Skywatch West

by Keen, Richard A.

• ISBN13: 9781555912970
• ISBN10: 1555912974
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-01
• Publisher: Fulcrum Pub

Summary

Revised and updated, "Skywatch West offers a clear and interesting way of understanding how weather actually works, from calm and predictable cycles to dramatic and unpredictable events. Through Richard A. Keen's lively descriptions and colorful photographs, readers will discover all the joys of weather-watching in the always fascinating American West. They will also learn practical skills, such as how to "read" clouds, how to build a home weather station, and how to read weather maps. Being prepared for the weather around us is an integral part of life in the West, where the weather can be as wild and rugged as the land itself. As Keen points out, westerners have seen winds "strong enough to send parked airplanes into unwanted flight and airborne planes crashing to the ground"; storms so intense they have flattened forests, destroyed bridges, and washed neighborhoods into the sea; and temperatures so high only the Sahara has recorded higher ones. And much more.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Preface to the Revised Edition	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
Why Is There Weather?	1	(12)
Fronts, Jets, and Cyclones	13	(14)
Water for the West	27	(10)
Snow and Rain	37	(18)
Thunderstorms	55	(28)
Violence in the Skies	83	(22)
Hurricanes	105	(12)
Whirlwinds, Walliwaws, and Washoe Zephyrs	117	(18)
How Hot? How Cold?	135	(18)
Sea of Storms	153	(12)
Changing Climate	165	(30)
Lights in the Sky	195	(24)
Watching the Weather	219	(12)
Weather Maps	231	(4)
Resources	235	(10)
Appendix 1---Climatic Data	245	(8)
Appendix 2---Building Your Thermometer Shelter	253	(2)
Appendix 3---Wind Speed Scales	255	(4)
Index	259