As the Miami Hurricanes prepare for the College Football National Championship on MLK Day 2026, their name traces back to the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 — and a storm-born identity.

As the Miami Hurricanes take the field in the College Football National Championship on Monday, January 19, 2026 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), their name carries a deeper meaning than most fans realize.

The University of Miami was founded in 1925 — just one year before the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history. That hurricane delayed the opening of the university, reshaped South Florida, and ultimately inspired the Hurricanes nickname itself.

In this episode of Meteorology Matters, we explore how:

• A catastrophic hurricane helped define the University of Miami’s identity

• The ibis became a symbol of resilience and calm in the storm

• Miami evolved into a global hub for hurricane forecasting and research

• The National Hurricane Center, Weather Bureau, and NOAA became intertwined with UM history

• The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science helped shape modern hurricane science

• And why a strange historical reference calls the 1926 storm “Hurricane Kate” — a name that may never have officially existed

This is the story of a university, a city, a storm, and a mystery — told just as the Hurricanes chase a national title on the biggest stage in college football.

As the college football national championship approaches on Monday, January 19, 2026 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) in South Florida, it’s worth revisiting how deeply weather—and hurricanes in particular—are woven into the identity of the University of Miami.

Founded in 1925, the University of Miami’s identity was shaped almost immediately by the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. From the Hurricanes nickname to the ibis mascot and the university’s long-standing role in hurricane science and forecasting, weather has been part of UM’s DNA from the very beginning.

#MiamiHurricanes

#CollegeFootball

#NationalChampionship

#HurricaneHistory

#MeteorologyMatters

#GreatMiamiHurricane

#SebastianTheIbis

#WeatherPodcast

#HurricaneScience

#MLKDay

00:00 Born in the Eye of the Storm

01:42 The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926

05:10 How the Hurricanes Got Their Name

08:24 Why the Ibis Became UM’s Mascot

12:15 Miami’s Rise as a Hurricane Science Hub

16:40 The National Hurricane Center & UM

20:05 The Mystery of “Hurricane Kate”

24:30 From Catastrophe to Championship

27:10 Final Thoughts Ahead of MLK Day Kickoff

Fog is back and so are the claims.

In Florida and across the southern U.S., people are reporting headaches, breathing issues, infections, and other illnesses during foggy weather, with some blaming “toxic fog,” chemical exposure, or government interference.

So what’s really going on?

In this episode, meteorologist Rob Jones explains what fog actually does to the human body, why symptoms like sinus pressure and headaches can occur, and why these fears resurface every winter — often lining up with flu season and stagnant air patterns.

We separate science from speculation, break down what fog can and cannot do, and explain why social media keeps turning normal winter weather into a viral health scare.

If you’ve ever wondered whether fog made you sick, this episode gives you real answers.

00:00 Is the fog making people sick?

02:10 Why fog is more common in winter

05:15 What fog can do to your sinuses and airways

08:50 Fog vs viruses and infections

13:10 Why this myth comes back every year

18:45 Final takeaway

In 2025, weather forecasting reached a turning point—just as climate extremes pushed storms to new limits.

ull description:

In this episode of Meteorology Matters, meteorologist Rob Jones examines how 2025 became a defining year for weather forecasting and climate risk.

🔍 This episode covers:

• How new AI-driven weather models dramatically improved forecast accuracy
• Why Hurricane Melissa became a real-world test of next-generation forecasting
• How record global heat is reshaping hurricane intensity and extreme weather risk

Smarter forecasts are helping save lives—but they can’t stop climate change. Here’s what the data from 2025 tells us about where forecasting is heading next.

🎧 Subscribe for clear, science-based weather and climate analysis.