Best Book(s) on Weather / Meteorology

[Dane]

We are planning to cruise to the Caribien from Denmark next year. I would very much appreciate your recommendations on weather/meteorology books.

On passages we will receive GRIB files over the Iridium phone, and I am looking for a book to help me do the best route planning and decision making when out there..

Thanks!

[Jmolan]

This is the best book I have ever read that helped me understand weather. Written well before any WX machines were available, but valuable just the same.
Amazon.com: Eric Sloane's Weather Book: Eric Sloane: Books

[jck339]

Steve Dashew's Mariner Weather Handbook

[Pelagic]

Hi Dane and welcome to the Forum.

The best book to read on meteorology is the one that you can understand!

So if you are just starting out to study “the science of variables” then go to a library or a marine college and get a basic primer on weather systems. Remember, that marine colleges are teaching fisherman and mariners the weather basics so you can bet they will have some very good teaching aids that are designed for a layman to understand and use.

Once you get a full grasp of how it works, there are other books that go into steering influences of weather patterns (like how 500mb level reports can often steer temperate Lows) and many other variables to consider when you are doing your own weather prediction.

There are many good books on being a weather observer which were developed by the aviation industry as well as the Navy so best to browse the libraries until you find one that reads well to you.

I commend you on taking an interest on being your own weatherman as so many sailors these days depend on being told, instead of learning how to understand real time synopsis via Grib files and predict what will come based on their local observations.

A useful tool in your training is to use a 7 day forecaster like: PassageWeather - Wind, Wave and Weather Forecasts for Sailors and Adventurers and see how the variable pressure gradients will affect local wind and waves of a given region. Make it a daily habit to study an area then Note that the predictions are always modified every day and try to figure out why.

It is the only way to get a good feel for weather variables which is why some people call it an art rather than a science. To me it is both!

[Joli]

Agree with that. Understanding 500mb troughs overriding surface lows is difficult to understand. Daschew did a god job explaining it.

Originally Posted by jck339

Steve Dashew's Mariner Weather Handbook

[GordMay]

The Weather Underground has an excellent on-line source for understanding weather:
Wunder Blog : Weather Underground

For a brief introduction to Weather Basics, see also the previous thread “Reading Weather Charts” :
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...arts-7607.html

[Talbot]

Strongly recommend ayone wanting to learn about weather and how to get te information to study Frank's Front Page

A tremendous resource. Some of it provides more European advice, but the basic data is of inestimable value

[Dane]

Thank you very much for the valuable advice. I will get busy educating myself.

Have started out on Frank Singleton's Front Page and will take it from there. I shall take a look at the books and Buy one or two of them..

Cheers,
Dane

[Talbot]

I do not know how good this book is

Wiley::The Sailor's Book of the Weather

However, the author is a very experienced met man who is also a sailor. He posts weather forecasts for UK on www.ybw.com forum on a weekly basis for the benefit of sailors. He also has a free teaching web at Weatherweb TV - The Web TV Weather Channel and shows isobar charts and what they mean - plus lots of lessons on different aspects of weather.

[camaraderie]

May I suggest Chris Parker's Book "Coastal and Offshore Weather" ....this is weather prediction from a sailors perspective with the tools we have at our disposal by a guy many of us rely on daily on the SSB.
Coastal and Offshore Weather SE Us and Bahamas Ed

[Zach]

I'm still just dipping my toes into the water when it comes to understanding of weather and meteorology...

I have enjoyed Alan Watts "Instant Weather Forecasting."

Mariner's Weather by William P. Crawford is another good one. It is much more complex than Watts book, and to my brain requires re-reading a few times before things really sink in... but of the two it yields greater understanding.

As far as timing goes, do you have a copy of World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell?

[Dane]

Zach,

I don't have Cornells book, though I have heard/read about it. I know about timing for the route we are going. I have "The Atlantic Crossing Guide". I also purchased "Atlas of Pilot Charts - North Atlantic Ocean" with monthly charts showing statistical data for wind speed and direction, wave height, air and water temperature mm.

I was a bit disapointed (though enlightened) to read that Frank Singleton finds that you cannot weather route a boat that does 6 knots. Weather systems are to big and moves too fast compared to you. Well, we bought a para anchor if it gets too crazy..

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by Dane

...I was a bit disapointed (though enlightened) to read that Frank Singleton finds that you cannot weather route a boat that does 6 knots. Weather systems are to big and moves too fast compared to you. Well, we bought a para anchor if it gets too crazy..

I understand what Singleton is saying, but I don't agree with him 100%.

Herb Hilgenberg (South Bound II) has been helping passagemakers with SSB-based weather routing services for over 30 years. South Bound II VAX498.

If you get a chance, listen to Herb on 12359 kHz. Yachts check in between 1930 and 2000 UTC, and then Herb begins contacting each yacht with a customized analysis of the weather and routing suggestions throughout the North Atlantic. Weather systems are big, but by slowing down, or radically changing course, some of the worst can be avoided, and Herb gives very specific instructions on what he thinks should be done in terms of weather windows for departures or course adjustments during a passage.

[peterroach]

I would like to put in a plug for Chris Parker's weather routing service. He seems to know what he is doing and (unlike other weather experts) does not believe his job is to scare the %^$$#% out of you with each forecast.

Note for all of the other readers - when did weather become a religion?

[SweetSurrender]

My personal favorite.... International Marine's Weather Predicting Simplified: How to Read Weather Charts and Satellite Images