Saturday, October 24, 2026
Special Edition: Strongest El Niño in Our Lifetime
Listen below:
Tune in weekdays for 15-min daily news roundups:
A powerful El Niño is already underway, but what does that actually mean for the winter ahead?
Weather and climate expert Dr. Marshall Shepherd breaks down what different parts of the country could experience, why this year’s El Niño stands out, and how changing weather is putting more pressure on the infrastructure we rely on.
Plus, the practical steps families can take to prepare, and why your weather app shouldn’t be your only source when conditions are uncertain.
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Guest: Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international weather-climate expert, a 2025 Regents' Professor, and the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. He was the 2013 President of the American Meteorological Society and serves as Director of UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Program. His research includes urban climate, hydrometeorological extremes, weather-climate risk, and innovative outreach strategies.
In 2021, Dr. Shepherd was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—the only faculty member in UGA history elected to all three. He was the 2024 recipient of the American Association of Geographers Presidential Achievement Award and is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
Prior to UGA, Dr. Shepherd spent 12 years as a Research Meteorologist at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center and was Deputy Project Scientist for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission. He is frequently sought as an expert on weather, climate, and remote sensing, and is the host of The Weather Channel’s Award-Winning Weather Geeks and a Senior Contributor to Forbes Magazine.
Dr. Shepherd received his B.S., M.S. and PhD in physical meteorology from Florida State University. He was the first African American to receive a PhD from the Florida State University Department of Meteorology and the 2nd African American to preside over the American Meteorological Society.
Learn more about Dr. Shepherd’s work at the University of Georgia, check out The Weather Channel’s Weather Geeks TV show and podcast, and read his articles in Forbes. You can also find his children’s book, Dr. Fred’s Weather Watch, about weather and weather instruments.
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