Slight Chance of Science

Join us as we dive into the career of a Roanoke, Virginia native, and Virginia Tech alum Rebecca Keller, who flies directly into the heart of hurricanes as part of NOAA's elite Hurricane Hunter team. Discover what it's like to navigate the eye of the storm, the science behind these daring flights, and the vital data collected that helps keep communities safe.

Meteorologist   Leo   Hirsbrunner speaks with Extension Agent Shawn Jadrnicek about the different types of soil for gardening and what else we can grow through the rest of the summer months. 

Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell speaks with a Dermatologist and a Senior Policy Advisor with the Environmental Protection Agency on the harmful effects the sun can pose on our bodies, what exactly the UV index is and why it's an important forecasting tool. 

Firefly or lightning bug? Whichever way you call them there could possibly be a decline in spotting the glowing bug. An entomologist with Virginia Tech gives us perspective on what might be causing the decline.

There's a lot of talk about a historic cicada emergence in 2024, but it's not for everyone. Entomologist Douglas Pfeiffer talks about the difference between annual and periodical cicadas, and what to look out for this summer.

The total solar eclipse is April 8, 2024. Chief meteorologist Brent Watts talks with NASA's Anita Day about the eclipse and how scientists are using the opportunity to study the sun.

This year's abnormally warm winter has initiated plants and trees to bloom early, a trend that scientists are describing as the new standard. Meteorologist Payton Major dives into the environmental consequences of an early spring.

From understanding the watches and warnings to the hidden dangers in floodwaters, meteorologists Brent Watts and Leo Hirsbrunner are breaking down fact vs fiction to make sure you're prepared for the next big weather event.

NASA Atmospheric Scientist, Kirk Knobelspiesse joins us to discuss PACE: The Planketon, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission. We chat about how this satellite will help us better understand how microscopic particles in the air and in our oceans impact our changing climate.

Whether it's products you use around your home or the safety of our roads when the weather gets icy, researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland are finding the human demand for salt comes at a cost to the environment. Chief meteorologist Brent Watts talks with Stanley Grant and Megan Rippy from Virginia Tech's Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory about what happens when all th...

This hurricane season in the Atlantic ranks fourth for the most named storms in a year since 1950. Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell along with Dr. Stephanie Zick, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech who specializes in tropical meteorology, dive into why we saw an uncharacteristically above average El Niño season. 

Chief meteorologist Brent Watts and the team's resident snowman, meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner, discuss the factors at play this winter and what could be ahead in terms of storms and snow.

Fall has arrived! Meteorologist Payton Major chats with Dr. John Seiler, a forestry professor at Virginia Tech and tree physiology expert, to find out when we can expect fall colors to arrive and how drought could be stressing out trees. 

Dr. Tina Dura, Assistant Professor of Natural Hazards at Virginia Tech, joins the podcast to discuss one of the largest earthquakes to impact the US. Meteorologist Payton Major dives into what's happening underneath the surface in the Pacific Northwest, where the Cascadia Subduction Zone has been building up tension for over 300 years.

NASA Ambassador Tony Rice joins the podcast with updates on what's causing those lines of lights in the night sky, the rarity of the Blue Supermoon, and setting expectations on what you'll see during the upcoming fall solar eclipse.

The biggest wildfires in the modern era are producing the worst air quality in decades across the United States. Chief meteorologist Brent Watts looks into the unhealthy air quality it's creating as well as the impacts on wildlife, where birds may suffer the most.               Guests: Dan Salkovitz – Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Haley Olsen-Hodges – Southwest Virginia Wildlife...

The Hokie Storm Chasers saw some incredible storms and want you to experience all that happened on this year's trip to the Great Plains. 

Paul Walsh, CEO, N.A. at Meteomatics, joins chief meteorologist Brent Watts to showcase new developments in groundbreaking drone technology now being used to gather weather data around the world.  

Meteorology students at Virginia Tech take to the road again this summer for the annual Hokie Storm Chase. Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell will join their 2-week journey and provides us with a sneak peak of what they can expect plus memories and history of past storm chases.

Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell tags along with Ferrum College at Smith Mountain Lake chatting about the process of how to gather the data to ensure our water is safe for our communities. 

Sea-level rise is not just an ocean problem, but also an inland problem. Virginia Tech researcher Elizabeth Hunter talks with Chief Meteorologist Brent Watts on a NASA-funded study that will use new technology to detect where the landscape is changing, and what landowners are doing in response to the changes in water levels and migrating species.

Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner talks with Dr. Morgan Wilson, ornithologist at Hollins University, to find out which birds are migrating in April, when you should get the hummingbird feeders out, and best practices for feeding birds during the warm season. 

Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell sits down with two guests to talk about seasonal affective disorder impacting humans but also how it can play a role on our pets.

Phil Hysell is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service. We speak to Phil about Severe Weather Awareness Week. What is the purpose of the week and why is it important?

Did you know that weather plays a crucial role for K9's? Meteorologist Catherine Maxwell chats with Sergeant Heath Hyatt, K9 officer with Christiansburg Police Department and master K9 trainer for Virginia, about the struggles and benefits weather can bring to solving the case.