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Pat Spoden

@wxspo.bsky.social
295 followers 332 following 98 posts

Retired NWS SOO (Paducah, KY). Also worked at what is now WDTD, EVV WSO, and private meteorology company in Chicago. BS from NIU. NWA. Still a weather enthusiast.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Pat Spoden
Tim Supinie @plustssn.autumnsky.us · 01/10/2026
I've made a few tweaks and bug fixes in the last week, and SPC REFS Viewer v1.0 is live! www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/refs/v...
spc.noaa.gov
SPC REFS Ensemble Viewer
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
89/82 feels like pudding.
static.klipy.com
Bradley Hall Wipes Sweat, Holds Heineken
Alt: Bradley Hall Wipes Sweat, Hold
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Robert Simmon @rsimmon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I am having a particularly frustrating week, so here’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. The eruption of Sarychev Peak in the Aleutian Islands, seen by the crew of the space station. www.nasa.gov/image-articl...
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
August 2026 climate data-northeast Foley,AL Rainfall-7.71 inches Total for year-44.98 inches Hi temp-100 8/15 Lo temp-70 8/3 Thunder days-19
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Tomer Burg @burgwx.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
This may be a long loop, but so has been Typhoon Dolphin's existence. It's already generated >57 ACE units, placing it among the top 10 ACE-producing storms in West Pacific records, while undergoing multiple eyewall replacement cycles and significant structural changes:
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Rainfall in northeast Foley, AL for July 2026. 6.06 inches, with thunder reported on 12 days.
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Dr. Larissa @rissarwx.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Final full descent sounding for this go around. Balloon is going back up and we'll keep doing that loop as long as Dolphin will let us.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 24/07/2026
Breaking News: Federal officials acknowledged in court documents that they canceled grants to states that didn’t vote for President Trump in 2024. nyti.ms/4gRd5Kb
Electrical transmission towers stand with hazy mountains in the background. A headline reads: "Trump Administration Admits Canceling Energy Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him." Photo by Alex Welsh for The New York Times.
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Yonette Joseph @sugarcane99.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Nanobubblers are water-purification machines meant to fight algae. Encased in black fencing and powered by generators, they were considered an eyesore. Before the UFC fight, the Park Service asked Greenwater Services to remove them. The algae moved in. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/u...
nytimes.com
How the Reflecting Pool Turned Green: Missing ‘Bubblers’ and a Rush Job
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Mobile, AL
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Nick Ulivieri @nuphoto.com · 12/06/2026
It’s forbidden jump rope time #ILwx #WXsky
A massive lightning bolt arcs over the Chicago skyline. As if it were a jump rope
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Brian Matilla @bxmatilla.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
The WoFS has shown run-to-run consistency that a potential significant to destructive wind event is likely later this PM across the northern Plains. Judging by the numerous simulated storms in the 18-member ensemble (gray paintballs), this has intense bow echo written all over it.
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
May rainfall in NE Foley, AL Total-11.16 inches Highest rainfall rate-11.52/hr on the 7th Thunder days-8 Total rain for year: 20.41 inches Still about 6 inches below normal for the year.
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FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
An estimated 2.5 million children have lost food assistance since Trump's Big Beautiful Bill passed last July.
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Dennis Mersereau 🛰️ @wxdam.com · 25/05/2026
The NWS has confirmed roughly 630 tornadoes across the U.S. since the beginning of the year. The strongest was an EF-4 that struck near Enid, Oklahoma, back on April 23.
A map of confirmed tornado tracks across the U.S. so far in 2026.
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Doppler on Wheels (DOW) @dowfacility.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Walmarting. Living our BEST life in search of hail today. #DOWLife @nsficechip.bsky.social
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Dakota Smith @weatherdak.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
This is one of the wilder satellite animations I've seen in a minute... Wildfires produce their own thunderstorms while smoke wraps around a low pressure. What a fascinating view out of southern Kansas this evening.
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 08/05/2026
1. 🧵"If you are taking seats from Black people...then you are a thief." Baton Rouge civil rights activist Gary Chambers said the quiet part out loud Friday as GOP lawmakers push to wipe out Louisiana’s majority-Black districts. See the heated exchange👇
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Anjali Dayal @anjalikdayal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I just want to add, since this is breaking containment, that this can't be made right. these people, each one a whole universe, are gone. there can only be justice for the perpetrators; public remorse & restitution; & reform to ensure future aid systems are more just and less prone to imperial whims
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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Y’all need to read this perspective from an NWS forecaster who lived the experience of trying to successfully warn a devastating, killer flash flood - and what his perspective on the TX Hill Country event is. myweathercorner.substack.com/p/the-texas-...
myweathercorner.substack.com
The Texas Flash Flood: Time to Tell the Truth
The National Weather Service needs your help
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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Meteorologists are lucky to be in a time where we no longer rely solely on balloons for upper air data. However, they are still important - and last night in Arkansas was one of the more obvious examples of why it is still an important issue for us to focus some attention on. tinyurl.com/28n253n6
tinyurl.com
A tale of a tornado watch bust in Arkansas, and chronic missing upper air data
Potential for higher end severe weather in the South this afternoon and evening - and Colorado dealing with a late season heavy snowfall
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National Weather Service @nws.noaa.gov · 04/05/2026
That's no moon. It's a... Wait. No. Totally a moon. Our moon. NOAA’s very own GOES satellites regularly capture images of the Moon when it’s near Earth's limb – the halo-like appearance of Earth's atmosphere in photographs from space. www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/ode-the... #maythe4thbewithyou
Satellite image showing the Moon partially rising above Earth’s curved horizon, viewed from space. The Moon appears detailed with visible craters and surface features against a black background, while Earth’s atmosphere and cloud tops form a soft blue arc in the foreground. NOAA and GOES satellite branding appear in the lower right, with a caption noting the image is from NOAA’s GOES-17 satellite (March 6, 2020).
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Great article.
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Great and informative video. Take 10 minutes and watch. It may save your life someday.
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National Weather Service @nws.noaa.gov · 01/05/2026
Have you ever wondered how space weather relates to hurricane season? Meet Dr. Mark Miesch. He explains where are we at in the current solar cycle and what that means for space weather.
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Anthony Edwards @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The National Interagency Fire Center has released its summer outlook. Elevated wildfire potential is projected across a broad swath of the West, with the highest risk generally shifting from the Four Corners Region in May and June to the Northwest, Rockies and Northern California by July and August.
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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The TX legislative investigation into the July Hill Country flash flood apparently did not even consult with a meteorologist - showing again why a formal investigative process led by a national disaster review board to make improvements to the system is needed. tinyurl.com/yuutt484
tinyurl.com
TX Hill Country investigations show - again - why a national disaster safety board is needed
Record heat and some severe weather expected in Florida next couple of days
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Doppler on Wheels (DOW) @dowfacility.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
MiniCOW packs MegaPOWER! Observes birth and ingestion of satellite tornado and Fujiwara effect deflecting tornado. Tornado transitions 2x between clear eye and debris ball. Prelim data from most powerful mobile radar, 1 MegaWatt C-band storm-penetrating miniCOW in Braman, OK 🌪️
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Only 2.03 inches of rain in March, which puts us at 5.88 inches for the year. I would estimate we are about 7 inches below normal for the year in northeast Foley, AL.
media.tenor.com
a dry desert with mountains in the background and a cracked ground
Alt: a dry desert with mountains in the background and a cracked ground
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Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 29/03/2026
The authors of a Comment article in Nature highlight concerns over adopting AI in meteorology and call on the weather and climate community to set clear standards, starting with agreed data sets, for testing out-of-sample extreme-event predictions objectively. 🧪
go.nature.com
Can AI models reliably forecast extreme weather events?
More-rigorous testing is required before artificial-intelligence approaches are widely adopted by public forecasting agencies.
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CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 13/03/2026
NCAR is the backbone of Earth system science in the US and a global leader in open climate research. It directly supports our mission. Alongside a wide range of peers in the scientific research community, we submitted a letter to NSF strongly opposing any efforts to dismantle or restructure NCAR.
files.carbonplan.org
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
It is so short sighted to dismantle NCAR.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
This should be the biggest weather and climate news on your radar today. You can send an email today to say why dismantling NCAR is a bad idea for everyone: NSF_NCAR@nsf.gov
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab
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Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 13/02/2026
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail. It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children. Vought is a mass murderer.
reuters.com
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an archit...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The cruelty of this regime in a nutshell.
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Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · 08/01/2026
Just in - "According to @climatecentral.org, 2025 ranks as the third-highest year (after 2023 and 2024) for billion-dollar weather and climate disasters..." + Interactive graphics/data: www.climatecentral.org/climate-serv... + Climate Matters article: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt...
Map showing the U.S. 2025 Billion-Dollar Weather & Climate Disasters and highlights wildfires and severe weather through December 2025. Graphic is produced by Climate Central.
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American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · 19/12/2025
New AMS Statement: Dismantling NSF’s National Center for Atmospheric Research would weaken U.S. leadership in weather, water, and climate science, putting public safety at risk. For more than 60 years, NSF NCAR has improved forecasts and early warnings that save lives. More: bit.ly/4q6eChn
Photo of a lightning strike. "Scott's Bluff" by Isaac Schluesche was a finalist in the AMS 2024 Photo Contest
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Dr. Wendy Bohon @drwendyrocks.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Information on the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Japan, including an animation showing the seismic waves as they were detected by seismometers across North America. 🧪
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Tornado Talk @tornadotalk.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Washington, IL EF4 #Tornado – November 17, 2013! A devastating EF4 tore through Washington, destroying more than 600 homes and damaging hundreds more. The path continued across four counties, causing 125 injuries and three deaths. The strongest November tornado on record in Illinois. buff.ly/KcG7bQX
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Aaron Parnas @aaronparnas.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen. Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
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Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · 15/11/2025
Temperatures have warmed across the contiguous United States over the last five decades or so during the months of December through February (a rapidly warming season)... Check out @climatecentral.org's winter package for more information and graphics: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt... ❄️🥵
Map showing the change in average winter temperature in degrees Fahrenheit by county for the contiguous United States from 1970 to 2025. Nearly all areas are warming.
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escapedexplorer.bsky.social @escapedexplorer.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
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Cameron Nixon @cameronjnixon.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
8 months ago I had a vision: what if we had a unified, track-based dataset of all severe events? Still a lot of improvements I can make to the algorithm itself, but otherwise, looks like we have one now. I can't wait to see what we can do with this 👀
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Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Trump just continually shooting our country in the face. This unwarranted (and likely illegal) destruction of Goddard is madness. It jeopardizes the next several decades of space exploration.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Walmart and McDonald’s are among the top employers of workers who rely on food stamps. McDonald's CEO raked in $18.2M last year — over 1,000x the company's median employee pay. Walmart's CEO pocketed $27.4M — 930x the company's median employee pay. See the problem?
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Pat Spoden @wxspo.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
A little late with the October 2025 rain numbers for NE Foley, AL. Total for the month: 15.37 inches (more like a June total) Highest rainfall rate: 16.00 per hour on the 16th -highest I recall ever recorded in my 3 years here. #nwsmob
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Climatologist49 @climatologist49.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Let's check in and see how November temperatures in the Contiguous U.S. have changed over the last 75 years. 🔥
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Milind Sharma @gewitterblitz.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Unidata had issued a public notice regarding the change in bucket name in August 2025: www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...
unidata.ucar.edu
Important: Changes to NOAA NEXRAD AWS Archive | NSF UnidataImportant: Changes to NOAA NEXRAD AWS Archive | NSF Unidata
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Wisc-Satellite @wisc-satellite.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
1-minute #GOES19/#GOESEast Visible images showed that soon after making landfall, the eye of Hurricane #Melissa became cloud-filled as the storm interacted with higher terrain on the western edge of Jamaica.
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