For decades, fall foliage maps were mostly guesswork. Then meteorologist Evan Fisher, founder of Explore Fall, revolutionized leaf peeping by combining weather data with real-time observations to create the most accurate fall forecasts ever made. In this episode, Evan explains how this year's unusual weather is affecting autumn colors nationwide, demonstrates how his data archive can show you exactly what fall looked like when you were a kid, and reveals how he quickly adapted his leaf-tracking technology to coordinate damage reports in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene hit.
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The Year Without Summer
In 1816, the world experienced something unthinkable: a year without summer. Mount Tambora's catastrophic eruption in Indonesia – the most powerful volcanic blast in recorded history – sent eighty times more ash than Mount St. Helens into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight globally and altering weather patterns worldwide. Thousands of miles from the volcano, people witnessed blood-red sunsets and snow falling in June. Crops failed, famine spread, and in the United States, entire populations migrated west to less-affected regions. The event reshaped America and built the Midwest into an agricultural hub. Join Emily Gracey and Brian Pietrus as they chat with Dr. Kevin Anchukaitis from the University of Arizona. He'll reveal how tree rings and paleoclimate data unlock this incredible story and explore Tambora's far-reaching effects on agriculture, migration, and even art.
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From the Vault: NOAA Hurricane Hunters - Laboratories in the Sky
As the 2025 hurricane season ramps up, we are bringing back this fan favorite from last year.
This month marks the 64th anniversary of when Hurricane Carla battered the coast of Texas, instantly becoming one of the most intense and damaging hurricanes recorded in the state. But as houses and ships were battened down and residents fled the storm, some individuals with the Weather Bureau did the unthinkable: they strapped themselves into the cockpit of an airplane and flew directly into the eye of the storm! It started as a bar bet between pilots and became the standard procedure for observing and measuring hurricanes to provide life-saving data for researchers on the ground. Join me this week as I interview Daniel Tyson and Jonathan Shannon from NOAA to talk about what it’s like to fly into a hurricane and how technology has evolved since Hurricane Carla!
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I Was There: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later
This week marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It's a sobering reminder that human lives are at the center of weather forecasting and climate conversations. Today, Emily is going off the radar with Traci Curry, director of the new National Geographic docuseries "Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time." We'll also hear from Shelton Alexander, a New Orleans resident who survived the hurricane inside the Superdome and wrote a heartbreaking poem about his experience. Join us for a powerful conversation about what weather and climate mean for the people who experience them firsthand.
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Smoke Without Borders: Wildfires, Air Quality, and the Climate Connection
This summer's devastating wildfire season has sent smoke across county, state, and even international borders, affecting air quality thousands of miles away from the flames. Host Emily Gracey dives deep into the science behind the haze, exploring why wildfire seasons are stretching longer each year and how a changing climate is literally adding fuel to the fire.
You'll discover the invisible dance between smoke and weather systems that determines whether your city wakes up under clear skies or a blanket of particulates. Climate Central's Shel Winkley explains the wildfire-climate connection, while Michigan meteorologist Alec Kownacki makes sense of those color-coded air quality measurements on your phone – what they really mean, how they're calculated, and why the difference between "moderate" and "unhealthy" could determine whether you take that morning jog or stay inside.
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Join National Weather Desk Meteorologist Emily Gracey every week as she leads listeners on an exciting voyage exploring a diverse range of topics related to weather, climate, space, and beyond. The podcast offers exclusive interviews with leading experts on topics that you wouldn't usually come across in a typical weather broadcast. It’ll enlighten, entertain, and educate, whether you’re a novice weather follower to the most passionate weather geek.
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