Across the Sky

It's well known that snow, wind, and rain impacts whether or not people go out of their house to shop. What​'s lesser known is how the amount of rain and snow impacts how much online shopping Americans do. John Cardinale, a meteorologist and Director of Search Engine Optimization for Tapestry (owners of Coach, Kate Spade, and more), joins the podcast to discuss what trends he's seen and what compa...

Bob Dylan, the world renowned musical artist whose career now spans seven decades, has kept weather core to his writing. How so? Out of approximately 465 total Dylan songs, the word 'sun' is found in 63 different ones, 'wind' in 55, 'rain' in 40, and 'sky' in 36. 'Cloud', 'storm', 'summer', 'snow', and just 'weather' have been used in dozens more. Alan Robock , Distinguished Professor in the Depar...

What do you get when you blend athletic skill with a love for weather? An elite ninja warrior, of course! Joe Moravsky is a meteorologist and the manager of the Stamford Ninja Academy in Connecticut. He has appeared on multiple seasons of the hit NBC series "American Ninja Warrior" and is one of the show's most successful contestants. Moravsky shares his unique story and discusses his background i...

Yes, the planet is getting warmer. But what's happening in the United States specifically and what will the impacts be? The newly released Fifth National Climate Assessment is the most comprehensive report yet on how climate change is impacting the country. Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, the lead author of the Southeast chapter, joins the podcast this week to give an overview of the assessment. What is diffe...

Making science easy to understand and relatable has always been a challenge, but in the world of social media and misinformation, it's become even more difficult. Few people know this better than popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In a break from our usual focus on weather, Tyson joins the podcast this week to discuss the state of science communication in the 21st century. Why does misinf...

Severe weather situations can be stressful events, especially to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities including the elderly. Older individuals may not be aware of severe conditions or have the means to seek shelter, so having a plan and support system could make the difference when it comes to life and death situations. On this week's episode, Dr. Lauren Southerland joins the...

It's the podcast many of you have likely been waiting for, the 2023-2024 winter outlook! With fall leaves changing throughout the country and days getting shorter in a hurry, it's time to talk about what winter is looking like. Mostly mild or unusually cold? Mainly dry or extra snowy? And how will it vary across the country? Ken Elliott, Senior Meteorologist at WeatherWorks, Inc in New Jersey, bre...

When it's fall, leaf colors change from green to vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. But why does that happen? Paul James, a gardener from Tulsa, Oklahoma known as "The Gardener Guy," and the former host of "Gardening by the Yard" on HGTV explains what happens when the amount of sunlight decreases and temperatures change. He also discusses the variation in fall foliage in different tree spe...

As the saying goes, history often repeats itself. Could that also hold true when looking at the current state of the climate and where we may be heading? On this episode, the team talks with Dr. Michael Mann, the director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media and one of the world's leading experts on climate change. They discuss his new book, “Our Frag...

We all use weather forecasts to help get us through our days and plan ahead. The same is true for corporations. Whether it's for planning outdoor maintenance or business continuity, weather forecasts play an important role in day-to-day operations. Mark Elliot, the principal meteorologist for AT&T, has his hands full helping a major telecommunications company maintain operations in any conditi...

October is here and that means peak fall! The leaves are changing color, football is on all weekend, and pumpkin spice everything is out in full force. As for the weather, temperatures are getting cooler, and though fall is generally seen as a quieter season, there's actually a lot to talk about. For this week's episode of "Across the Sky," the Lee Weather Team shares the 10 most important things...

For sports fans who also play in fantasy leagues, monitoring the weather forecast can make the difference between winning or losing. Starting a player in fantasy baseball when a rainout is possible could lead to no points at that position. And picking a quarterback that's playing in a dome vs. a snowy or windy location could lead to a lot more points. Kevin Roth, Chief Meteorologist for RotoGrinde...

Inflatable bounce houses have become a staple at birthday parties and other celebrations around the world. It doesn't take much wind for them to be blown over though. Since 2000, there have been at least 136 wind-related bounce house incidents worldwide, resulting in 489 injuries and 28 deaths. Perhaps just as surprising, many states in the U.S. have inadequate or no regulations regarding bounce h...

The devastating impacts of hurricanes on land are well known, but they cause changes to the oceans as well. While conventional thinking tells us that a hurricane cools the water after it passes, that's only partially true. The surface cools, but the deep ocean? It actually heats up. With the peak of hurricane season upon us, Sally Warner, Associate Professor of Climate Science at Brandeis Universi...

Hurricane Idalia became the eighth major hurricane to make landfall on the Gulf Coast in the last six years, leaving behind a trail of destruction in its path. On this week's episode, the Lee Weather Team looks back on the storm to discuss what stood out to them the most. How good was the forecast? Was the forecast communicated effectively? Why did some people choose not to evacuate? What can we l...

After our episode on the Arizona heatwave , one listener wondered why this year's heat was such a big deal. Hasn't it been this hot before? Her thermometer says so. The problem is, most home thermometers are not very accurate. Official temperature readings are made by carefully calibrated and properly placed weather stations. It's a big undertaking that's more complicated and time consuming than y...

Before cool fall days arrive, the first weeks of football practice and games come in the August heat. High-intensity drills beneath the hot sun can do serious harm to the body, even to those in excellent shape. This week, the team talks with Dr. Douglas Casa at the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute about how to manage the heat and recognize heat illness before it’s too late. Cas...

Heat this summer has not been normal for most of the world. Globally, July 2023 was the hottest month on record, mainly because the oceans are at record-high temperatures. This week the team talked with climate scientist Zeke Hausfather about the short term and long term reasons why. They also discuss how we get the ocean data, whether that be from satellites, remote controlled ocean floats, and i...

It has been a hot summer and there's a good chance you might be taking a trip to the beach, whether that's the ocean, one of the Great Lakes, or a smaller body of water. So we've brought in ocean and coastal safety expert Bruckner Chase, who talks about how to stay safe while swimming in waves and water temperatures where hypothermia could become a concern — and it's not as cold as you might think...

You've heard the saying: At least it's a dry heat. That might be true when comparing 90 degree temperatures in Arizona to Texas or Florida, but when dealing with truly extreme heat, hot is hot. With more than two weeks with temperatures above 110 degrees, ABC Arizona meteorologist Jorge Torres talks with the team about the impacts of this record-breaking heat wave on the people, the power grid, an...

Whether you live on the coast fulltime, own a vacation home or are considering a move to the coast, you know that there is an annual risk from hurricanes for homeowners, particularly along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Our guest today is George Siegal, a filmmaker and podcaster, who directed the documentary " The Last House Standing ." He says knowledge is power when it comes to protecting your ho...

With this being the week of the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, England, we thought it would be a good time to talk about weather and golf. When thinking of the two, the first thing to come to mind might be the danger of holding up a golf club during a thunderstorm. But that's oversimplifying things. How does the roll of the putt change when there is an...

Whether you already live near the coast or are traveling from the interior of the U.S. to visit an ocean this summer, it's always important to be safe and aware of your surroundings. Randy Townsend is the chief of the Harvey Cedars, New Jersey, Beach Patrol and an accomplished surfer. He discusses how to spot potential dangers lurking beneath the surface, the differences between rip currents and u...

This week we're celebrating Independence Day, which means it's time for cookouts, fireworks and, of course, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. In celebration of the big event that happens each year on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, we have special guest George Shea, chairman of Major League Eating and the energeti...

From the Midwest to the Northeast, many in the U.S. have been dealing with the smoke from the record breaking Canadian wildfires for over a month now. Hazy skies have been common and extremely low air quality has occurred in spots. Why is this happening and will it be more common in the future? Dr. Emily Fischer, an associate professor at Colorado State University and a member of Science Moms , st...