Meteorology Podcast: Let’s Talk About the Weather

Welcome to our podcast! Register to get free access to all episodes. Below, you'll find a list of all topics discussed so far. Just fill out the form and listen to the interviews whenever it suits you.

© 2020 OTT HydroMet. All rights reserved.

Legal Information

With Kurt Nemeth & Brad Guay, experts for precipitation monitoring 

Measuring precipitation is essential for meteorological and climatological purposes, but also for hydrological applications and local communities. Depending on the application and the place of operation, there are different kinds of instruments to detect rain, snow, and hail. In this episode we will talk about: 

  • Different types of precipitation sensors 
  • Challenges of precipitation monitoring in different regions 
  • Update on the OTT Pluvio², a weighing rain gauge with 15,000 units deployed worldwide
Tune In

Intelligent Road Weather Monitoring  

With Steven Marks & Manuel Kreissig, road weather specialists

Road conditions and visibility heavily influence drivers’ safety and traffic flow. With a wide range of sensors, road maintenance specialists monitor a variety of meteorological parameters including air and surface temperature, humidity, water film height, freezing temperature, visibility, and more. In this episode we talk about: 

  • Static and mobile road weather sensors  
  • Applications and successful setups to monitor road weather 
  • Trend: intelligent software solutions to support and relieve winter maintenance 

Sky and Cloud Observation with Ceilometers 

Tune In

Measuring Amount and Type of Precipitation  

With Holger Wille, Product Manager and expert for lidar systems 

Sky observation is becoming increasingly important for multiple disciplines. With instruments called ceilometers, meteorologists and aviation specialists scan the ceiling for different kinds of clouds. In addition, aerosol particles are highly relevant for studies on climate change and air pollution. In this very first episode of our meteorology podcast, Holger Wille talks about: 

  • Measurement principle of lidar-based instruments 
  • Applications and benefits 
  • OTT HydroMet’s ceilometer portfolio comprising Lufft CHM 15k & CHM 8k

With Aaron Kennedy, Atmospheric Scientist University of North Dakota,
and Brad Guay, Meteorologist at OTT HydroMet  

A ceilometer can do way more than just observe clouds. Scientists from various disciplines are discovering its strengths and benefits. For our 4th episode, we brought together two experts on Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology. It turns out that, with a bit of creativity, ceilometers are extremely versatile and cost-efficient research instruments. What you can expect from this episode: 

  • Ceilometers tracking wildfire smoke floating over the Atlantic  
  • Observing aerosols for air quality studies  
  • “Ground blizzards” and other astonishing phenomena

Ceilometers in Science Applications  

With Victor Cassella, Meteorologist and Sales Engineer,
Sasha Ivans, Business Development Manager – Environmental Meteorology,
and Teddy Soto, Application Development Manager 

The 101st Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) was a special one. For the first time, this renowned event has been held completely virtually. More than 5,000 attendees document the steadily growing interest in meteorology. In this episode, 3 experienced exhibitors share their impressions and learnings from this event. Besides various and individual findings, they agree on one conclusion: Virtual events hold great potential for sharing knowledge and interacting globally – they will stay with us in the future. Among others, our guests share these learnings from the 101st AMS Annual Meeting: 

  • Niche applications still hold a huge potential for further technological developments
  • COVID-19 fuels the trend of companies providing complete monitoring solutions and support instead of single components
  • Open protocols and flexible data communication become more important – and complex  

Back from #AMS2021 – Learnings & Trends     

Episode 7: Reading WMO Guidelines Correctly

With Tobias Weil, Business Development Manager & Dieter Knauss, Teamleader Research Meteorology

To make meteorological measurements comparable, the World Meteorological Organization WMO establishes guidelines for atmospheric parameters. These are covered by WMO-No. 8 for highest precision meteorological monitoring. However, for many applications like road weather monitoring, smart cities and others, meeting scientific standards is not necessary. In this episode, we explain the less popular CIMO WMO recommendations from Class A to D intended for many industries. Furthermore, we discuss various technologies to measure atmospheric parameters. Tune in to learn about:

  • The Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation CIMO and its recommendations from Class A to D
  • How location and installation impact measurement quality
  • A helpful tip: This question helps to choose the right sensor

With Peter Rau, Software Developer of ViewMondo, Laura Goodfellow, Application Development Manager Road Weather & Jeff Cole, Business Development Manager Road Weather & Aviation

Ensuring safe conditions on runways is a highly responsible task. From November 4 on, the International Civil Organization launches the Global Reporting Format (GRF) will be applicable for airports all over the world. It features major points that are already covered in the TALPA that is valid for North America.

In our latest episode, we explain what will change and how airports can prepare for it. Our experts discuss:

  • How ICAO GRF will make runways safer
  • The structure of the new reporting format GRF
  • OTT HydroMet's solution to support airport operators combining Lufft MARWIS mobile road sensor and ViewMondo monitoring software

Episode 8: Getting Runways Ready for ICAO GRF

Newest Podcast - Episode 10: How Climate Change Affects Environmental Monitoring 

With Ashish Raval, VP Global Tenders, Projects & Key Opinion Leaders at OTT HydroMet

Understanding and fighting climate change is on top of the agenda for most countries in the world. Currently, politicians, scientists, and activists are gathering at COP26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, and pointing out the growing demand for early warning systems and weather monitoring networks. Ashish Raval has a lot to tell about these systems. Since more than 15 years, Ashish is setting up hydrological and meteorological stations in critical places around the globe.

From post-Katrina New Orleans to the Himalayan to the Caribbean; in our tenth episode, Ashish shares some stories and learnings he gathered on his journey. Furthermore, he speaks about the challenges different regions pose to environmental monitoring suppliers. Tune in to learn:

  • Why climate change is on top of the agenda for most countries
  • How OTT HydroMet set up an early warning system after a disastrous Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Bhutan
  • Different regions hold different challenges, or in Ashish’s words “No shoe fits all”