Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
@windbarb.bsky.social
Weather, climate, writing, #scicomm, teaching, LIW, history, sports, wagering, equity. Author of WILDER WEATHER, published by SDHS Press. Nebraska/Midwest/Michigan. She/her. #binders #amwriting
Pinned
Wilder Weather: Preorder Now!
Book Release July 8
open.substack.com
Preorders for WILDER WEATHER are open! They are super helpful for the publishers to know about book demand, so if you've been thinking about it, don't wait! open.substack.com/pub/wilderwe...
I am a good mother - even my kid says so. I have a Ph.D. in applied climatology, an award-winning career in federal service as a meteorologist and climatologist, and a book published six months ago that connects weather, climate, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. 🧪
How many good mothers on Bluesky ARE the expert??
I’ll start: I have a PhD in ecology. I’m a science communicator: an award-winning creator, strategist, and impact producer. I make stuff for the internet that brings people together 🧪
Your turn! GO OFF, GOOD MOMS OF BLUESKY
I’ll start: I have a PhD in ecology. I’m a science communicator: an award-winning creator, strategist, and impact producer. I make stuff for the internet that brings people together 🧪
Your turn! GO OFF, GOOD MOMS OF BLUESKY
HHS Secretary RFK Jr: "This idea that you should trust the experts, a good mother doesn't do that"
January 16, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I am a good mother - even my kid says so. I have a Ph.D. in applied climatology, an award-winning career in federal service as a meteorologist and climatologist, and a book published six months ago that connects weather, climate, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. 🧪
Appreciate the review, @subletteweather.com! Weather can deeply imprint us, especially the weather we experience in our childhood.
Finished it this week.
Spending my career in the Mid-Atlantic, I appreciated the vivid details from @windbarb.bsky.social on the impacts of late 19th century winters on people living in The Plains.
And how big weather events etch themselves into our childhood memories.
Spending my career in the Mid-Atlantic, I appreciated the vivid details from @windbarb.bsky.social on the impacts of late 19th century winters on people living in The Plains.
And how big weather events etch themselves into our childhood memories.
January 13, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Appreciate the review, @subletteweather.com! Weather can deeply imprint us, especially the weather we experience in our childhood.
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
After Jan. 6, 2021, we sifted through thousands of videos taken by Parler users to create an immersive, first-person view of the Capitol riot as experienced by those who were there.
Revisit our full archive, five years later:
Revisit our full archive, five years later:
What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol
ProPublica sifted through thousands of videos taken by Parler users to create an immersive, first-person view of the Capitol riot as experienced by those who were there.
projects.propublica.org
January 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
After Jan. 6, 2021, we sifted through thousands of videos taken by Parler users to create an immersive, first-person view of the Capitol riot as experienced by those who were there.
Revisit our full archive, five years later:
Revisit our full archive, five years later:
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
Deep budget cuts and massive firing sprees shrank emergency response agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), considered a global crown jewel for climate science.
‘The perfect storm’: Trump has left the US less prepared for natural disasters, experts say
Emergency managers say the US president has presided over a dangerous erosion in US capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Deep budget cuts and massive firing sprees shrank emergency response agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), considered a global crown jewel for climate science.
Just saying that no country has invaded and attacked another one for their solar and wind resources.
January 3, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Just saying that no country has invaded and attacked another one for their solar and wind resources.
Note the timestamp on this thread. Dang. :(
Plausible worst case scenario with Venezuela in four steps:
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
January 3, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Note the timestamp on this thread. Dang. :(
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
Happy New Year!!
December 31, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Happy New Year!!
I own a bookstore. Yeah, that makes sense!
“American Dirt”
“American Dirt”
I'm the head magic teacher at a British boarding school.
Emily Tesh, "The Incandescent"
Emily Tesh, "The Incandescent"
December 30, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I own a bookstore. Yeah, that makes sense!
“American Dirt”
“American Dirt”
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
SUVs and big Utes "are 44 per cent more likely to kill an adult pedestrian or cyclist in a crash compared with a sedan, and 82 per cent more likely to kill a child" www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Pedestrian fatalities reach 17-year-high. This trend could be why
Fifty-one pedestrians had been killed on the state’s roads this year as of Saturday – the most in any calendar year since 2008.
www.theage.com.au
December 27, 2025 at 9:30 PM
SUVs and big Utes "are 44 per cent more likely to kill an adult pedestrian or cyclist in a crash compared with a sedan, and 82 per cent more likely to kill a child" www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
NEW: Organ tuners have been leaving temperature and humidity records in little-known books for decades. 🎹
They reveal how temperatures inside churches have changed over time due to climate change and increased heating.
A new scoop for The Reengineer!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/church-org...
They reveal how temperatures inside churches have changed over time due to climate change and increased heating.
A new scoop for The Reengineer!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/church-org...
Church organ tuning records mirror our warming climate
The records appear to reflect climate change, as well as the increased heating of churches in winter
www.thereengineer.pro
December 22, 2025 at 12:13 PM
NEW: Organ tuners have been leaving temperature and humidity records in little-known books for decades. 🎹
They reveal how temperatures inside churches have changed over time due to climate change and increased heating.
A new scoop for The Reengineer!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/church-org...
They reveal how temperatures inside churches have changed over time due to climate change and increased heating.
A new scoop for The Reengineer!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/church-org...
Tell me you're from the Midwest without telling me that you use(d) "nature's refrigerator" for extra storage.
it's gonna be 55° on Christmas and i don't know how i am supposed to keep all the food refrigerated if i can't just stash it outside
December 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Tell me you're from the Midwest without telling me that you use(d) "nature's refrigerator" for extra storage.
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
"A Democratic senator involved in the negotiations...said that Trump’s attempt to break up a premier weather and climate center based in Boulder, Colo., was like a “stick of dynamite” that exploded any chance of a bipartisan breakthrough on spending."
thehill.com/homenews/sen...
thehill.com/homenews/sen...
Trump move to dismantle climate agency blows up Senate funding deal
A potential deal to fund large swaths of the federal government, including the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, collapsed on Thursday night after Colorado senators demanded tha…
thehill.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:40 AM
"A Democratic senator involved in the negotiations...said that Trump’s attempt to break up a premier weather and climate center based in Boulder, Colo., was like a “stick of dynamite” that exploded any chance of a bipartisan breakthrough on spending."
thehill.com/homenews/sen...
thehill.com/homenews/sen...
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
Before the 1990s, plane crashes caused by microbursts used to kill planeloads of people fairly regularly.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Before the 1990s, plane crashes caused by microbursts used to kill planeloads of people fairly regularly.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
Key misunderstanding I want to get ahead of: NCAR isn't really a government agency like NIH or NSF. It's one of the largest NSF grants in history, and is given to a non-profit org called UCAR, whose job is to make NCAR exist (www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/...). That means the buck stops with NSF right now
Award Details - NSF Award Search
Find award details and explore award abstracts and publications.
www.nsf.gov
December 17, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Key misunderstanding I want to get ahead of: NCAR isn't really a government agency like NIH or NSF. It's one of the largest NSF grants in history, and is given to a non-profit org called UCAR, whose job is to make NCAR exist (www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/...). That means the buck stops with NSF right now
When you ask weather/climate people to name places that act as a hub of lifesaving research and innovation, Boulder CO would rise to top 2-3. NCAR Mesa Lab is the heartbeat of activities there. Can’t believe this is even on the table, let alone being lobbed out there like it’s already a certainty.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 3:46 AM
When you ask weather/climate people to name places that act as a hub of lifesaving research and innovation, Boulder CO would rise to top 2-3. NCAR Mesa Lab is the heartbeat of activities there. Can’t believe this is even on the table, let alone being lobbed out there like it’s already a certainty.
Notes to add to my case if I ever need to re-up my reasonable accommodation request:
"ADHD-fueled inattention leads to proclivity to spills, including an entire mug of tea on self (fortunately, not electronics), causing a need to change all items of clothing immediately."
"ADHD-fueled inattention leads to proclivity to spills, including an entire mug of tea on self (fortunately, not electronics), causing a need to change all items of clothing immediately."
December 16, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Notes to add to my case if I ever need to re-up my reasonable accommodation request:
"ADHD-fueled inattention leads to proclivity to spills, including an entire mug of tea on self (fortunately, not electronics), causing a need to change all items of clothing immediately."
"ADHD-fueled inattention leads to proclivity to spills, including an entire mug of tea on self (fortunately, not electronics), causing a need to change all items of clothing immediately."
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
Hartmann tells her students that using AI is like bringing a forklift to the gym when your goal is to build muscle. “The classroom is a gymnasium, and I am your personal trainer,” she explains. “I want you to lift the weights.” www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
To AI-proof exams, professors turn to the oldest technique of all
A small but growing number of educators are experimenting with oral exams to circumvent the temptations presented by powerful AI platforms.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Hartmann tells her students that using AI is like bringing a forklift to the gym when your goal is to build muscle. “The classroom is a gymnasium, and I am your personal trainer,” she explains. “I want you to lift the weights.” www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Having one of those days (weeks) where I log into meetings 5 min early because I'm confident if I wait until right at start time, I'd forget and be 5 min late. #adhd #brainfog
a clock hanging on a red wall shows that it is almost 5:00
ALT: a clock hanging on a red wall shows that it is almost 5:00
media.tenor.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Well, hello, slew of new follows! Did you all pick up my name on a list somewhere? I feel like I should try to post something extra witty or something. 😊
elmo from sesame street is standing on a ledge holding a letter g and a glove .
ALT: elmo from sesame street is standing on a ledge holding a letter g and a glove .
media.tenor.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Well, hello, slew of new follows! Did you all pick up my name on a list somewhere? I feel like I should try to post something extra witty or something. 😊
Nothing takes me out of a story faster than getting the setting wrong, especially the weather/climate. If a story (book, film, etc) is set in an identifiable place and time, it's just neglectful to not obtain the actual weather for the place/time! open.substack.com/pub/rebekahj...
The Climate of "Sinners"
With the world feeling like it’s running a perpetual fever — wars, genocides, fascist drumbeats, the whole dizzying mess — I figured we could all use a breather.
open.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Nothing takes me out of a story faster than getting the setting wrong, especially the weather/climate. If a story (book, film, etc) is set in an identifiable place and time, it's just neglectful to not obtain the actual weather for the place/time! open.substack.com/pub/rebekahj...
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
Hot take: Any team that declines an invitation to a bowl game for non-medical reasons (such as illness outbreaks among players) should have to forfeit a bowl or playoff opportunity the next year.
December 7, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Hot take: Any team that declines an invitation to a bowl game for non-medical reasons (such as illness outbreaks among players) should have to forfeit a bowl or playoff opportunity the next year.
Please, football gods, send Duke to the Duke's Mayo Bowl!
December 7, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Please, football gods, send Duke to the Duke's Mayo Bowl!
Reposted by Dr. Barb Mayes Boustead
It’s deep in the Daily Nebraskan article but TL:DR. Nebraska regents are idiots.
December 6, 2025 at 5:16 AM
It’s deep in the Daily Nebraskan article but TL:DR. Nebraska regents are idiots.