Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 6h

Thanks! I will say, the internals are not nearly as pretty as the GUI turned out 😅

Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 6h

While the app is built on @metpy.bsky.social, cartopy, tkinter, etc. it runs on both Windows and MacOS without the need to install conda or build any python environments (thanks to Pyinstaller). Hoping to put out an official release at some point in the future🎈

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 6h

We needed a way to quickly plot skew-ts from our balloon launches out in the field, so I was able to put this together... UI-Sonde is a lightweight GUI modeled after the import sounding functionality of the SHARPpy GUI. I also tried to capture the look of the classic SHARPpy format with a few tweaks

UI-Sonde interface with various options for importing and plotting a sounding

Example skew-t from a recent balloon launch at the University of Illinois

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

CliMAS Illinois @climasillinois.bsky.social · 2d

Calling all prospective grad students! 🚨

Come learn about CliMAS during our annual Prospective Graduate Student Webinar - featuring our internationally recognized on campus and online MS and PhD programs.

RSVP here to receive a Zoom link: forms.gle/CYsLWz5uoRNm....

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Joseph Trujillo-Falcón @latinwx.bsky.social · 8d

Excited to share our new BAMS publication w/ the field!

From Facebook to TikTok, weather and climate information has become increasingly digital. Our new BAMS paper charts the rise of digital meteorology, the AMS CDM Seal, and how universities are evolving to meet it. 🌪️🌩️📲

doi.org/10.1175/BAMS...

doi.org

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Science Magazine @science.org · 8d

Anticipating steep cuts to its budget, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate research centers, has laid off 29 employees and decided not to fill 21 vacant positions. https://scim.ag/46yaM9g

Renowned U.S. climate center trims staff ahead of expected budget cuts

NSF-funded National Center for Atmospheric Research is already shuttered during shutdown

scim.ag

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 8d

Inevitable result of a drought during harvest: field fire near St. Joseph, IL this afternoon

Vegetation fire reported in the Pulsepoint app

Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 11d

This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 12d

⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater.

The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.

interestingengineering.com/science/chin...

China's oyster-inspired 'bone glue' bonds fractures in minutes

A new oyster-inspired Bone-02 adhesive can revolutionize bone repair without metal fasteners.

interestingengineering.com

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Tomer Burg @burgwx.bsky.social · 12d

Adding my 2 cents to the discussion on Google DeepMind’s performance for Imelda… 🧵

You might see a map like this and be impressed that at no point did it predict landfall in the US. But there is a lot of context lost by simplifying it to just one image.

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

CliMAS Illinois @climasillinois.bsky.social · 18d

Check out this promo video promoting our College, featuring Assistant Professor Joseph Trujillo-Falcón and many of our students! youtu.be/ZRgExF7r1gE?...

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: Where curiosity drives impact

YouTube video by Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois

youtu.be

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 26d

Take a few minutes to help support our fellow atmospheric scientists at UNL ⬇️

Jason Keeler @chasinjason.bsky.social · 26d

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is proposing to eliminate the entire Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. I strongly encourage you to voice opposition to this cut at the appropriate link in the thread below. More details are available here: budgetprocess.unl.edu/proposed-bud...

Proposed Budget Reductions | Budget Process | Nebraska

budgetprocess.unl.edu

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · 29d

The most relatable meme I've ever seen lol

Dr. Larissa @rissarwx.bsky.social · Sep 11

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Sep 9

We had the Champaign County EM in class last week and another big concern they have is dust storms once harvest begins. Lots to keep an eye on this Fall...

Andrew Pritchard @skydrama.bsky.social · Sep 9

DROUGHT + FIRE RISK: An abrupt shift to a drier pattern with no obvious return to wetter conditions is leading to concerns about increased drought + fire weather risks.

Farmers/ag folks: It's time to start thinking fire safety as we head into harvest. ag-wx.com

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Kyle Clark @kylec.bsky.social · Sep 3

COMMENTARY: If this was happening in another nation, we'd call it by name. It's authoritarianism.

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

CliMAS Illinois @climasillinois.bsky.social · Aug 28

Greetings from the CliMAS Fall 2025 Welcome BBQ!

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · Aug 28

New AMS statement outlines five foundational flaws that make the Department of Energy's Climate Synthesis Report "inconsistent with scientific principles and practices."

Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/3UQRC82

The Practice and Assessment of Science: Five Foundational Flaws in the Department of Energy's 2025 Climate Report

Adopted by the Executive Committee of the AMS Council on 27 August 2025

bit.ly

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Aug 19

Why's this bad? Well consolidating power into fewer and fewer hands is historically never a great idea (Monopoly anyone?), but it will likely also lead to massive layoffs of journalists, meteorologists, production staff, etc., particularly in markets where Nexstar already owns a station...

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Aug 19

On today's addition of "things that are objectively terrible ideas": the largest owner of local TV stations in the US (Nexstar) is planning to merge with another massive station group (Tegna)
www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/m...

Nexstar agrees to buy Tegna for $6.2 billion, a massive consolidation of local TV stations | CNN Business

The biggest owner of US TV stations is trying to get even bigger, believing the Trump administration will allow it to do so.

www.cnn.com

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Aug 12

Don't think the hospital staff believed me when I said I would definitely pass out during the blood draw. But don't worry, I proved them wrong 😂

a close up of a cartoon sheep with big eyes making a face .

ALT: a close up of a cartoon sheep with big eyes making a face .

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

Dr. Stephen Bieda III @drwildcatwx.bsky.social · Aug 12

The @ametsoc.org will be hosting a webinar about @nws.noaa.gov hiring, and the changes in the overall process on #August 20th at 12 PM EDT. Please consider registering if you are interested in upcoming or ongoing announcements. #Meteorology #Hydrology #ElectronicsTechnician #PhysicalScientist

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

ams-soc-impacts.bsky.social @ams-soc-impacts.bsky.social · Aug 12

We are in the final week for abstract submissions for #AMS2026! Get your applications in for the Weather Ready Nation Symposium and the Societal Applications Symposium by Thursday!

American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · Aug 11

📢 Only three days left to submit an abstract for the 106th Annual Meeting!

Don't miss this opportunity to share your research and collaborate with the weather, water, and climate community.

Submit by 5:00 PM ET on 14 August: bit.ly/3HZltIb #AMS2026

A panelist presenting their research at the 105th Annual Meeting.

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Reposted by Eddie Wolff

American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · Aug 6

✨Are you an undergraduate or graduate student interested in working, networking, and attending sessions at the AMS 106th Annual Meeting in Houston — all while earning a stipend?

Apply to be a student assistant at #AMS2026 💼!

Learn more and submit your application by 15 September: bit.ly/4lfu8UG

A group of students taking photos with AMS Past President Rich Clark at the 105th Annual Meeting.

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Aug 5

EFFICIENCY! 🙄

Andrew Freedman @afreedma.bsky.social · Aug 5

NEW: The NWS has received permission to hire up to 450 meteorologists/hydrologists/radar technicians after DOGE-related cuts. Agency also given a public safety exemption from federal hiring freeze after losing more than 550 people in those cuts. (1/2)

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Jul 29

Over 230 wind reports yesterday. Not all that surprising given the classic summer setup. Strongest gust reported was 92 mph from the ASOS station in Spencer, IA ⛈️

Plot of storm reports across the US on July 28, 2025. Corridor of wind reports stretches across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.

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Eddie Wolff @ewolffwx.bsky.social · Jul 20

Looks like the main corridor of storms has set up south of Champaign today. A few funnel clouds spotted earlier north of the county though. Here in town, there's still a chance for some downpours and a rumble of thunder heading into the overnight.

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