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Weather With Enthusiasm !

Weather With Enthusiasm !

Written by: Simcha Lefton
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About this listen

 This podcast is made by weather enthusiast Simcha Lefton..

This podcast speaks about storms, heateaves and other weather extremes impacting the Midwest and sometimes elsewhere. The delivery is passionate and professional.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weather-with-enthusiasm--4911017/support.Copyright Simcha Lefton Earth Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Heat Check: Unearthing Weather's Wildest Tales

    Heat Check: Unearthing Weather's Wildest Tales
    Apr 20 2026

    Join us on "Heat Check" as we dig into the most extreme, bizarre, and sometimes suspicious weather events throughout history. From a disputed world record in the Libyan desert to medieval heatwaves that melted cathedrals, we explore the science, the stories, and the surprising ways humans have tried to understand and predict the unpredictable. Prepare for forensic meteorology, heat bursts that turn towns into ovens, and a 17th-century Prague rabbi's unconventional weather prediction.

    Chapters with Timestamps:

    00:00 Welcome to Heat Check

    01:12 The Hottest Air Temperature Ever Recorded? Al Azizia, Libya (1922)

    02:17 90 Years of a Disputed Record: Why Nobody Questioned It

    03:20 The Forensic Investigation: Uncovering the Truth Behind Al Azizia

    04:20 Five Reasons Why the Record Was Invalidated

    06:26 Death Valley Takes the Crown (for now) & The Peachtree City Bust

    07:30 When Computers Get It Wrong: The 2000 Georgia Snowstorm

    08:32 Peachtree vs. Al Azizia: Why One Was Real and the Other Wasn't

    09:34 The Wild Phenomenon of Heat Bursts

    10:35 How a Dying Thunderstorm Can Superheat the Air

    11:37 Satan's Storm: Copperloo, Texas (1960)

    12:41 Could Al Azizia Have Been a Heat Burst?

    13:42. Extreme Heat Around the World: Arctic, Canada, Sicily

    14:48 Verkhoyansk's 100-Degree Day and Lytton's Fiery Fate

    15:49 Medieval Heatwaves: Cathedrals Ablaze & Rivers Dry

    17:52 The Prague Rabbi's Winter Prediction (17th Century)

    18:55 "Whenever the First of Shvat Falls on a Wednesday..."

    20:03 Folk Science & Jewish Law: Explaining the Rabbi's Bedikuta

    21:06 Unraveling the Rabbi's Prediction: No Scientific Basis, but a Pattern of Weirdness

    22:08 The Human Brain's Trick & Prague's Enduring Weather Record

    23:10 Tying It All Together: Listening to the Atmosphere's Signals

    24:12 Stay Curious, Stay Cool, and Grab an Extra Blanket


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    25 mins
  • The Blizzard of '98: Chicago's Legendary Forecast Bust

    The Blizzard of '98: Chicago's Legendary Forecast Bust
    Apr 19 2026
    Description: Dive into the infamous March 9, 1998, blizzard that shocked Chicago. This episode uncovers how a "tame" forecast for a few inches of snow transformed into a widespread shutdown with over a foot of accumulation. Explore the meteorological perfect storm: a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system, an early rain-to-snow transition, and rare thundersnow bands that crippled the region. Hear firsthand accounts of the widespread power outages and school closures, and a fascinating discussion on the role of intuition versus models in weather forecasting.

    Chapters with Timestamps:

    00:00 - Introduction to Chicago's Infamous Forecast Bust

    00:23 - The Mild Winter & Underestimated Forecast

    00:52 - The Actual Snowfall Numbers & Gradient

    01:08 - The "Bombing" Low: Record Low Barometric Pressure

    01:43 - Why the Forecast Went So Wrong: Rapid Intensification

    02:11 - The Early Rain-to-Snow Transition

    02:29 - Thundersnow & Convective Banding

    02:59 - The Difference Between O'Hare and Midway

    03:15 - Widespread Damage & Power Outages

    03:55 - The Kid's Perspective: A Front Row Seat to History

    04:18 - Recap: The Recipe for Disaster

    04:41 - Meteorologists Still Reference This Storm

    04:54 - A Personal Account: Predicting the Blizzard in High School

    05:37 - The Intuition vs. Science Debate in Forecasting

    06:28 - Parallels to the Baltimore Storm Forecast

    07:31 - Post-Storm Impact and School Closures

    07:54 - The Simplicity of Intuition vs. Complex Models

    08:32 - The Role of Thunderstorms in the Forecast Bust

    08:49 - Tom Skilling's Potential "Accidental" Accuracy

    09:32 - Don't Ignore the "Odd" Observations

    09:59 - The Value of Innocence and Unbiased Observation

    10:40 - Conclusion & Final Thoughts

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weather-with-enthusiasm--4911017/support.

    This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    11 mins
  • Weathered Mysteries: The Baltimore Blizzard Nobody Saw Coming

    Weathered Mysteries: The Baltimore Blizzard Nobody Saw Coming
    Apr 19 2026
    Podcast Description: Unravel the puzzling tale of the January 2000 Baltimore Blizzard, a storm that defied forecasts and left a city buried under a foot of snow. Join us as we explore the scientific anomalies, human oversights, and lasting impacts of this meteorological enigma, forever changing how we predict winter weather.

    Chapters & Timestamps:

    00:00 - 01:13: Introduction: A Quiet Winter Evening & a Modest Forecast

    01:14 - 02:14: The Underestimated Threat: Late Warnings and Misleading Flurries

    02:15 - 03:17: The Meteorological Lie: Computer Models Change Their Mind

    03:18 - 04:19: The Unsettling Truth: A Single Data Anomaly Ignored

    04:20 - 05:35: The Winter Bomb Explodes: Rapid Intensification and Coastal Collision

    05:36 - 06:48: A City Buried: Waking Up to a Foot of Snow and Widespread Chaos

    06:49 - 07:53: Why it's a Mystery: A Cautionary Tale for Meteorologists

    07:54 - 08:54: The Perfect Storm of Errors: What Went Wrong

    08:55 - 10:02: The Lasting Impact: How the Surprise Blizzard Changed Forecasting

    10:03 - 10:53: Conclusion: A Reminder to Keep a Shovel Handy

    10:54 - 14:27: Host's Personal Reflections & Corrections

    14:28 - 15:39: Music Credits & Closing Remarks

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weather-with-enthusiasm--4911017/support.
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    16 mins
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