The Weather Of The Pacific Northwest

Product Description

The Pacific Northwest experiences the most varied & fascinating weather in the United States, including world-record winter snows, the strongest non-tropical storms in the nation, & shifts from desert to rain forest in a matter of miles. Local weather features dominate the meteorological landscape, from the Puget Sound convergence zone & wind surges along the Washington Coast, to gap winds through the Columbia Gorge & the ” Banana Belt” of southern Oregon. This book is the first comprehensive & authoritative guide to Northwest weather that is directed to the general reader; helpful to boaters, hikers, & skiers; & valuable to an expert meteorologist. In ” The Weather of the Pacific Northwest”, University of Washington atmospheric scientist & popular radio commentator Cliff Mass unravels the intricacies of Northwest weather, from the mundane to the mystifying. By examining our legendary floods, snowstorms, & windstorms, & a wide variety of local weather features, Mass answers such interesting questions as: Why does the Northwest have localized rain shadows? What is the origin of the hurricane force winds that often buffet the region? Why does the Northwest have so few thunderstorms? What is the origin of the Pineapple Express? Why do ferryboats sometimes seem to float above the water`s surface? Why is it so hard to predict Northwest weather? Mass brings together eyewitness accounts, historical records, & meteorological science to explain Pacific Northwest weather. He also considers possible local effects due to global warming. The final chapters guide readers in interpreting the Northwest sky & in securing weather information on their own. Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington & weekly guest on KUOW, is the preeminent authority on Northwest weather. He has published dozens of articles on Northwest weather & leads the regional development of advanced weather prediction tools.