Christmas weather books and Storm Chaser book review
Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey ($23.10 from Amazon) takes the reader on a spectacular photographic journey through the U.S., documenting four seasons of our beautiful and violent weather. Author Jim Reed makes a business of weather photography, and has spent over 15 years chasing storms and documenting their awesome beauty and violent destructive power. The 191-page book would make a perfect Christmas coffee table book for that weather enthusiast (yourself?) in the family, and has great photos of tornadoes, hurricanes, hailstorms, blizzards, sunsets, and lightning. The book is mostly photos, but there are several riveting stories Reed tells. Most captivating is the story of his encounter with Category 4 Hurricane Charley as it pounded Punta Gorda, Florida in 2004. Reed miscalculated his time needed to get to shelter, and got caught in his vehicle on the road in the eyewall. Luckily, his videotaped farewell for mother and friends done during the height of the storm was not needed, as he was able to find shelter during the 4-minute passage of the eye. Reed also braved Hurricane Katrina from the beach front, and tells an abbreviated version of his dramatic encounter with the hurricane from Gulfport, Mississippi. I also recommend Hurricane Katrina Through the Eyes of Storm Chasers ($14.96 from Amazon) to read the full tale of his Katrina experience.
Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey has a few flaws. The quality of the writing is not quite as high as that of my favorite storm chaser book, the now dated 1996 Warren Faidley book, Storm Chaser: In pursuit of untamed skies (no longer in print, but available used). Reed's text doesn't match up with the photos presented on the pages in places, and he makes a number of unwarranted connections between global warming and extreme weather events. For example, he blames the June 22, 2003 fall of volley ball-sized hailstones in Aurora, Kansas on global warming. No single weather event can be attributed to climate change--all we can say is that the probabilities of some extreme weather events have increased. For example, the incidence of extreme precipitation events (the heaviest 1% of rain storms) has increased 20% over the U.S. in recent decades. No scientific papers have been published showing a link between tornadoes or hailstorms and climate change. That quibble aside, I heartily recommend Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey. The photos are fantastic. Three and a half stars out of four.
Best weather books published in 2007
Weather Photography:
Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey ($23.10 from Amazon).
Climate change:
Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming by Chris Mooney ($17.16 from Amazon). See the realclimate.org review. I'll be posting a review of my own at some point.
General Weather:
Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book by Christopher Burt ($17.13 from Amazon). I hope to review this book soon.
Hurricanes:
Hurricane Almanac by Bryan Norcross ($11.04 from Amazon). See my review of the book.
Tornadoes:
Storm Warning: the Story of a Killer Tornado by Nancy Mathis ($16.32 from Amazon). See my review of the book.
Jeff Masters
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=)
(Higher dewpoints and a bit of helicity with a stonger warm front)
000
FXUS62 KTAE 210139
AFDTAE
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
839 PM EST THU DEC 20 2007
.UPDATE...ENERGETIC WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE DEEP SOUTH
THIS EVENING. AFTERNOON MCS OVER SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI/ALABAMA HAS
EVOLVED INTO A MESOLOW JUST OFF THE GULF COAST BETWEEN DESTIN AND
PANAMA CITY THIS EVENING. WARM FRONT EXTENDS EAST FROM THIS LOW
ACROSS THE NORTHEAST GULF TO THE FLORIDA WEST COAST. RADAR
INDICATES A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY STRATIFORM RAINFALL
COVERING MOST OF THE CWA WEST OF TALLAHASSEE WITH A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR PANAMA CITY SOUTH INTO THE GULF
OF MEXICO.
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...EXPECT MESOLOW TO CONTINUE
ON A GENERALLY EASTWARD TRACK WITH THE WARM FRONT REMAINING
ROUGHLY STATIONARY. THIS SHOULD KEEP THE BULK OF INSTABILITY
OFFSHORE AND PREVENT ANY SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OVER LAND.
WILL HAVE TO MONITOR CLOSELY...IF THE WARM FRONT PUSHES NORTH AND
INLAND...SHEAR PROFILES ARE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH MODELS SHOWING A 40 TO 50 KNOTS LOW LEVEL JET
SPREADING ACROSS THE BIG BEND DURING THE NEXT 6 HOURS.
HAVE UPDATED THE GRIDS TO RAISE POPS TO AFTER MIDNIGHT OVER THE
EASTERN 2/3S OF THE CWA GIVEN THE RELATIVE SLOW MOTION OF THE
RAIN SHIELD. HAVE ALSO ADJUSTED THE THUNDER...WITH COVERAGE
REDUCED TO ISOLATED ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTH GEORGIA.
WILL ALSO REMOVE SEVERE WORDING FROM INLAND AREAS...WITH ISOLATED
SEVERE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST.
==========================================
As of 0600 AM UTC, Tropical Depression, Ex Dama [998 hPa] located near 19.3S 88.2E or 3375 kms east of the coast of Reunion has 10 min sustained winds of 30 knots with gusts up to 45 knots. The depression is reported as moving east-southeast at 17 knots.
Dvorak Intensity: T2.5
Gale Warning Area
=====================
110 NM from the center in southeasten semi-circle
Forecast and Intensity
========================
12 HRS: 20.0S 89.7E - 25 knots (PERTURBATION TROPICALE)
Additional Information
======================
System should dissipate within the next 48 hours.
Violent storm approaching Kamchatka and Chukotka
20.12.2007, 13.01
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, December 20 (Itar-Tass) - A warning about a violent storm has been sent to the fleets in the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean staying off coasts of Kamchatka and Chukotka.
The seas can whip up waves reaching 8-10 meters on Thursday, the Far Eastern department of the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
The emergency forces in Kamchatka and Chukotka Autonomous District have been brought up to their feet to withstand natural disasters.
Chiefs of municipalities, seaports and shipping companies have been informed about the possible storm.
At the same time, the storm is not threatening coast facilities, the emergency services said.
Shiveluch volcano has activated in Kamchatka. It has thrown out clouds of ash that fell on Klyuchi, a settlement of 50,000 that is located 50 kilometres from the volcano.
Specialists said Shiveluch spewed ash to a four to nine kilometer-height several times.
The ash fall-out was observed in a 1,450 kilometre-range.
Link
"By CAIN BURDEAU - Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS(AP) After violent clashes with police at City Hall, protesters vowed that the fight over a plan to demolish 218 public housing buildings for the poor was far from over, both in the courts and on the streets.
On Thursday, police used chemical spray and stun guns on protesters who tried to force their way into a City Council meeting where the members voted unanimously to allow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish 4,500 public housing units."
1100 UTC DEC 21 2007
Pattern: Sheared
Current Intensity: CI 1.5
Adjustments: None
Final Estimate: CI 1.5
Dvorak Trends:
0030 UTC DEC 17 - CI 1.5
1030 UTC DEC 17 - CI 1.7
1500 UTC DEC 17 - CI 2.2
2300 UTC DEC 17 - CI 2.5
1030 UTC DEC 18 - CI 2.5
1430 UTC DEC 18 - CI 2.5
1955 UTC DEC 18 - CI 2.5
0100 UTC DEC 19 - CI 2.7
0830 UTC DEC 19 - CI 3.0
1630 UTC DEC 19 - CI 3.5
2200 UTC DEC 19 - CI 3.0
1200 UTC DEC 20 - CI 3.5
1630 UTC DEC 20 - CI 3.5
2000 UTC DEC 20 - CI 3.5
0130 UTC DEC 21 - CI 2.8
1100 UTC DEC 21 - CI 1.5
Sun breaks thru like a spotlight on the porch. Wow.
Front Exits E. Central FL (Looking South)
People are calling in to say they are staying home to make sure their house doesn't flood. Need the rain and grateful to get it.
Have a great day!
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