Weather: How to Observe and Predict by Dunlop. Weather (San Francisco Bay) by Gilliam.

• Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region by Harold Gilliam for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast.
• Weather: How to Observe and Predict the Weather by Storm Dunlop.

	Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region by Harold Gilliam for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast. Weather: How to Observe and Predict the Weather by Storm Dunlop Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet (2008) by Mark Lynas.
Books for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast.

Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region by Harold Gilliam

• The weather funnel: the San Francisco Bay region is the place of meeting and battling between the continental air masses and the oceanic air masses.
• The subdivided range: the complexity of the Coast Range, a double chain of mountains running NNW and SSE:
  • The west range is the Santa Cruz Mountains (south of the Golden Gate) and the Marin Hills (north of the Golden Gate).
  • The east range is the Berkeley Hills, paralleled to the east by the higher Diablo Range; to the north these extend into the Sonoma, Mayacmas, and Vaca mountains.
• Microclimates: drier toward the east (away from Pacific Ocean); modified by bodies of waters (Bays, Deltas, rivers).
• The year:
  • Spring: offshore Pacific High intensifies and moves closer to shore, strengthening onshore winds; Ocean River of a strong southward moving surface current with upwelling of colder water; Great Fog Bank where damp ocean-traveled air meets the cold upwelled water causing advection fog.
  • Summer: increase in features of Spring; strong inland heating with rising convected air provokes strong west winds to replace the risen air; multicycles in fog ebb and flow over periods from a few days (weekly cycle), during the day (daily cycle), and seasonal; inversion; high fog (with an elevated fog floor).
  • Autumn: decrease of features of Summer; weather clears and warms by the coast, cools inland.
  • Winter: storms begin September or October; cyclones, normal frontal systems, and occluded fronts develop; wind directions experienced depend on whether the storm (wind flowing counter clockwise) passes to the north or to the south or the area, or directly over; the cold Polar Continental River of Air from the north competes with the warm Tropical Pacific River of Air from the south and the warm Tropical Gulf River of Air from the Gulf of Mexico.
• Concludes with:
  • Activities
  • Definitions
  • Is the Climate Changing? A rather dated look
  • Reading list

Weather: How to Observe and Predict the Weather by Storm Dunlop

What a delightful book, showing you where the magic of predicting the weather comes from: Simply learn that the forms of the clouds are telling you about current and future weather. Then:

• Learn the 3 families containing a total of 10 basic cloud types.
• Learn the 14 cloud species.

	Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region by Harold Gilliam for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast. Weather: How to Observe and Predict the Weather by Storm Dunlop
Books for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast.

The book's sections:

• Watching the sky. Tips:

  "Clouds provide clues to weather patterns and observing them can help you gain an overall understanding of the weather." [p.10] "Watch the movement [of clouds] downwind. This will give a much clearer idea [than watching upwind] of the actual wind direction." [p.10] "When facing downwind in the northern hemisphere, the surface wind is always further to the left than the wind at low cloud level." [p.11] "An easy way to estimate angles is ... to use your hand held at arm's length ... 1° = width of 1 finger 7° = width over top of first 4 knuckles 22° = width over spread fingers (thumb to little finger)." [p.14] "Some approximate common angular sizes: ... 5° or more = width of stratocumulus cloudlets 5° to 1° = width of altocumulus cloudlets 1° or less = width of cirrocumulus cloudlets." [p.15]

• Identifying clouds.
  "If you spend a little time, ... the different speeds at which the clouds move across the sky, and their changing appearance, enable you to sort out the different layers and types of clouds that are present."
  • Clouds: three families:
    • cumulus, 'fair-weather', or cumiliform clouds:
      • altocumulus, Ac.
      • cirrocumulus, Cc.
      • cumulonimbus, Cb.
      • cumulus, Cu.
      • stratocumulus, Sc.
    • stratus, 'dull-weather', or layer clouds can occur in patches or sky-wide:
      • altostratus, As.
      • cirrostratus, Cs.
      • nimbostratus, Ns.
      • stratus, St.
    • cirrus, feathery or hair-like clouds:
      • cirrostratus, Cs.
      • cirrocumulus, Cc.
      • cirrus, Ci.

• Cloud species.
  This is one of the most helpful sections, with its photographs that show each species.
  Varieties of shape and form are grouped in 14 species that include Fractus (ragged shreds) and Nebulosus (thin layer or veil without distinct features).

• Cloud varieties.
  Include billows, altocumulus perlucidus, cloud streets,

• Accessory clouds.
  Clouds found in association with the 10 main cloud types. shreds, caps, pouches, sheets, virga (fallstreaks), etc.

• How clouds form.

• Sky colors.

• Cloud colors.

• Shadows and crepuscular rays.

• Optical phenomena.

• Precipitation.

• Wind.

• The global circulation.

• Satellite images.

• Weather situations.

• Severe weather.

• Observing weather.

	Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region by Harold Gilliam for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast. Weather: How to Observe and Predict the Weather by Storm Dunlop
Books for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast.

Weather Glossary

Glossary: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

A

advection fog

fog formed by the horizontal movement of warm moist air over a colder surface (such as upwelled deep cold ocean water).

altocumulus (Ac).

Medium-level cumulus cloud.

altostratus (As).

Medium-level stratus cloud.

anticyclone.

High-pressure area from which air spreads out and air in the center falls.

B

backing

Changing wind direction backward from the clockwise motion of the sun (northern hemisphere) from east to north to west to south to east. Compare veering.

Beaufort wind scale

Beaufort number	Wind speed in Knots	Wind speed in mph	World Meteorological Organization Description	Indicators on land	Indicators on sea	Boat reaction
0	Under 1	Under 1	Calm	Smoke rises vertically.	Water mirror-flat.	Becalmed.
1	1-3	1-3	Light air	Smoke drifts.	Small ripples on water surface.	Small sailboat has just enough wind to steer by.
2	4-6	4-7	Light breeze	Leaves rustle. You notice wind on your face. Wind vanes begin to move. Flags stir and wave slightly.	Small wavelets with unbroken glassy crests.	Wind fills small boat's sails; sailboat travels 1-2 knots.
3	7-10	8-12	Gentle breeze	Leaves and twigs move. Light-weight flags extend.	Crests start to break, putting some whitecaps on the wavelets.	Sailboats heel; travel about 3-4 knots.
4	11-16	13-18	Moderate breeze	Small branches move, raises dust, leaves and paper. Flags flap.	Small waves develop, becoming longer, whitecaps.	Sailboats carry all sail; good heel.
5	17-21	19-24	Fresh breeze Flags ripple.	Small trees sway.	Whitecaps (white-crested wavelets) and spray form.	Sailboats shorten sail.
6	22-27	25-31	Strong breeze	Large tree branches move. Telephone wires whistle. Umbrellas difficult to control. Flags snap and beat.	Larger waves, most with whitecaps; spray.	Sailboats double-reef their mainsails.
7	28-33	32-38	Near gale	Large trees sway. Difficult to walk.	Larger waves developing. White foam begins to be blown from breaking waves.	Boats do not leave harbor; boats at sea heave too.
8	34-40	39-46	Gale	Twigs and small branches break off. Difficulty walking.	Moderately large waves; blown foam.	Boats make for harbor.
9	41-47	47-54	Strong gale	Large branches break from trees. Slight damage to buildings; tiles and shingles blown off roofs.	High waves, rolling seas, dense foam. Visibility reduced by blowing spray.	Argh
10	48-55	55-63	Storm	Trees blown over, broken, or uprooted; considerable building damage.	Large waves with overhanging crests; sea heavy and rolling and white with foam. Visibility reduced.	ARGH
11	56-63	64-72	Violent Storm	Extensive and widespread damage to trees and buildings.	Large waves , white foam, visibility greatly reduced.	ARGH!
12	Over 64	Over 73	Hurricane	Extreme destruction.	Sea white with foam and driving spray; negligible visibility.	The rest is silence.

C

cirrus

• Cirrus clouds (Ci), in particular.
• Feathery or hair-like clouds in general, including cirrostratus (Cs) and cirrocumulus (Cc) as well as cirrus (Ci).

cirrocumulus (Cc).

High-level cumulus cloud.

cirrostratus (Cs).

High-level stratus cloud.

convection.

1. Natural convection: bubbles of air move freely and vertically, due to the buoyancy of warmer air above cooler air.
2. Forced convection: eddies in the air cause mixing.

Coriolis effect.

Deflection caused by the rotation of the earth; an object moving in a straight line is deflected clockwise (to the right) in the northern hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere, it is deflected counter-clockwise (to the left).

cumulonimbus (Cb).

cumulus

• Cumulus cloud (Cu) in particular. Low-level cloud. Round white top; flat dark base. Rarely produce rain. Indicate thermals.
• Heaped or bulging clouds in general, including altocumulus (Ac), cirrocumulus (Cc), cumulonimbus (Cb), and stratocumulus (Sc), as well as cumulus (Cu).

cyclone.

1. Tropical cyclone: a hurricane (self-sustaining tropical storm) with both ascending and descending air currents.
2. Extra-tropical cyclone; a depreesion; a low-pressure area where air in the center rises.

D

dew point

The temperature where condensation into dew, fog, or clouds occurs in cooling air.

E

evaporation

The process in which water turns into water vapor.

F

fog

G

H

High cloud.

Bases above about 6 km. or 20,000 feet.

humidity

The amount of invisible water vapor in the air. When the air can hold no more water, it is saturated. Then it condenses as fog or cloud.

I

inversion

Air is cold at the surface and warms at higher elevations. This is the reverse of the normal decrease of temperature with elevation.

J

K

L

Low cloud.

Bases below about 2 km. or 6,500 feet.

M

Medium-level cloud.

Bases between about 2-to-6 km. or 6,500-to-20,000 feet.

mesosphere

Region above the stratosphere.

N

nimbostratus (Ns).

O

P

Q

R

S

stratocumulus (Sc).

stratosphere

Region above the troposphere (where temperature falls with height) and below the mesosphere.

Temperature rises with height, mainly due to absortion of the sun's UV in the ozone of the stratosphere.

stratus

• Stratus clouds (St) in particular.
• Layered clouds in general; 'dull-weather' or layer clouds that can occur in patches or sky-wide; including altostratus (As), cirrostratus (Cs), and nimbostratus (Ns), as well as stratus (St).

T

thermal

Air rising because its temperature is higher and density lower than that of the surrounding air.

tropopause

Boundary between the troposphere (below, where temperature falls with height) and the stratosphere (above, where temperature rises with height).

Higher at the equator (16-18 km.), than the mid-latitudes (11-12 km.) and the poles (8-9 km.).

Sometimes seen in the limit of cumulonimbus tops where they are forced to spread out sideways as cirrus anvils.

troposphere

Lowest region of the atmosphere; most clouds and weather occur here. Temperature tends to descend about 6°C per km.

Bounded at the top by the tropopause.

U

V

veering

Changing wind direction in the clockwise motion of the sun (northern hemisphere) from east to south to west to north to east. Compare backing.

virga

Fallstreaks. Trails of falling water droplets or ice crystals falling from clouds and evaporating in the sky. Their trails are often curved, as the droplets slow down as they descend and evaporate.

W

X

Y

Z

	Also see Book Review of Deforesting the Earth: From Prehistory to Global Crisis by Michael Williams.
Books for study of Santa Cruz Mountains and the California Central Coast.

Links and References.

• Home and Index of Articles.
• Book Review of Deforesting the Earth: From Prehistory to Global Crisis by Michael Williams.
• Review of America's Ancient Forests: by Thomas M. Bonnicksen.
• Species:
  1. Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).
  2. Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).
  3. Pine Trees - Your 60-Second Guide to Naming your Pine.
  4. Got Conifer -- How You Can Tell What Kind of Conifer You Have.

Forest and Tree Home, Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

[Thanks for visiting.]

Copyright © 2007 by J. Zimmerman.