Skywatch West, Revised Edition: The Complete Weather Guide - Softcover

Keen, Richard A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555912974 ISBN 13: 9781555912970

Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

Richard A. Keen received a Ph.D. in Climatology at the University of Colorado. Once a "tornado-chaser" for the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Keen is now a prolific writer of articles for weather and science journals.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Foreword Weather is something most of us are affected by every day. We are out and about in it all the time, often without giving it much thought. That is, until a sudden rainstorm ruins our afternoon picnic or a big snowstorm delays, or even cancels, our vacation flight to someplace warm and sunny. But we shouldn’t blame the weather forecasters! They can only do their best to let us know just what kind of weather is on its way. In the West, like no where else in the world, there is much that affects the weather. A big example is the mountains ... that beautiful Continental Divide. But that’s why I think forecasting the weather is so much fun, yet equally challenging. It can be different almost every day (sometimes hour to hour!), and seeing the forces that help us conjure those forecasts is fascinating. They can be gentle and pleasant, or forceful and destructive, and just about everything in between.

I have been forecasting the weather for nearly 30 years here in the West with lots of sophisticated and expensive equipment, and as you know, I can still get fooled. There’s the rub. Weather is not an exact science. "A" plus "B" does not always equal "C." The book you are holding in your hands will explain much of that mystery. Some of the terms weathercasters seem to use so casually will be explained here. You’ll be amazed at what can help cause the weather and just how it does. You’ll see how weather hinders, but how it also helps. And it is help we often need. You’ll learn what graupel is. Ever cried over "spilled ice"? Probably not, but you’ll learn what it is in this book. Did you know there are four kinds of lightning? Can lightning hit you while skiing? Could that tornado really have lifted Dorothy’s house in The Wizard of Oz? Read the chapter on tornadoes. You’ll read about hurricanes with benign names causing destruction in the millions of dollars and how they really can affect landlocked areas of the West. The strongest winds. The heaviest snows. The most flooding rains. The hottest. The coldest. The oddest! And the where, when, why, and how of them all.

Whether you’re a casual weather observer or someone who depends upon the weather for a living, this book will be an excellent reference for all your weather questions. It may even help you forecast the weather. Just don’t get too good at it! Young and old alike can enjoy, benefit, and understand our ever-changing and totally unpredictable weather like never before with Skywatch West. I will surely make it a standard text in the Stormcenter at News 4. It should prove invaluable.

Get ready for an adventure in weather and a thrilling and fascinating journey all the way. I wish you good reading ... and good weather!

—Ed Greene, Meteorologist, News 4, Denver Colorado

About this edition

• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1555912974
• ISBN 13: 9781555912970
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 280