Author Description

Product Description For decades weather books have been produced in three different genres: A) anecdotal illustrated books for the general public; B) introductory textbooks for college undergraduates; and C) highly complex titles for researchers. The Weather Forecasting Handbook breaks these stereotypes by delivering a practical forecasting manual that's neither dumbed down nor filled with tons of math. It's perfect for any weather fanatic who wants an "insider's guide" on how to interpret the numerous forecasting charts now found on the Internet. It also makes a valuable reference guide for professionals. The book touches on important fundamentals, then leads the reader on a very readable overview of dynamics, barotropic systems, baroclinic systems, air masses, numerical forecasting, weather phenomena, and operational forecasting. It succinctly summarizes important forecast concepts and techniques that are used on a daily basis throughout the National Weather Service. The book contains over a hundred illustrations, showing key concepts and real-life examples of different weather systems, from heat lows to polar highs. 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. About the Author Tim Vasquez has over a decade of experience analyzing and chasing storms on the Great Plains. During the 1980s he worked as a forecaster for a Dallas newspaper, and during the 1990s he was a meteorologist for the U.S. Air Force and a television weather