In this episode, we break down the newly-released 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook from Colorado State University (CSU), one of the most trusted long-range forecasts in meteorology.

Recorded at the National Tropical Weather Conference on South Padre Island, this episode features a conversation with Dr. Phil Klotzbach, lead researcher behind the CSU forecast.

We discuss why the 2026 hurricane season is expected to be below average, how a developing El Niño could impact storm activity, and why factors like vertical wind shear and sea surface temperatures play a critical role in seasonal forecasts.

You’ll also learn how El Niño vs. La Niña can influence where hurricanes form and track, including potential landfall patterns in the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Caribbean.

Plus, a look at the history of the CSU hurricane outlook and the key variables that could still shift the forecast as the season approaches.

If you’re looking for the latest hurricane forecast, expert analysis, and what it means for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, this episode breaks it all down!

In this episode of Off the Radar, we take a deeper look at one of nature’s most powerful and misunderstood forces.

First, lightning safety expert John Jensenius joins us to break down what actually keeps you safe in a storm - and the myths that can put people at risk.

Then, Dr. Tim Logan from Texas A&M explains how scientists are studying lightning in new ways. As the director of the Houston Lightning Mapping Array Network, he’s helped discover two of the longest lightning flashes ever recorded. He shares what those massive “megaflashes” reveal about storms, along with the questions scientists still can’t fully answer.

From safety to cutting-edge science, this episode explores what lightning can do, how to stay safe, and why it still leaves everyone (even experts!) in awe.

With the launch of Artemis II, part of NASA’s Artemis program, four astronauts will travel around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, flying farther from Earth than any crew since the Apollo era. Powered by the Space Launch System (SLS), this historic mission marks a major step toward returning humans to the Moon and building a long-term presence beyond Earth.

In this episode, we explore what makes Artemis II different, why this mission matters right now, and how it connects the legacy of Apollo to the future of human spaceflight, including future lunar missions and Mars exploration.

We’re joined by planetary scientist Dr. Barbara Cohen of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, whose work on lunar samples, meteorites, and impact history helps us better understand the Moon and what it can teach us about Earth and the solar system.

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!

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.

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.

On this episode of Off the Radar, Emily Gracey sits down with fellow meteorologists Joe Martucci and Chris Gloninger to break down the science and strategy behind one of the most impactful winter storms of the season. From the early model signals to the moment confidence surged, they walk through how the forecast evolved as the bomb cyclone rapidly intensified.

Joe and Chris also share what it was like to predict a major storm while living in the communities directly in its path, the biggest challenges they faced communicating impacts, and what made this blizzard stand out from others in recent memory.

It is a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, data, and real-world experience that shaped the forecast for the Blizzard of 2026.

In Part Two, we hear what those changes sound like on the ground.

When the remnants of Typhoon Halong struck Western Alaska in October 2025, more than a thousand people were displaced. Entire villages flooded overnight. In Kwigillingok, Tribal Resilience Coordinator Dustin Evon watched the tide rise at midnight and barely made it to safety. He was one of the lucky ones – entire homes drifted away, many still containing families who weren’t able to leave in time. It was the challenge of a lifetime to see a community disappear.

Now, he faces a new challenge: how to rebuild ...or whether rebuilding is possible at all.

With no roads connecting rural villages to the rest of Alaska, evacuations must happen by air. And with federal funding fragmented and competitive, long-term relocation can take years…if it happens at all.

This episode explores the human cost of climate change in Alaska, the structural gaps in disaster assistance, and what it means to consider leaving behind the land that your ancestors have occupied for thousands of years.

Because in Western Alaska, resilience isn’t just about surviving the storm.

It’s about deciding whether it’s possible to stay once the storm is over.

Dr. Smith explains how data centers operate, why they are often located where power is cheap and reliable, and why water remains the most efficient way to cool the servers that power today’s AI systems. We unpack the difference between carbon footprints and water footprints, explore why training AI models is especially energy intensive, and clarify common misconceptions about how much water tools like ChatGPT actually use.

The key question is not whether we should use AI, but how we use it. Thoughtful deployment, smarter infrastructure, and informed users will shape whether generative AI becomes part of the climate problem or part of the solution.

As the Games return to Northern Italy, this episode of Off the Radar examines how climate change is reshaping the future of winter sports. Meteorologist Emily Gracey speaks with Dr. Daniel Scott of the University of Waterloo, whose research shows a rapidly shrinking list of cities capable of hosting the Winter Olympics safely and fairly.

We explore why warmer temperatures mean more than just artificial snow, how deteriorating snow and ice increase risks for athletes, and why the Paralympic Games face even steeper challenges as competition moves deeper into warmer months.

With fewer cold places left on the map, the question is no longer theoretical. Can the Winter Olympics survive in a warming climate, and what decisions made today will determine their future?

In this episode, meteorologist Emily Gracey explores how climate data can be translated into sound. Emily is joined by mathematician and musician Harlan Brothers, who creates climate sonifications by converting real datasets into music and audio you can hear.

Using measurements such as global temperature over land, sea surface temperatures, and sea level rise, Harlan turns long term warming trends into melodies that reveal patterns over time. The conversation looks at how sonification works, why sound can engage people differently than visuals, and how music can add a new dimension to climate communication without compromising scientific integrity.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear examples of these climate sonifications woven into the discussion, offering a chance to experience climate data through a different sense.

In this episode, meteorologist Emily Gracey talks with Rick Thoman, one of the foremost experts on Alaskan climate and weather, about the extreme events reshaping the state. From the unprecedented remnants of Typhoon Halong that displaced over a thousand people in October 2025, to the disappearing Bering Sea ice and collapsing salmon populations, Rick walks us through what the data tells us about Alaska's rapidly transforming climate, and why what's happening at the top of the world matters for all of us.

This is part one of a two-part series on Alaska's changing climate. Part two will explore the impact to Tribal communities in the state.

In this episode, meteorologist Emily Gracey explores a groundbreaking Washington Post investigation that reveals how massive flows of atmospheric moisture are intensifying across the globe, creating hotspots that turn storms into deadly floods. Using a powerful metric called Integrated Vapor Transport (IVT), the reporting shows that the real story isn't happening on the ground...it's happening way above our heads.

Emily sits down with Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll, who spent a year analyzing the data behind "Deadly Rivers In The Sky." Together, they unpack how rising global temperatures have supercharged the movement of moisture through Earth's atmosphere, why certain regions now face grave risks of extreme rainfall, and what this means for communities from Appalachia to Spain.

Floods can be sudden, devastating, and hard to recover from. But what if the real story isn't just the rain that falls, but the moisture in the sky that never used to be there?

In this special year-end episode, host Emily Gracey sits down with associate producer Brian Pietrus to count down their favorite episodes of 2025. They revisit the conversations that stuck with them, the research that blew their minds, and the projects that deserve far more attention.

It's also been an award-winning year for the podcast. Off the Radar took home a national Headliner Award for Best Information Podcast, and Emily Gracey won the Women's Podcast Award for Best Science Podcast Host!

Stay tuned until the very end to hear Emily's absolute favorite project of the year - the moment that resonated most in a year of extraordinary science and storytelling.

In this episode, we explore what makes the Drake Passage so treacherous and why it's become a rite of passage for modern adventurers. Travel influencer Alyssa Ramos, who has crossed the Drake eight times, shares what it's really like aboard a ship battling these notorious waters. Then, marine meteorologist Alvaro Scardilli from the Argentine Navy breaks down the atmospheric forces and ocean dynamics that create some of the most volatile conditions on the planet.

From its days as a ship graveyard to its current status as a bucket-list destination, this is the story of the Drake Passage.

We're losing track of what we've sent into space.

This week, Emily sits down with Dr. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who has tracked every rocket and satellite launched since the 1940s. A decade ago, there were 1,000 satellites in orbit. Now there are 12,000. In ten years, we could hit 100,000.

Dr. McDowell explains what happens when these objects die: atmospheric burn-up, ocean crashes, graveyard orbits, or trajectories into solar orbit. He discusses why our regulations—rooted in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty—can't keep pace with mega-constellations, and why we need international cooperation and updated policies.

We explore the real risks: collision probabilities in crowded orbits, the environmental impact of using our atmosphere as an incinerator, and public safety concerns around uncontrolled reentries. Dr. McDowell shares his vision for sustainable space practices, including an orbital "recycling plant."

The space debris dilemma isn't just about what's up there—it's about what comes back down, and whether we're ready for it.

In this episode, Emily sits down with Josh to explore his incredible three-decade career chasing more than 80 hurricanes and typhoons around the globe. From his early days as a storm chaser to his terrifying experience inside the eye of Hurricane Dorian, Josh shares what drives him to pursue these deadly storms and what it's really like when you're standing in the path of nature's most powerful force.

Plus, hear what happened in Jamaica as Josh intercepted what may be the mightiest hurricane he's ever witnessed.

She lives just outside of Tallahassee and experienced the Category 5 hurricane firsthand. Rather than let it defeat her, she used this traumatic experience as an opportunity. Now she educates millions through social media. The secret to her perseverance as well as her social media success? Humor, relatability, and conversations that actually engage her audience.

In this episode, Meghan shares her survival story and why humor might be the key to keeping people safe. We explore how a creator with lived experience is connecting to audiences in ways traditional hurricane warnings haven't - and how her unique take on emergency preparedness is keeping countless people safe.

This week, join host Emily Gracey as she interviews Rebecca Lindsay, a former Climate.gov program manager who was fired during the government crackdown. Lindsay reveals what critical climate information was lost when the website disappeared, why this represents an unprecedented attack on scientific transparency, and how the shutdown impacts educators, journalists, and concerned citizens everywhere.

But this isn't just a story about censorship—it's about resistance and resilience. Lindsay and other former NOAA scientists and communicators refuse to stay silent. They're launching Climate.us, an independent nonprofit platform to restore public access to the climate information Americans deserve. Learn how this group is fighting back against government censorship and working to save climate data that may help save lives across the country.

Maria discusses why representation matters when it comes to weather preparedness, how language barriers can become life-or-death issues during emergencies, and her vital role in ensuring that critical storm information reaches everyone who needs it.

Plus, get the inside scoop on what the National Hurricane Center's forecast team is predicting for the remainder of this hurricane season, straight from someone at the heart of the operation.

This conversation goes beyond meteorology—it's about equity, access, and making sure every voice gets heard when the storm hits.

This month marks the 64th anniversary of when Hurricane Carla battered the coast of Texas, instantly becoming one of the most intense and damaging hurricanes recorded in the state. But as houses and ships were battened down and residents fled the storm, some individuals with the Weather Bureau did the unthinkable: they strapped themselves into the cockpit of an airplane and flew directly into the eye of the storm! It started as a bar bet between pilots and became the standard procedure for observing and measuring hurricanes to provide life-saving data for researchers on the ground. Join me this week as I interview Daniel Tyson and Jonathan Shannon from NOAA to talk about what it’s like to fly into a hurricane and how technology has evolved since Hurricane Carla!