In the next "Conversations Live" on Thursday, Sept. 18, viewers will be taken behind the scenes of "Weather World" with hosts Rob Lydick and Jon Nese who will discuss how their team of meteorologists work to predict what is often the unpredictable and how it assists in keeping communities across the commonwealth safe.
For more than 40 years, "Weather World," produced by the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and in collaboration with WPSU, has provided an in-depth, statewide forecast for Pennsylvania weather and broadcasted it across the commonwealth.
Lydick, an assistant teaching professor of meteorology and the executive producer of "Weather World," and Nese, teaching professor and associate head of the undergraduate program in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science and "Weather World" feature writer and host, will discuss weather safety for Pennsylvania communities and why seeking reliable sources for news and weather could be lifesaving.
"Having a trusted, reliable source for your information from weather forecasts and alerts to news, is probably one of the most important things Pennsylvanians can do right now," Lydick said. "With so many ways to learn and receive information at our fingertips, it's imperative to make sure that what you're consuming is legitimate, factual and relies on the expertise of folks in their respective fields. It could literally save your life by informing your decisions."
Nese shared how the biggest weather threat to communities may not be what people expect.
"Heat and flooding are the biggest weather killers. Neither gets the respect it deserves, in large part, because neither is as photogenic as a tornado or awe-inspiring as a hurricane," Nese said.
Nese went on to say that from a meteorology perspective, the most challenging aspect of collecting data and formulating it into a forecast is gaining the trust of people who may not understand why weather may not always be an exact science.
"Expressing uncertainty in a way that people appreciate and don't view as 'waffling' is key. I like to say, 'No forecast is complete without some measure of uncertainty,'" Nese said. "Weather can also contribute to major world events. Stories that involve the intersection of history and weather include everything from kickoff for a Penn State football game to the Challenger disaster in 1986, the D-Day forecast, and the impact of weather at the Battle of Gettysburg."
Lydick said his team works with both meteorology students and students from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications about telling the weather story by looking at historic and often catastrophic events like Hurricane Katrina to how an F1 tornado was able to destroy the Kinzua Bridge in northwest Pennsylvania.
"When I'm working with students, I tell them that being aware of the audience is a crucial part of telling the story. What do they need to know, why do they care?" Lydick said. "We are storytellers, and it's important to get to the heart of the story. But we're also scientists and need to reinforce that story with context and data."
Lydick's team keeps in touch with students after graduation to follow their broadcast journeys.
"We have a successful job placement rate for those who are interested in going to work in the television industry. We update a pushpin map in the Walker Building titled 'Where you can see a Penn State Meteorologist on TV' and nearly every state is represented," Lydick said. "At present count, we have over 140 Penn State meteorology graduates who are on-air, not including dozens of others who have retired or shifted career paths."
WPSU-TV, a PBS member station, serves 24 counties in central Pennsylvania and reaches 515,000 households, and WPSU-FM, an NPR member station, is accessible to more than 450,000 listeners in 13 counties. The public media station also includes WPSU Digital Studios, which offers original web series that explore science, arts and culture.
Visit WPSU, a service of Penn State Outreach.
