Weather Blog – from Shade Tree Meteorology

June 17, 2021May 25, 2021

5 Ways to Stay Safe Outdoors this Summer

As we come up on this week’s blog, my kids are counting down to the final end of the school year (and what a year it has been!). Much of the country has already dismissed schools for the summer, and we in the Northeast are the final holdouts—or so it seemed to me when I was a kid! With restrictions loosening up around the country, many of us will be travelling more this summer, as well as spending more time outdoors. Now is a great time to review summer weather safety basics. Here are five simple things you can do to make sure you safely enjoy outdoor activities- no matter what the weather!

June 10, 2021May 25, 2021

What does 50% Chance of Rain Really Mean?

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me, “It must be nice to get paid to be wrong all the time”….I’d have a good looking savings account! My job also focuses on the reconstruction of past weather events, rather than forecasting…but that’s another topic altogether. A recent Tiktok (a video-sharing social media app, for anyone who is unfamiliar with it) reminded me of one of the biggest communication problems meteorologists face…and why so many people might think we are “wrong all the time.”

June 3, 2021June 1, 2021

D-Day: Weather and History Intersect

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the 77th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, which was a major turning point in World War II. If you are familiar with history, you may have heard the many tales of how crucial the weather forecasts were for this operation. I personally knew the basics facts of how the invasion was delayed a day due to weather, and that it was an extremely tense and high-pressure decision when General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the ‘go’ call on June 6, 1944. However, I learned some really interesting information as I dove into this topic more deeply for this blog. I hope that you find it as interesting as I did!

May 27, 2021May 31, 2021

Top 10 Hurricane FAQs – What you Need to Know

It’s that time again…in less than a week, we will be in hurricane season once again! Today’s blog concludes our series of hurricane related content, but you can always find any of our previous posts on hurricanes here! We’ve covered topics such as how to prepare for power outages, what a “typical” hurricane season looks like, what hazards arise from tropical storms, the effect of hurricanes on mental health, and more! Today we want to focus on some questions that meteorologists are frequently asked about hurricanes and hurricane season.

May 20, 2021May 6, 2021

Ways to Receive Weather Information

If you subscribe to our newsletter or blog, or follow us on social media, you know that we are always talking about weather safety. We recently posted that it is very important to have not just one, but more than one way to receive your weather information. Why? Because during hazardous weather and other emergencies, your usual way of getting important information may or may not be functional. In today’s blog, we will discuss ways you can receive National Weather Service warnings in a timely manner.

Warning, Shield, Risk, Attention, Street Sign

May 13, 2021May 10, 2021

5 Things to Remember When the Power Goes Out

Hello, and welcome to week two of our hurricane blog series! Extreme weather (such as hurricanes ) and power outages often seem to go hand in hand. Power outages can have wide-ranging impacts, such as the disruption of communications, the closure of businesses and ATMs/banks, food spoilage and water contamination, and can prevent the use of medical devices. Knowing exactly what to do when a power outage occurs – whatever the reason – can minimize your risk of injury or illness when the lights go out.

May 6, 2021April 28, 2021

North Atlantic Hurricane Season: Historical Stats and Seasonal Outlook

This week, we are kicking off a four-part series as we approach the start of hurricane season in the Atlantic on June 1. Today, we will be looking at the ‘big picture’, what a ‘typical’ hurricane season looks like, and what the seasonal forecast is for this coming season, which runs from June through November.

April 29, 2021April 27, 2021

James Spann on Meteorology, Mental Health, and Giving Back

Friendly. Humble. Hard-working. Dedicated. These are just a few words to describe James Spann, whom I recently had the privilege of speaking with. If you aren’t from the South or in the field of meteorology, you might not be familiar with the local favorite, but I can guarantee that anyone, from anywhere would enjoy sitting down and talking with him. James, the Chief Meteorologist for ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Alabama, has a gentle, easy-going way of talking, while also having the ability to get right to the point – a skill that no doubt has come in handy (and been sharpened by) through years of television and radio broadcasts.

April 22, 2021April 14, 2021

Earth Day 2021

This April 22 marks the 51st annual Earth Day. I remember as a kid in elementary school that we would do activities such as planting trees and flowers, learning about how to reduce waste (although recycling wasn’t common back then), and (gasp!) watching filmstrips about environmental impacts in far-flung places around the world- who remembers being the lucky kid who got to advance the film at each bell ring? This year for Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to look at activities that are going on to raise awareness about sustainable living, decreasing carbon dioxide output, and other climate and environmental issues.

April 15, 2021April 12, 2021

Safe Place Selfie Day: A Recap

If you follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn, you might have noticed that we shared a selfie last week with the caption #SafePlaceSelfie. We hope that if you follow us on those social media platforms, you caught the message and that this will serve as a great recap for you. However, if you aren’t on social media very often and missed it, this post is especially for you!