Authors of the Storm: Meteorologists and the Culture of Prediction

by Gary Alan Fine

Whether it is used as an icebreaker in conversation or as the subject of serious inquiry, “the weather” is one of the few subjects that everyone talks about. And though we recognize the faces that bring us the weather on television, how government meteorologists and forecasters go about their jobs is rarely scrutinized. Given recent weather-related disasters, it’s time we find out more. In Authors of the Storm, Gary Alan Fine offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather.

Based on field observation and interviews at the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the National Weather Service in Washington, D.C., and a handful of midwestern outlets, Fine finds a supremely hard-working, insular clique of professionals who often refer to themselves as a “band of brothers.” In Fine’s skilled hands, we learn their lingo, how they “read” weather conditions, how forecasts are written, and, of course, how those messages are conveyed to the public. Weather forecasts, he shows, are often shaped as much by social and cultural factors inside local offices as they are by approaching cumulus clouds. By opening up this unique world to us, Authors of the Storm offers a valuable and fascinating glimpse of a crucial profession.

Genres: Nonfiction

280 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Gary Alan Fine is Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. He is the author of Morel Tales: The Culture of Mushrooming, Kitchens: The Culture of Restaurant Work, and With the Boys: Little League Baseball and Preadolescent Culture.

Reviews

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book if you want to know about the status and culture of the NWS in the early 2000s.
Otherwise, it's already starting to show its age. From the out-of-date Fujita scale, to the programs, to the number of offices, much information is no longer relevant.
As for the social/psychological content, it's pretty satisfying overall. You get a great read into the mentality of the various offices and the people who work it. Their detailed, described relationships with the public and private sectors can really make you appreciate your local NWS office forecasters.
About 30% of the book could've/should've been cut - and not just for out of date information - due to some pointless office culture and repetition. The entire last chapter is just a tl;dr of the rest of the book (you can skip it entirely).
I don't regret reading this book, but unless you're a former NWS forecaster or a weather historian nerd, then it might not be the right book for you.

[meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the vein of the sociology of work -- a look at meteorologists.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

so i am part of a cult. nice read.