October 3, 2025Podcast

Stump the Weatherman Dan Episode

This week’s Disaster Podcast episode is a stump the weatherman episode with our disaster meteorologist, Dan Depodwin. Co-host Sam Bradley and Dan’s wife and disaster emergency management expert, Becky DePodwin take turns with the terms.

Dan rises to the occasion as he does every year and answers most of them correctly. Scroll down for more of the terms as he works through events like snow rollers, halos, seiche, and toad strangler.

Frost Flower Image Link

Hair Ice Image Link

The episode was co-hosted by Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

Podcast Discussion Summary

Tropical Storm Season Forecast Update

Dan discussed the current and forecasted tropical storm activity, noting that Humberto and Imelda impacted Bermuda before moving towards Europe, bringing significant wind and rain to the UK. He explained that the tropical storm season typically ends on November 30th, with October averaging 3-4 named storms and November about 1.

However, this year could see more activity due to favorable conditions like low wind shear and above-average water temperatures. Sam suggested they take turns monitoring the weather, finding the early part straightforward but anticipating more complexity as they progress.

Seiche and Hail Storm Insights

Becky shared her experience of seeing large hail during storm chasing in Oklahoma, noting that hail can grow up to 4 inches in diameter and record sizes have reached 7-8 inches. Dan and Becky discussed the definition of a Seiche, which Becky explained as a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water caused by long-period waves.

Natural Phenomena Discussion

The team discussed several natural phenomena, including snow rollers, halos, and toad stranglers. Sam explained that snow rollers are rare formations that require specific weather conditions, while Dan and Becky discussed sun and moon halos caused by light refracting through ice crystals. Becky then challenged the group with the term “toad strangler,” which refers to heavy rain leading to flash flooding in the southern United States.

Types of Clouds and Their Meanings

The group discussed various types of clouds, including Mattis Clouds, Gray Lady, and Mare’s Tails. Dan explained that Mattis Clouds are common with severe thunderstorms and indicate an unstable atmosphere. Becky mentioned the Gray Lady, referring to Nantucket’s nickname due to its frequent fog and gray architecture.

Jamie shared that the term “Gray Lady” is also used in a science fiction series about Nantucket being swapped with a Bronze Age version of itself. Dan described Mare’s Tails as another name for cirrus clouds, which are the highest clouds and often signal an approaching change in weather.

Weather Phenomena and Wildfires

The group discussed various weather phenomena, including a Williwaw, a sudden blast of wind from mountainous coasts, and a Monkey’s Wedding, which refers to a sun shower in South Africa. They also explored the concept of a fire tornado, or a wildfire so intense it creates its own weather, and discussed pyrocumulus clouds formed by fires. Jamie shared insights on how wildfires and weather are interconnected, particularly in Western states like California.

Understanding Weather Storm Terms

The group discussed various weather-related terms, with Dan explaining that a Nor’easter is a storm that gets its name from the prevailing northeast wind direction, occurring most commonly in fall, winter, and spring but also happening in summer, often causing beach erosion and travel issues. Dan also clarified that a Pineapple Express is a flow of moist air from Hawaii that can bring significant flooding to the West Coast, particularly California, and is sometimes referred to as an atmospheric river. The discussion included other terms like Alberta Clipper, Manitoba Mauler, and Saskatchewan Screamer, which refer to specific storm tracks, and the concept of a Snow Eater, which describes a warm wind that quickly melts snow, particularly in the Rockies.

Understanding Weather and Ice Phenomena

The group discussed various weather phenomena and natural ice formations. Dan explained the concept of a “blue norther,” where temperatures drop rapidly from 50 to 0 degrees in about 4 hours. Sam shared information about “air ice,” a fungus that grows on tree bark and forms ice-like structures.

Becky and Dan discussed the differences between sleet, graupel, and freezing rain, with Dan explaining that freezing rain is rain that freezes on contact with a surface below freezing, while sleet is partially melted snow that refreezes, and graupel is similar to sleet but forms in cold core systems. Sam also introduced the concept of “nieve penitente,” tall, sharp ice formations that resemble monks’ robes and form in high, dry environments through a process called sublimation.

The group discussed several natural phenomena, including ball lightning, glory, and types of frost. Dan and Becky shared information about hoarfrost and rime ice, with Becky mentioning a notable hoarfrost event in State College. Jamie explained that ball lightning is thought to be caused by plasma bubbles formed from sunlight and lightning interaction. The group also discussed frost flowers, which Becky described as delicate strands of frost, though the exact formation process was unclear.

Weather Phenomena and Meteorological Terms

The group discussed various weather phenomena, including “weather whiplash” which refers to rapid changes between drought and flooding, and an “ACSL” or Alto Cumulus standing lenticular cloud, which Dan described as looking like a spaceship. Sam introduced the concept of a “space hurricane,” a newly coined term for a cyclone-like aurora where electrons rotate around a central eye.

Becky explained the phenomenon of “anvil crawlers” – lightning bolts that crawl across thunderstorm anvils and can result in “bolts from the blue” when the anvil extends beyond the precipitation. The discussion concluded with the “lemon technique,” a method used by meteorologists to study updrafts and thunderstorm cells, which Dan revealed was named after Leslie Lemon, co-creator of the supercell conceptual model.

The group discussed the importance of disaster preparedness and the role of specialized training, with Jamie highlighting the sponsorship of the Disaster Podcast by Paragon Medical Education Group.

Catch the full episode using the player above or on your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Disaster Podcast for weekly insights from leaders in disaster response and research!