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Off the Radar

Off the Radar

By: The National Weather Desk
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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.© Sinclair Broadcast Group Biological Sciences Politics & Government Science
Episodes
  • Understanding Severe Weather Outlooks

    Understanding Severe Weather Outlooks
    Mar 24 2026
    Was last week’s severe weather forecast a “bust” - or was it just misunderstood? The Storm Prediction Center is making changes to how it communicates severe weather risk, with a new focus on not just where storms could happen, but on how intense they might be. But with that shift comes a challenge: how do you convey higher-end potential without creating expectations that may not fully materialize? In this episode, we break down a recent East Coast setup that left many wondering why a widely discussed severe threat didn’t result in a major outbreak everywhere it was forecast. Joining the show is Evan Bentley from the Storm Prediction Center, who takes us inside how these outlooks are created, why they are rooted entirely in science and probability, and how they are designed to inform meteorologists and communicators. We also explore the growing conversation around trust in forecasting: when things don’t play out as expected, should meteorologists apologize? Or is the real issue how forecasts are interpreted by the public? This is a candid look at uncertainty, communication, and the responsibility of forecasting when severe weather is on the way!
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    45 mins
  • The Man Who Killed Pluto

    The Man Who Killed Pluto
    Mar 17 2026
    For seventy-six years, Pluto was a planet. Then, in 2005, astronomer Dr. Mike Brown discovered Eris - a distant icy world roughly the same size as Pluto - forcing astronomers to confront a question they had quietly avoided for decades: what actually counts as a planet? The answer led to the 2006 vote that redefined the solar system and stripped Pluto of its status, turning Brown into the unlikely public face of a controversial decision. But this story isn’t just about Pluto. It’s about how scientific definitions evolve. It’s about the vast, largely unexplored region beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt. And it’s about Brown’s current hunt for something even bigger: a massive, unseen ninth planet whose gravity may already be shaping the outer solar system. In this episode, we go to the edge of our cosmic neighborhood with the astronomer who changed it - and may be on the verge of changing it again.
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    36 mins
  • Aircraft Icing: Lessons Written in Tragedy

    Aircraft Icing: Lessons Written in Tragedy
    Mar 10 2026
    Every winter, aircraft depart in snow and freezing rain under a simple but unforgiving rule: a clean aircraft flies. That rule was shaped by tragedy. In this episode, we revisit the 1982 crash of Air Florida Flight 90 - a disaster that exposed the deadly consequences of ice contamination and inadequate thrust on takeoff, and helped transform winter flight standards. The lessons from that day reshaped deicing procedures, crew training, and federal regulations that still govern cold-weather operations. We’re joined by retired airline captain and aviation safety expert Steven Green, whose four decades of flying and deep work in aircraft icing and accident analysis bring critical perspective to the science and the stakes. Together, we examine how ice disrupts flight, the crashes that rewrote the rules, and why the margin for error in winter aviation remains razor thin.
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    47 mins
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