Rephonic
Artwork for Weather Realness
Climate Change
Illinois
Drought
Solar Energy
Agriculture
University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Renewable Energy
Sustainability
Carbon Emissions
National Weather Service
Carbon Capture
Weather
Tornadoes
Utility-Scale Solar
Champaign-Urbana
Corn
Lithium Ion Batteries
Climatology
Fall Colors
Weather Patterns

Illinois Public Media premieres a new weekly radio program and podcast, a partnership with the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences in the School of Earth, Society & Environment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Weather Realness brings the best weather and climate scientists in Illinois to help the public understand weather and climate by providing scientif... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes60Founded10 months ago
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Artwork for Weather Realness

Latest Episodes

Thousands of miles away, the Pacific Ocean is warming which can affect weather patterns worldwide. But how can this affect Illinois?

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You may have heard about a potential “Super” El Niño, but what does that mean? We learn how the warming in the pacific ocean can impact global weather patterns.

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You’ve heard of forensic scientists from crime shows. But what about forensic meteorologists? These experts reconstruct past weather events and help settle insurance and legal disputes connected with the weather.

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You’ve heard of forensic scientists from crime shows. But what about forensic meteorologists? These experts reconstruct past weather events and help settle insurance and legal disputes connected with the weather.

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He’s back! Ed Kieser, former chief meteorologist at WILL radio returns to Illinois airways. We learn more about his career and his 1996 tornado forecast.

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Illinois has around 60 species of mosquitoes. Learn how climate and weather impacts them and if they pose a risk to public health.

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Weather shapes our daily lives in numerous ways, but what about its effect on baseball? Explore the science behind how rising temperatures can boost home runs.

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The Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District has driven passengers from stop to stop for decades. But how do they continue their services under severe weather?

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Recent Guests

Ed Kieser
Returning longtime meteorologist at WILL
Illinois Public Media / WILL
Episode: Meteorologist Ed Kieser returns to Illinois airways
Dr. Chris Stone
Associate Research Scientist and Medical Entomologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey
Illinois State Natural History Survey
Episode: How climate and weather affects mosquitos and ticks in Illinois
Alan Nathan
Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Episode: How weather can impact baseball, from summer heat to cold winters
Jay Rank
Operations Director at Champaign Urbana MTD
Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District
Episode: How MTD operates under severe weather conditions
Colette Delawalla
Founder of Stand Up for Science
Stand Up for Science
Episode: How politics is reshaping scientific research in America
Brent Olson
Emergency Medicine Physician
Carle Foundation Hospital
Episode: How to stay safe during extreme heat
Lyric Roy
Journalist reporting on Garden Hills
Illinois Public Media
Episode: Why Garden Hills floods and how new infrastructure could help
Stephanie Saprel
World Cup Planning Lead at the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
Episode: How the National Weather Service plans weather safety for the FIFA World Cup
Trent Ford
Illinois State Climatologist with the Prairie Research Institute
Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Episode: How a dust storm swept across central Illinois earlier this week

Hosts

Steve Nesbitt
Head/Chair of the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences; professor; university-affiliated
Maddie Stover
Host of Weather Realness; doctoral student; involved in physics and research
Trent Ford
State Climatologist / Illinois State Climatologist; advisor/analyst with Prairie Research Institute

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How a dust storm swept across central Illinois earlier this week
Q: So can you walk us through the conditions that led to, well, kind of just remind us in general what a dust storm is and then what conditions set up this blowing dust advisory that was in effect Monday, May 4th?
A dust storm forms when intense blowing dust covers a large area due to a combination of dry, workable soils, low humidity, minimal rainfall, and strong winds, which together create hazardous driving conditions and air quality issues that can unfold quickly.
How weather forecasting evolved from guesswork to science
Q: What about the future with AI—will weather predictions ever become nearly perfect?
There will always be some uncertainty, but AI-based models can produce faster forecasts and handle large-scale patterns more efficiently; improvements continue toward smaller scales and probabilistic warnings while maintaining scientific validation.
How weather forecasting evolved from guesswork to science
Q: How did early computer models change weather forecasting, and what did those early models look like?
Early computer models proved forecasting could be scientific, but they were very coarse, 2D, and ran on large room-sized machines; they couldn't simulate the full atmosphere and lacked detailed fields, leading to limited accuracy.
How weather forecasting evolved from guesswork to science
Q: So Jeff, can you tell us how we used to observe the weather way back when and why weather forecasting was seen more like magic than science?
Observations were sparse and technologies like satellites and upper-air measurements did not exist early on, and forecasting relied on limited data and manual interpretation; the telegraph finally allowed rapid data sharing, which began to enable real forecasting as a science.
What summer weather could look like in Illinois this year
Q: Can you explain the concept of flash drought and how drought risk evolves in summer?
Flash drought is the rapid onset of hot, sunny conditions that quickly evaporate soil moisture, reducing the topsoil moisture bank and potentially stressing crops; this can happen after a very wet spring if there are consecutive hot, dry weeks.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Weather Realness

What is Weather Realness about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A neuroscience-style focus on weather, climate science, energy, and their real-world impacts percolates through a steady stream of expert guests and practical discussions. Frequent topics include extreme weather events, winter safety and preparedness, the role of nuclear and solar energy in decarbonization, and how climate phenomena influence sports, agriculture, forests, and infrastructure. The show often features university researchers, state climatologists, extension specialists, and industry scientists who translate complex meteorology and energy topics into approachable, actionable insights, with a clear Illinois emphasis. A notable strength is connecting academic insight to tangible outcomes—such as stadium operations, farm resilience... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers Weather Realness has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Weather Realness?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Weather Realness:

1. On with Kara Swisher

How many episodes of Weather Realness are there?

Weather Realness launched 10 months ago and published 60 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Weather Realness?

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What guests have appeared on Weather Realness?

Recent guests on Weather Realness include:

1. Ed Kieser
2. Dr. Chris Stone
3. Alan Nathan
4. Jay Rank
5. Colette Delawalla
6. Brent Olson
7. Lyric Roy
8. Stephanie Saprel

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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