# A Conversation with NWS Director Ken Graham

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/weather-geeks-66587/a-conversation-with-nws-director-ken-graham
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/weather-geeks-66587/a-conversation-with-nws-director-ken-graham.md
Podcast: [Weather Geeks](https://stenobird.com/podcast/weather-geeks-66587)
Published: 2026-06-10T07:05:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/7c72cd6c-316d-44a7-9bfc-48f5a48624dd.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/7c72cd6c-316d-44a7-9bfc-48f5a48624dd.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/weather-geeks-66587/episodes/a-conversation-with-nws-director-ken-graham
Duration seconds: 1847

## Resource

GUEST: Ken Graham, Director of NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service Director Ken Graham visited The Weather Channel for a wide-ranging conversation with Jim Cantore about the future of weather forecasting and public safety. They will discuss ongoing efforts to modernize the National Weather Service, the challenges of maintaining critical infrastructure, the latest developments in forecasting technology and AI, and what improvements may be on the horizon for everything from hurricane forecasts to severe weather prediction. They also talk about staffing, observations, and the tools that help forecasters turn data into decisions when lives are on the line. And as he marks four years as Director, Jim will ask Ken to reflect on the experiences that shaped his career, the accomplishments he's most proud of, and what he wants the public to better understand about the work happening behind the scenes every day. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Credibility 00:59 Ken Graham's Ten and Progress Overview 02:24 Reflecting on Achievements and Vision 03:45 Staffing Challenges and Hiring Boom 05:19 Reorganizing for the Future 07:01 Modernizing Infrastructure and Cloud Transition 08:20 Partnering with Emergency Managers 08:59 Radars: Aging Systems and Next-Gen Plans 10:29 Private Sector Collaboration on Radars 12:48 Innovations in Data Collection: Drones and Balloons 13:42 NWS Chat and Communication Tools 14:17 Break 1 14:31 Communicating Strong El Nino and Hurricane Risks 15:47 Aircraft and Data for Better Forecasts 16:38 Improvements in Track and Intensity Forecasts 17:19 AI and Machine Learning in Weather Models 18:36 Future of High-Resolution and Rapid Refresh Models 20:17 Balancing Over-Preparation and Real-Time Response 21:28 Next-Generation Modeling and Clo…

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## Transcript

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