Authors: Jack Williams, USA Today
ISBN-13: 9780679776659, ISBN-10: 0679776656
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Date Published: January 1997
Edition: REV
Featuring the full-color weather graphics of America's favorite newspaper, here is a newly revised edition of the most readable guide to our nation's weather. It also includes an updated state-by-state guide to weather patterns and scientifically accurate records. Online promo.
The oft-disparaged USA Today has influenced the American press most notably in its thorough, graphic approach to weather. This book, written by the founding editor of the newspaper's weather page and illustrated by its artists, taps that expertise. Useful both as a reference work and a browse, the book presents a wealth of information, making complex ideas--such as why wind directions change with altitude--accessible through colorful maps and graphics. Chapters cover everything from storms to droughts, with a look at weather forecasting as well as the diversity of our country's weather. The chapters include interesting tidbits such as the effect of heat on an airplane's takeoff distance and the importance of seeking higher ground during a flood. Boxed sidebars examine weather disasters and profile weather scientists such as Jack Parrish, who flies into hurricanes to study them. In the margins Williams offers weather factoids such as Eskimo names for snow. Only infrequently does the newspaper's cutesy style grate, such as in a graphic headlined ``Inside the Sun: Our Life-Giving Inferno.'' Included are a glossary and weather record for all 50 states. (Apr.)
Foreword | ||
Introduction | ||
1 | USA's wild weather: Heat, cold, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods - the world's wildest weather | 1 |
2 | How the sun causes weather: Where the sun shines starts all weather | 13 |
3 | Why the winds blow: Air pressure differences put our weather on the move | 31 |
4 | Storms, fronts: The battleground of weather | 47 |
5 | What makes rain? Clouds, fog, rain, snow and sleet occur as water changes its form | 63 |
6 | Floods, droughts: The extremes of the Earth's natural water cycle | 83 |
7 | Snow and ice: An ordinary winter storm can turn into rain or a monster blizzard | 97 |
8 | Thunderstorms and tornadoes: They are among nature's most destructive forces | 115 |
9 | Hurricanes: Winds can top 150 mph, but the big danger is the storm surge | 139 |
10 | Sky watching: Clouds, rainbows, halos and contrails | 163 |
11 | How to predict the weather: How forecasts are made and how accurate they are | 181 |
12 | The future of Earth: Greenhouse effect and loss of ozone could be bringing bigger changes | 197 |
State-by-state records: Hottest, coldest, wettest and major weather events | 219 | |
Glossary | 222 | |
Index | 226 |