John D. Cox is a professional science writer. He studied biological and physical sciences at Harvard and MIT, and served as a fellow of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program at MIT.

Introduction 1Part 1: What in the World is Weather? 7Chapter 1: Forecasts and Forecasting 9Chapter 2: Behind the Air Wars 37Chapter 3: Land, Sea, and Precipitation: is This Any Way to Run a Planet? 61Part 2: Braving the Elements 79Chapter 4: Blowing in the Winds 81Chapter 5: Getting Cirrus 103Chapter 6: Climate is What You Expect; Weather is What You Get 125Chapter 7: The Greatest Storms On Earth 147Part 3: Some Seasonable Explanations 169Chapter 8: The Ways of Winter 171Chapter 9: Twists and Turns of Spring 201Chapter 10: Extremely Summer 233Chapter 11: Falling for Autumn 255Part 4: The Special Effects 263Chapter 12: Taking Care of the Air 265Chapter 13: Up in the Sky! Look! 285Chapter 14: Try This at Home 301Part 5: The Part of Tens 315Chapter 15: Ten (or So) Biggest U.S Weather Disasters of the 20th Century 317Chapter 16: Ten (or So) Worst World Weather Disasters of the 20th Century 325Chapter 17: Ten Crafty Critters 331Chapter 18: Ten Grand Old Weather Proverbs 337Appendix: Internet Resource Directory 343Index 351

"Weather For Dummies is probably the best book written for a general audience about the subject." --BILL GATESFind out what's really going on when it seems like the sky is falling with Weather For DummiesWhat exactly is happening when the wind blows, the clouds roll in, lightning flashes, and rain pours down? How do hurricanes whip into a frenzy, and where do tornadoes come from? Why do seasonal conditions sometimes vary so much from one year to the next? The inner workings of the weather can be a mystery, but Dummies can help. Packed with dozens of maps, charts, and stunning photographs of weather conditions, Weather For Dummies brings the science of meteorology down to earth, covering everything from weather basics to cloud types, seasonal differences, extreme weather events, climate change, and beyond.You'll learn how to:* Predict the weather and prepare a forecast* Use common weather terminology like a pro* Identify different types of clouds* Spot weather conditions that can lead to storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and monsoons* Observe fun weather phenomena like lightning, rainbows, sundogs, and haloes* Talk about what impact weather has on the global ecosystem* Get a handle on smog, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and other climate issuesFeaturing clear explanations and fun and easy activities you can do at home, you'll be ready - rain or shine - for the ever-changing skies above with Weather For Dummies.