Robert Henson
Robert Henson is a meteorologist and journalist based in Boulder, Colorado.
Robert Henson is a meteorologist and journalist based in Boulder, Colorado. Bob was a longtime writer/editor at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, followed by Weather Underground. Now a freelancer, he is a regular contributor at Yale Climate Connections and a contributing editor at Texas Climate News and Weatherwise. An Oklahoma City native, Bob earned a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and psychology from Rice University and a master’s in journalism, with a focus on meteorology, from the University of Oklahoma. Bob served on the AMS Council from 2018 to 2021 and is author of the AMS books “The Thinking Person’s Guide to Climate Change” (originally “The Rough Guide to Climate Change”) and “Weather on the Air: A History of Broadcast Meteorology”, and coauthor with C. Donald Ahrens of the introductory textbooks “Meteorology Today” and “Essentials of Meteorology” (Cengage). Bob's interests include photography, bicycling, urban design, renewable energy, and popular culture.
- March 25, 2024
- Triumph from Tragedy: How a Discovery from the 1974 Super Outbreak Saved Countless Lives
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It took quite a while for scientists to gauge the full scope of the damage produced by the 1974 Super Outbreak. One fateful step in this process was when the eminent tornado researcher Tetsuya Theodore “Ted” Fujita flew over and photographed damage tracks. What Fujita discovered in those survey flights a half-century ago ended up transforming aviation safety, and likely saving many thousands of lives.
- By Bob Henson
- January 13, 2021
- Wind Patterns in a Warming World
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During Bob Henson’s recent Weather Band webinar looking at the August 10, 2020 derecho event that tore through the midwest of the United States, one of the questions that came up was “how is climate change impacting wind events?” As Mr. Henson explained, not only are derecho events hard to predict, but based on current research it is impossible to answer how they are being altered by climate change.
- By Bob Henson
- December 10, 2020
- Catastrophic Midwest Derecho of August 10, 2020
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Explore the meteorology behind the most destructive thunderstorm complex in U.S. history in this exciting webinar with renowned meteorologist and science writer Bob Henson.
- By Bob Henson
- February 22, 2023
- You Say "Sleet", I Say "Snow Mixed With Rain"
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A discussion by AMS Weather Band Maestro Bob Henson on the terminology and distinctions of winter precipitation, such as snow, sleet, graupel, and ice pellets Bob highlights the importance of accurate reporting and recording of precipitation types in understanding and analyzing winter storms.
- By Bob Henson
- November 22, 2022
- How Blue Can A Blue Norther Be?
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Temperature swings can be subtle, stunning, or somewhere in between, depending in large part on what you’re used to. In a moist tropical climate, like the one that prevails over much of Hawai’i, the typical difference between nighttime lows and afternoon highs may be less than 20°F.
- By Bob Henson