Good To Know:

• Be sure to review the session descriptions, additional resources and bibliography at the top of this Web page for a wealth of additional weather information.

Sessions

Here is a brief description of each session:

Session I: Atmospheric processes

Atmosphere and earth science concepts for sailors. This conceptual review of physical principles governing climate and weather is an exciting visual tour of the origins of our weather. Meteorological products derived from government, web sources, and personal observation will be used to enhance traditional marine weather forecasts.

Session II: Geography of weather features and the nature of the wind

A lively visual tour of weather features and famous winds of the world using charts, maps and "chalktalk."

Sessions III and IV: California weather events

California’s geography and climate combine to create some of the most interesting weather on the planet. Special attention will be given to gaining local knowledge of two California cruising grounds -- San Francisco Bay and Southern California’s Channel Islands. Meteorological products from government, web sources, and personal observations will be used in conjunction with various predictive techniques to forecast the weather for local cruising grounds.

Session V: Tropical meteorology and afloat forecasting skills

For this section we will join a sailboat as it makes a voyage from New England to the tropical Caribbean. Students will use pilot charts, cruising guides satellite products, sea surface temperatures, high seas forecasts and knowledge of global weather features to plan weather windows, avoid weather hazards, optimize passage times and insure safety. Upon completion of our voyage, tropical meteorology and living aboard in the tropics will be addressed.

Session VI:

This session is reserved for special topics and the revisiting of questions and concepts from earlier sessions.

Resources

Fundamental Web resources:

Computers and meteorology are a natural combination. In fact, many would argue that the science of meteorology evolved from an art only due to the data crunching capabilities of modern computers.

The following three websites are all you will ever need to be a Bay Area marine weather nerd.

http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
This is the Marine Prediction Center. The site provides superior graphics products for the coastal areas of the Pacific and Atlantic. The site is notable for the tight focus of the weather products continued within it.

http://www.nws.mbay.net/forecast.html
This is the National Weather Service’s site for central California. From here you may link to any conceivable weather site you may need.

http://www.noaa.gov/
This site is a must in that almost every bit of public domain meteorological, oceanographic or related information may be assessed through this site. Of particular value is the cloud photograph collection. As we discuss the ways of mammalus pendulus, this site will help you picture the cloud under discussion.

Additional Web resources:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Portland/glossary.html
This site and other glossary sites help navigate through the jargon leaden waters of meteorology.

http://squall.sfsu.edu/
Home of the California Regional Weather Server. This site allows for links to the Bay Area meteorological community. Of note are the case studies of California weather.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida has an excellent downloadable hurricane avoidance manual that is rough sledding for casual reading, yet has served as the basis for many articles by sailing journalists like Michael Carr.

http://www.weatheroffice.com/northamweather/default.asp
Weather with an "aye" -- the Candian weather service.

http://www.ggweather.com/links.html
Jan Null’s weather pages from the San Jose Mercury News and associated high quality weather education. Statistical abstracts of local microclimes.

http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/
Real time weather data for San Francisco Bay.

Bibliography

Crawford, William. P. (1978/1992) Mariner’s Weather. New York, NY: Norton Nautical Books.

This slightly dated survey of weather is the course textbook. It was chosen, despite the lack of good graphics, for its complete treatment of weather basics and its focused marine perspective.

Gilliam, Harold. (1962) Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region. Berkeley and Los Angeles, Ca: University of California Press.

This small book is the standard layperson’s guide to Bay Area weather. It is used by many who appreciate the comprehensive fog photo journal and easy reading format. OCSC typically sells these in the Pro Shop.

Lutgens and Tarbuck. (2001) The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology. New York: Prentice-Hall.

This book is the introductory text for meteorology courses at many universities nationwide. It was recommended by academic meteorologists from three different institutions.

Markell, Jeff. (1997) Coastal Weather Guide. Annapolis, Maryland: Lighthouse Press.

This book is notable for its coverage of the Southern California bight and the winds of Central America. It has some inaccuracies due to the limited number of observations the author has made in some areas, yet is the only real treatment of the subject areas.

Schedule