Weather Map Handbook, 3rd ed., color

Weather Map Handbook is a guidebook and encyclopedia of the most common weather forecasting charts used in operational forecasting in the 2010s. It’s written by a veteran forecaster for forecasters. All of the products are available on centralized systems like AWIPS and on the Internet on servers run by central weather agencies. Using a double-page format, the Weather Map Handbook demonstrates nearly every type of weather map, image, and product in common use. An overview of each item’s origin, purpose, shortfalls, and tips are outlined. Standards for analysis symbology and chart markings are summarized. The surface, 850 mb, 700 mb, 500 mb, and 300-200 mb charts get two pages each, complete with philosophy, objectives, and techniques for each chart. Thickness, isentropic, and Q vector products get their own sections. The WSR-88D doppler radar, in use by the United States weather services, has played a vast part in the weather information revolution. In the Weather Map Handbook, it gets an entire section ranging from reflectivity, velocity, and spectrum width to dual-polarization products. Some of the details provided in this book are obscure and nearly impossible to find. From the workings of the Composite Reflectivity product to the exact process used by the Mesocyclone Detection Algorithm to deconstruct a radar scan, any NEXRAD radar product on the Internet can be understood. From the NAM to the HRRR, from the GFS to the ECMWF, forecasters get grounded in the history and configuration of numerical forecast model. Ensemble forecasts are highlighted. The satellite chapter explains visible, infrared, and water vapor imagery, how it’s created, and how to interpret it. Even the METAR, TAF, SYNOP, and radiosonde formats get their own sections, complete with decoding instructions. Whether you’re a hobbyist, private forecaster, a professional, or a student, the Weather Map Handbook is the book you can’t be without.