Weather Forecasting Handbook

by Tim Vasquez

The Information Age has blossomed and now anyone can run a weather center from their own office or home. Unfortunately, nearly all popular weather books are nothing more than essays on the science of meteorology. The Weather Forecasting Handbook breaks this mold by explaining all the latest forecasting principles, techniques, and tools.

Basic physical concepts are reviewed, and commonly-employed analysis methods are presented. Then weather systems are explained in terms of their thermal structure, dynamics, and effects. Special problems such as thunderstorms, winter weather, and tropical weather get chapters of their own. Margins are filled with forecasting facts, hard-hitting quotes, education stories, and even a few fun weather jokes. With added emphasis on analysis, visualization, and awareness of model limitations, readers learn to learn tools properly and are always a step ahead.

The Weather Forecasting Handbook is a must-have for all meteorology students, advanced weather hobbyists, professionals, weathercasters, storm chasers, sailors, and pilots. Whether you want to know how a short wave works, how to find a front, what isentropic surfaces are, how to analyze a 500-millibar chart, what type of vertical motion to expect around jet streaks, or why a high pressure area is building, the Weather Forecasting Handbook's no-nonsense approach will give you a solid foundation to understanding everyday forecasting problems.

146 illustrations, 7 x 10", color cover.

163 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Autumn Slaght · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay...let me preface this review by saying I know I'm not a PhD level reader so forgive me if this review sounds like the ramblings of a primative, lazy reader.
I bought this book as research for one of my latest novels, and I regret it. I thought it was going to be about forecasting the weather but it's like reading a meteorology dictionary. It is literally nothing but chapter after chapter after chapter of definitions. And most of the definitions...I have to google anyway because they don't make sense! He didn't even bother to explian what METAR meant...he just assumes I already know all these meterology terms. But the whole reason I bought this book is because I'm a beginner.
I have started this book 3 times but I will not finish it. I can't get past chapter 3. I won't discourage anyone from reading it! Just expept that it will be nothing but definitions. Maybe someone who is smarter than me can make heads or tails of it but I will keep it as a reference book only. Lol.

[Vasil Kolev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reference work, and as such looks really good. I will either reread it, or the new edition when it arrives, as it definitely requires slow, careful reading to assimilate the large amount of information in there.