Weather Forecasting Handbook, 4th ed.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for the budding weather forecaster
Review: As a storm chaser and weather fanatic I have read many other books in trying to gain knowledge of the atmosphere, but this one is by far the easiest to read. The information is presented in a way that you can grasp the topic at hand, but not get overwhelmed in technical jargon. The book is filled with graphics to go along with the text and the author adds small tidbits of weather facts and humor in the sidebars. The bottom line is if you want to learn the basics of weather forecasting, this is the book for you!

Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: I have several problems with this book:

1) The book never tells you how to forecast. It would be nice if it told you, in a step by step fashion, how to predict precipitation and temperature at a certain location. Although he gives general descriptions of how weather phenomenon evolve, the detail is not sufficient for forecasting. The end of the book gives a bunch of surface and upper-level charts as "analysis exercises". The book, however, does not describe how to perform an analysis of a raw chart or give finished analyzed diagrams for you to check your work. It does tell you how to read charts, but this is easy and free to learn off the web. The only case where the author details forecasting tools is for tornado prediction. I know there are a lot of storm chasers out there who care only for tornados (the author lives in Oklahoma, so he may have a little storm chaser in his blood) but this is supposed to be a general forecasting book, not a tornado book. In one section, the book promises more material and more details in "future editions".

2) It's not clear if it's meant for beginners or experienced forecasters. Many basic principles are introduced (e.g. Coriolis effect) but other parts of the book seem to be written for experts. There are descriptions of barotropic and baroclinic weather systems without ever clearly defining what is meant by either. There are several places where the author says forecasting is difficult and you should use "common sense". How will this help a beginner?

3) It is riddled with typos and other errors. There are more spelling errors than one would like to see, but these are easy to correct in your head. More seriously, I have counted numerous instances where the author says "upward" when he meant "downward", "eastward" where he meant "westward" and so on. For a book that is in its 4th edition, this is unbelievably sloppy. Also, there are sections where the author has cut and paste from other sections and just changed a few words.

4) The production values of the book are very poor. The diagrams are often rough hand sketches, reproductions of charts are often difficult to read, and nothing is labeled very well. There are several reproductions of radar soundings that are rough blobs. The caption refers to features you are supposed to see (and I suppose they would be obvious to an expert). But there are no arrows pointing out the features, so if you are not an experienced meteorologist, you will probably only see a blob.

You will probably learn something from reading this book whether you are an expert or a beginner, but it won't justify the time you spend or the price you pay. There must be other, better books out there.

Incidentally, I have a Ph.D. in engineering, a good knowledge of general fluid mechanics, teach at a university, and publish in the domain of air pollution (more on the chemistry side than meteorological side). I was hoping for a forecasting book that would give more practical guidance on forecasting (I understand the basic scientific principles) but this book is a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: I have several problems with this book:

1) The book never tells you how to forecast. It would be nice if it told you, in a step by step fashion, how to predict precipitation and temperature at a certain location. Although he gives general descriptions of how weather phenomenon evolve, the detail is not sufficient for forecasting. The end of the book gives a bunch of surface and upper-level charts as "analysis exercises". The book, however, does not describe how to perform an analysis of a raw chart or give finished analyzed diagrams for you to check your work. It does tell you how to read charts, but this is easy and free to learn off the web. The only case where the author details forecasting tools is for tornado prediction. I know there are a lot of storm chasers out there who care only for tornados (the author lives in Oklahoma, so he may have a little storm chaser in his blood) but this is supposed to be a general forecasting book, not a tornado book. In one section, the book promises more material and more details in "future editions".

2) It's not clear if it's meant for beginners or experienced forecasters. Many basic principles are introduced (e.g. Coriolis effect) but other parts of the book seem to be written for experts. There are descriptions of barotropic and baroclinic weather systems without ever clearly defining what is meant by either. There are several places where the author says forecasting is difficult and you should use "common sense". How will this help a beginner?

3) It is riddled with typos and other errors. There are more spelling errors than one would like to see, but these are easy to correct in your head. More seriously, I have counted numerous instances where the author says "upward" when he meant "downward", "eastward" where he meant "westward" and so on. For a book that is in its 4th edition, this is unbelievably sloppy. Also, there are sections where the author has cut and paste from other sections and just changed a few words.

4) The production values of the book are very poor. The diagrams are often rough hand sketches, reproductions of charts are often difficult to read, and nothing is labeled very well. There are several reproductions of radar soundings that are rough blobs. The caption refers to features you are supposed to see (and I suppose they would be obvious to an expert). But there are no arrows pointing out the features, so if you are not an experienced meteorologist, you will probably only see a blob.

You will probably learn something from reading this book whether you are an expert or a beginner, but it won't justify the time you spend or the price you pay. There must be other, better books out there.

Incidentally, I have a Ph.D. in engineering, a good knowledge of general fluid mechanics, teach at a university, and publish in the domain of air pollution (more on the chemistry side than meteorological side). I was hoping for a forecasting book that would give more practical guidance on forecasting (I understand the basic scientific principles) but this book is a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Great reference!
Review: I recommend this book for anyone who makes weather predictions. I, myself, am a storm chaser and weather enthusiast. It is possibly the best book I have read in introducing all the fundamentals of of terms, observations, synoptic charts, radar/satellite, upper air, atmospheric physics, fronts and jets, dynamics, barotropic and baroclinic systems, convective storms, tropical weather, and numerical guidance. It is written in a clear, concise manner that is informative and easy to read for anyone with at least some inherent ability. Real-life examples are used. For the newbie, this book will teach you much of the general weather information you need to know. To master the forecasing of severe local storms, more is needed, but all new people should start here. It is also a good reference for meteorologists or those who are experienced.

Rating:
Summary: Accurate information, well presented.
Review: This book fills a huge gap between "fluffy", shallow introductory books and theoretical textbooks for academics. It is a great source of forecasting knowledge for the serious amateur or beginning meteorologist and I believe some universities are already using it in their classrooms as a result.

The statement in the review by Steve Foland about the Coriolis effect being greatest at the equator and zero at the poles is ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT, and it is in fact a function of the sine of the latitude. The description in this book is accurate. I wish people would do some fact checking before mudslinging. And while the Coriolis effect is not technically a force, its effects are exactly the same as those of a force for all practical purposes.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for the weather enthusiest seeking more info
Review: This book is an excellent reference for the weather enthusiast that wants a more in-depth knowledge of the factors that influence the weather. This book covers topics in an informative manner that is easy for the less technical to understand. There are lots of examples and diagrams to help explain the principles being presented. The book also covers information on severe storm development, definitions of the types of storms and information that is used to help predict the development.

I would have to say this book is all I expected and more.

Rating:
Summary: Great information for serious weather buffs
Review: This is a great book for people who are interested in weather, but want to take the next step in understanding how to read and interpret weather systems, numerical models, and forecast what might happen in the near future. Indispensible for beginning chasers like myself.

Rating:
Summary: Unique book for weather enthusiasts!
Review: Tim has taken his vast experience in meterology and presents the latest in the basic's and advanced forcasting principles, techniques and tools in an easy to understand format. What the reader gains is a "hands-on" approach of weather forcasting that rivials more technical literature.Tim also adds several humerous anecedants to further enhance the text along with numerous pictures and graphs. This is a book that is sure to become well worn and dog-eared from constant use!