Forecasting Trust: Brad Panovich on Weather, Media, and Responsibility

Guest: Brad Panovich, WCNC Charlotte

If you’ve lived in North Carolina for any length of time, chances are you’ve turned to one familiar face when the weather turns serious. But being a trusted meteorologist today isn’t just about what happens on TV—it’s about showing up wherever your audience is, whether that’s on-air, online, or in the middle of a rapidly evolving storm. Today on Weather Geeks, we’re joined by Brad Panovich, Chief Meteorologist at WCNC Charlotte. For decades, Brad has helped guide North Carolinians through everything from day-to-day forecasts to high-impact events—including more recent storms like Hurricane Helene—building a level of trust that goes far beyond the forecast itself. We’ll talk about how his approach to communication has evolved in the age of social media, what it takes to cut through misinformation, and how you balance urgency, clarity, and calm when people are depending on you the most.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Brad Panovich and His Journey
02:55 The Evolution of Weather Communication
05:54 The Importance of Credentialing in Meteorology
08:56 The Role of Trust in Weather Forecasting
12:05 Break 1
12:08 Navigating Social Media as a Meteorologist
15:13 Handling Negativity and Criticism in the Digital Age
20:13 Understanding Public Perception of Weather Forecasts
23:40 Break 2
24:12 The Role of Social Media in Weather Communication
26:28 The Impact of AI on Meteorology
30:11 Personal Reflections on the Impact of Meteorology
34:26 The Educator's Role in Meteorology

Resources

Ohio State University Meteorology Program - https://meteo.osu.edu/
UNC Charlotte Weather Communication Course - https://physics.charlotte.edu/

Guest links

Brad Panovich on Twitter - https://twitter.com/WXBrad
Website - https://www.wcnc.com/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wxbrad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(436)

Measuring Arizona's Dust Storms

Guest: Amber Sullins, Chief Meteorologist at ABC15When most people think about dangerous weather, they think about hurricanes, tornadoes, or blizzards. But in the deserts of the Southwest, one of the ...

5 Aug 34min

Hurricane Season Preview with the NHC Director

Guest: Dr. Michael Brennan, Director of NOAA's National Hurricane CenterThe peak of hurricane season is right around the corner—and whether you live along the coast or hundreds of miles inland, what h...

29 Juli 37min

Modernizing Your Weather Forecast

Guest: Dr. Mike Farrar, Booz Allen HamiltonWeather forecasting has come a long way—from hand-drawn maps and limited observations to a world driven by supercomputers, satellites, and real-time data. Bu...

22 Juli 35min

What Happens in the Arctic Doesn't Stay in the Arctic

Guest: Dr. Jennifer Francis, Woodwell Climate Research CenterWhen we think about the Arctic, it's easy to picture a remote landscape of sea ice and polar bears. But what happens in the far north doesn...

15 Juli 37min

The Next Hurricane Scale?

Guest: Dr. Jennifer Collins & Dr. Nadia BloemendaalWhen it comes to hurricanes, we often rely on a familiar scale to understand their strength — categories based largely on wind speed. But anyone who’...

8 Juli 39min

Using Music to Save Coral Reefs

Guest: Dr. Aran MooneyWhen you think about saving coral reefs, you probably imagine divers, coral nurseries, or maybe even futuristic technology — but what if part of the solution starts with simply t...

1 Juli 43min

On the Climate Beat: Reporting a Changing Planet

Guest: Seth Borenstein, Associated PressEvery day, new scientific discoveries shape the way we understand our world — from extreme weather to the changing climate. But most of us don’t read scientific...

17 Juni 40min