destiny? Also, why do they seem like the rogue hotties of the newscast?

Rachel Selby

How can humans predict the weather; how do we do it? How has the profession shifted with the advance of technology? What did the earliest meteorologists do?

Greg Walloch

Does the barometric pressure really affect people as well as the weather?

Jennifer McDavid

How is climate change affecting the predictability of the weather?

Anna Frazier

why do i feel like i never heard the phrase “atmospheric river” until the last couple years, when it seems my hometown of Juneau, Alaska, gets hit by them all the sudden every couple months or so? is that an epic new term for an age old phenomenon or is the world getting worse that we have to invent new weather systems?

Super_Sara

What is the origin of the symbols on weather maps? November hurricane in Florida is kind of concerning, do you think this will be a trend in the future due to global warming? How many types of clouds are there?

Stephanie Coombes

I have tried to learn the clouds so many times. Any hints? It just doesn’t stick. Also, is there really a difference in dry vs wet cold or is it all in our heads?

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

What weather related super power would you choose and would you be a super hero or super villain? Also, what role is meteorology playing in the effort to combat climate change?

Dana Warheit

Ooh please ask about QT theory and how the skew-t is the ultimate atmospheric gauge for what is happening in the atmosphere at that moment.

SueG

Love your handle Connie! Love The Name Game :-)

SueG

Good question Re seeding clouds.

Sleepy John

How soon before global climate change disables global-level phenomena like the Gulf Stream?

Sara Rocero

Which type of storms are rare storms? And what’s your favorite?!

Yasmine Orangi

Hi, I just desperately want to know what weather app to use. Do some weather apps work better in certain geographical regions, specifically the Bay Area, California? Are there other factors that affect accuracy? Thank you!!

Emmett M Wald

How are big data and AI and other new computing paradigms changing meteorology? Is it exciting new stuff, or does it make the work more technical and less fun?

Emmett M Wald

In case your Q doesn't get answered, google "wet bulb temperature"!

Rebecca Davis

Could you explain what exactly meteorologists mean when they say percentage chance of rain? Is it like 40% chance that rain will fall somewhere in the area, or that 40% of the area will receive rain? And my roommates took off their tinfoil hats to ask, "are they REALLY weather balloons and not UFOs?"

Crystal Ward

Is this where I can finally get someone to explain sunsets to me? Why sky pretty? Why are there cooler sunsets at certain times of year? I know they're not really "weather" but sun and clouds and atmosphere seem close enough?

multi987

I googled this a while ago and there is an equivalent unit that is about volume. 1 mm/h = 1 L/m² though I couldn't tell you how they can possibly be the same when one is per time and one per area.

multi987

We all derp sometimes, it's human. No need to be ashamed.

multi987

Damn, that makes me even more excited for the episode! 🤩

Justine Doll

Is it true that when the weather calls for a 40% chance of rain it actually means it’s definitely gonna rain but only in 40% or your area??? Has my life been a lie ???

Justine Doll

Canadian weather stick… any validity to it??

multi987

I read somewhere that corporations pay tons of money for ultra high resolution weather forecasts that can tell them where in a city it's going to rain during a thunderstorm that day. Like to decide if they cancel a concert or other event in a certain area of a city that can't happen during a thunderstorm. Farmers would also probably pay tons of money for this Is this a thing? Will we humble citizens ever get access to predictions this localised? Because often it's not very useful to know it's going to rain in a big city without knowing which area in the city it's gonna rain. Also will (or do already) neural networks/AIs play a role in weather forecasting?

Tegumante

How come water clumps together in clouds? Why doesn't it just diffuse uniformly throughout the atmosphere?

BatRachy

I love watching the sunrise (and taking photos of it), so I use an app to tell me the likelihood of it being a colourful sky. Usually anything over 50% chance of prettiness is a decent sunrise... HOW does it know? And what makes the sky so beautifully multicoloured some mornings, and some mornings a simple but beautiful change from blue/grey to gold? (I'm ignoring the hundreds of grey, cloudy Yorkshire mornings I experience caused by pollution and simply being in a city in the North of England)

Olivia Brown

If you could revisit one historical weather/atmospheric event and experience it first person, either for research purposes or out of plain old curiosity, which one would you choose? Are there any currently unexplained atmospheric phenomena? I’m thinking along the lines of how sailors used to be confused by St. Elmo’s Fire…any neat occurrences we haven’t been able to explain yet?

BatRachy

Ohh and another question - how localised can weather be? I grew up in Cumbria on the edge of the Lake District, so with the coast and then all the mountains, valleys, and lakes it felt quite normal to have wildly varied weather (especially rain/snow) in places nearby, but I realise this is an anomaly compared to a lot of the world. How hard it is to forecast in such areas where weather is so localised and changeable?

Charlie

with a powerful enough computer(I mean mega powerful) could you predict weather accurately months or even years in advance accurately?

Rae Moore

Remember when everyone was freaking out about "the hole in the ozone layer"? What ever happened to that? Did the hole go away? is it still there but we found some new information that made it not a problem anymore? I feel like after years of panic we all just abandoned that fear all of the sudden and I've always wondered if that's because it was resolved or we just gave up/lost interest...?

Euan Munro

What's made the biggest impact in making weather prediction better recently - better models or better computers?

Erik K

How much does a cloud weigh

Erik K

For local weather prediction how much call you tell and how accurate are changes in barometric pressure. My altimeter watch has a barometer function, not sure how much to trust it.

Renee Quekel

I feel like (where I live) the seasons are slowly shifting. September used to be cold autumn weather and march used to be warmish and spring-like. Now september is hot and march is freezing. Do you see this pattern too?

Renee Quekel

It did close up a little, right?

Sarah Endres

What’s your favourite type of weather? Do you prefer the cold and bundling up or getting nurkud with an ice block.

Michael Bates

How come Nasa is so involved in meteorology when weather isn't about to cause trouble in space, and meteors don't seem to do much to the weather? Or do space phenomena affect the weather?!

Specs Owl

I think that's doing alright because everyone got catalytic converters in their cars. But aye, I hope this question gets answered in more detail in the show!

Feye

How do the different types of clouds affect the weather?

AussieColin

As computers and data gathering have improved, meteorologists have been able to predict further into the future. However, given the chaotic nature of the system, I imagine that there has to be a limit. Fifty years from now, will I be able to see a weather forecast for a month or two ahead? If not, what do you think the limit is?

Specs Owl

Someone at my work believes that the US Navy is "controlling the weather from HAARP", causing it to rain all summer in Scotland. Obviously this is bullshit, but would you be able to tell us whether that is, or ever could be possible?

Specs Owl

On a similar note, are you able to tell us exactly how they moved the clouds for the Beijing Olympics?

Specs Owl

When I lived in Ayr (south west coast of Scotland), it used to mostly rain at night, and hardly rained at all in the day. What's with that?

Specs Owl

What do you think the aurora smells like? Does it make a sound? Would it burn you? I asked these questions to a guy taking an aurora tour in Iceland once, and he thought I was just trying to show him up for not knowing, but I genuinely want to know!

Ted Vician

The world actually got together and did something, called the Montreal Protocol. We collectively got rid of several ozone-damaging chemicals like freon and halon from industrial processes and other applications, and found suitable replacements. I was part of a team that did it for the US Army. We replaced several hundred tons of halon with different fire suppressant agents in about 1998. Over time, the ozone layer has mostly recovered.

Specky

Ohh meteorology! Hooray! I've been waiting for this one for a long time. The exit song had me fooled into thinking it would be one of the earlier episodes. It's been worth the wait. Dr. Shepherd - How do meteorologists feel about local news weathermen (weatherpeople? weatherpersons?)? Do they have to have a formal education in meteorology in order to get the job? They seem to garner such a cult following in their local communities that hard weather scientists must have thoughts on how they affect the public perception of meteorologists.

Cass

(Long time listener, first time question asker) I live in the Midwest and we can wake up to 30 degree temperatures and it’s 70 by noon, how do you account for such drastic changes in temperatures? Is it sun? Pressure? Some sort of sorcery from the Great Lakes?! Sincerely, a weary Hoosier who leaves the house in many, many layers.

Alia Myers

How accurate is meteorology?

Alia Myers

Why does the weather where i live (toronto,canada) literally swing 30°c in a few hours???? Is it the lake?

Alia Myers

How does one become a meteorologist? Are weathermen (?weather-people) true meteorologists or just presenters? Who decides what weather is going to be presented on air?

Alia Myers

Are storm chasers meteorologists? How does that work? How do they know where to be?

Alia Myers

When did we start being able to (relatively accurately) predict the weather?

Alia Myers

Where in the world is the most volatile weather?

Stacey Sevelowitz

As a Mainer, I've heard Maine is the dumping ground for all of the country's nasty air pollution. Can you please tell us more about how Maine gets caught in the crosshairs, and if there's anything we can do about it!?

Stacey Sevelowitz

You should check out the Oct 28th episode of RadioLab!

Beck

Is snow going to become a thing of the past in the US? It's already not what it was when I was a kid here in MN. My favorite novel (set in MN)ends with the pov character describing the snow going away, starting with how it is now up to snow being this mythic thing of the past. I've always hated snow and winter in general but that made me sad. But I also know climate change isn't just linear progression of warm weather, it's causing more and more extreme weather in all directions so this prediction could be way off, at least for my lifetime.

Beck

Also from a novel: raining fish. Has that ever happened?

Julia Vollmer

How have weather patterns been changing with climate change? What can we expect for the rest of our life times in terms of weather patterns?

Marion Homier

Since my 2000 basic meteorology class at a local college, I’ve been wondering: Why, if I’m driving south, I’m considered going in a “southerly” direction, but if the wind is moving to the south it’s called a “northerly” wind (as opposed to a “north” wind).

DAZU

Hi gang! I'm really interested in knowing more about big data analytics and how ai systems are assisting in weather forecasting. Thanks!

Laura Atkins

When I lived in Israel it only rained during the Winter. Also weird

Emma Gregory

How has climate change and increasing temperatures impacted weather patterns in different parts of the world?

Rae Moore

Omg seriously THANK you I have been wondering this for a decade! But now I'm just angry they didn't shout it from the rooftops until the fact that we've solved it became as common knowledge as the worry had been. What a significant example of proof to the world that we really can fix our climate problems if we care enough to do what we have to do! People might try harder if it all felt less hopeless. ... Anyway, thanks for the intel! (And for doing this!)

Lizzy Pitt

I would love to know! Why is it so difficult for older people to understand/accept that climate change is real?? I mean it's a topic that's been around for decades at this point, c'mon people

McKenna Speed

Is it true that leaves will turn upside down right before a rainstorm to collect the water?

TheMushy

What programs or software are used to generate forecasting maps? What was the most impactful technological advancement that affected how we collect weather data?

Ashley

Is there a meteorological reason why Kennedy Space Center was built in Cape Canaveral? I live here, and I've heard that it was intentionally placed at this location because storms don't hit here (directly, anyway) because of ocean currents/ undisturbed graveyards on KSC property/ onshore winds/ diversion of the Gulf Stream...?? Are any of these true?

Roman

I've heard that there are people going to find meteorites in the snow of Antarctica. Why there? And how could I sign up for this exciting adventure? P.S. It's my first question here.

Alia Myers

Just listened, thanks for the Rec!

Jonathan Merry

Why is Minnesota so @$%#! cold compared to other areas in the same latitude?

Jonathan Merry

Why do tornados occur so much less in Europe when compared to North America?

BolognaShoes

My toddler is OBSESSED with storms. He already knows that lightning happens when the clouds rub and bump into each other and create energy and that thunder is the sound that lightning makes. What other easily digestible facts can/ should I pass along?

Amelia Frank

Jumping off this question: lifelong Midwesterner who does NOT like tornadoes (compared with the folks who love to go out and watch them) - will climate change have an impact on the number/intensity of tornadoes? I would imagine it will make tornado season longer but any other tornado-related terror we should expect from climate change?

Natalie

What place in the world has the most whack weather phenomenons?

Kata Zarándy

What phenomena exclude each other?

Charlotte C

Why do storms/changes in pressure trigger migraines? Asking for a friend ;)

Wyatt Crabtree-Scott

Yay! I’m so glad Dr. Marshall was able to do this interview! I think I suggested him as your Meteorologist back in 2020, and I have been waiting patiently ever since :D

Becki Grady

Could I survive a tornado "Twister" style? Like, is lashing myself to a wooden post sufficient to keep me from the ride of a lifetime? PS: I LOVE SMOLOGIES!

Wyatt Crabtree-Scott

Oops, my question for him is what might someone who has a deep interest in weather, but no degree, might do with that fascination? Are there any citizen science groups that focus on weather, or clubs(?), or should I just get a personal weather station and collect and share data? Thanks Alie and Dr. Shepherd! Super excited for this episode!

Jay Hagen

Why do areas like Texas experience such seemingly random, big weather changes?

Alicen Meysing

What's your favorite kind of weather and why?

Alicen Meysing

I'm interested in hearing both Dr. Shepherd and Alie's response!

Wyatt Crabtree-Scott

Ooh, I think this is a good question. People love to give meteorologists crap for “getting paid to be wrong half the time”, which doesn’t seem quite right.

Kyla Kelly

and joint pain! (asking for a 26 y/o old lady)

Fiorelily

How do weather events over oceans impact said ocean (think middle of the Pacific), like can storms rip coral reefs up or really fuck with whales? Also, why is the Pacific generally more turbulent than the Atlantic? Or is this a question for oceancurrent-ology?

elise

First time question asker! What ways did people try to predict the weather before we had the technology that we do now? Curious about both a LOOOONG time ago and immediately preceding modern tech.

Catherine Wood

FTQA! Is there any truth to the old wives/sailors tales about certain clouds foreshadowing certain weather patterns?

Kelly Shaver

How much pollution and micro plastics and other crap are in rain and snow?

Mercedes Maitland (Lead editor, Ologies)

Why do some places (Like Ontario, Canada say) get thunderstorms mostly in summer while other places in the same hemisphere (thinking Orkney Islands, Scotland) get them mostly in winter?? Is it a continental vs coastal thing? I was stunned to move to Orkney and find out they got thunderstorms in the chillier months. I am still puzzled.

Mercedes Maitland (Lead editor, Ologies)

"red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning." Truth or flimflam? What causes sunrise/sunsets to have such varied colouring?

Emma Catherine Beeler

I used to live in Fairbanks, Alaska, and in the winters the air quality would be really bad due to the inversion layer and people burning wood stoves. I never actually understood what the term inversion layer meant. What is it and why does it occur in extremely cold climates such as interior Alaska?

Mark Hewlette

Have you ever been a storm chaser? What is your greatest weather story?

Shannon O'Grady

Can you explain lake effect snow? I live in upstate NY and the amount of snow can be drastically different one town to the next due to the lake effect.

Dana

Can cold temperatures actually get you sick? Like if you go out in the rain without a jacket? Or is that flimflam?

Mary Franks

I want to know about tornadoes. I lived in Kansas about 15 years ago and there were these weird pockets of hot/cold air and the sky turned weird colors when there were storms with tornado risks. Why does that happen? Can we really not predict tornadoes? Why are they such mysteries?

Jess Swann

What types of weather are most likely to give me a headache and how can I make it not do that?

Brittany Peek

My friend Cat wants to know : What’s your favorite weird weather fact? What do most people misunderstand about weather? Why are clouds so pretty? If you could be the weather person for any fictional world, what would you pick?

judy

FTQA, Is it harder to predict the weather at higher altitudes, or is this just my experience?

Omexamorph

What level of technology or understanding do we have to get to where we could start influencing regional weather intentionally (and/or positively).

Omexamorph

What is the most underrated or underappreciated weather phenomenon?

Gordee

Why can a good midwestern human smell the rain

Christa Brazier

Who are the first people to find out if there is a giant space thing hurdling towards earth and what are the chances that NASA doesn't tell us and tries to blow it out of the sky? Yes I've seen don't look up 🤣

Ella Shively

How do you estimate historical climate and weather patterns in an area from before people started recording meteorological data there? Also, what would it take for the plot of Sharknado to actually happen?

Joe Wilkie

Why can’t humans control the weather? I mean I know like nature and stuff, but if we were magically responsible how far away are we from dictating exactly what falls when?

Taylor Jacot

I live in South Dakota and we have the moodiest weather in the country. Why is our weather so up and down in the Midwest?

Brynn

Do meteorologists get blamed for unpredicted weather? Are we talking hate mail? Really bad Yelp reviews?

Hi_X_Im_dad

FTQA - Are reported weather forecasts still made deliberately "wet" by rounding up the chance of rain? What is the threshold at which a forecast will say ZERO chance of precipitation? Is there a number above which we're seeing the "true" prediction rather than a chance that was rounded up?

Avren Keating

Always reminds me of that bit in Lord of the Rings where Legolas looks at the red sky and says "A red sun rises. Blood had been spilled this night" 😂

Avren Keating

Similar-ish question--I lived in San Francisco for a while, and several districts were said to have their own microclimate. (I felt this to be true, as someone living in the damp heaterless-bowels of an inlaw unit in Outer Sunset). But are microclimates an actual thing? How micro of an area can have its own climate?

Becky Frey

“What is the biggest tornado?” - Aldo Frey, 2nd grader

Sue & Glen Thayer

What will it take for the United States to move to measuring meteorological data and presenting it using the metric system?

Dawn

A cool fact I came across. Meteor, in old Greek meant “something in the air”

gabrielle pritt

Whats the situation with Jupiter? Is the whole thing a storm? What the hell is going on

Jacqueline Kellam

FTQA! Gotta know: why is it called "meteor-ology?" Shouldn't that ology be about rocks in space?? I'm also fascinated by weather prediction/forecasting: how many different metrics are used, and is it hard to do at first? Where does one learn to be a meteorologist? And why are humans so attractive to lightning?

Jay Hagen

Why does waffle house have such a big weather team?

Amy Stone

I also wonder this!

gg

What is the difference between "The European model" and the American one pertaining to hurricane forecasting. Doesn't the data come from the same satellites? Can't we make certain our algorithms are the same as the Europeans?

Joe Lewis

I grew up in South Louisiana hearing stories about Hurricanes Audrey, Betsy and Camille (ABC names). May I take it as a common-sense marker of climate change that today's stories are of Katrina, Rita, and Ida? And how crazy was it that Sandy hit New Jersey after the World Series was over?

Some Random Frog

So like, what’s up with Ohio? It can be 70 and sunny, then 15 minutes later it’s snowing?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I was sad to learn that thunderstorms are very rare here. (My cat was NOT sad to learn this.) Why doesn't our rain usually come with thunder and lightning? And where ARE the thunderstormiest places in the US / the world? (sign me AZM)

Avren Keating

*leo dicaprio pointing meme* I didn't know you were on here!

Kass C.

Why are windchills only calculated below 50F?

Vero Tavares

**How accurate is the prediction of weather? Here in England, I swear it feels like reading a piece of paper out of a hat each week.

Kirk Lang

There was a concern that 5G networks would interfere with certain weather measurement equipment. I believe the primary concern were satellite measurements of air moisture. Has this concern been proven true? Or was it just FUD?

Katherine Wood

Is my uncle telling the truth when when he says “I can feel a storm coming in my knee”? Is it the change in pressure or something or is he just messing with me?

AlyssaMalyssa

I had a college professor who was struck twice, it definitely changes you but I’m not sure about physiologically! She was hypersensitive to light and paranoid about windows, she only wore shoes with thick rubber bottoms and kept her chair on a rubber mat that she carried from class to class just in case.

Rob Brennan

Why are we more prone to illnesses as the seasons are changing?

Nick C_

FTQA- does the change in weather/pressure/temperature ACTUALLY cause my partner’s hayfever (I think y’all just call it “allergies”)

FrankD

Can we smell rain?

Ali M

any thoughts on chemtrails & if they do, how do they effect the weather? thank you :)

Danielle Nance

Allie, I have so much fun listening to your show. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective with us!