This winter has been particularly brutal for our friends on the Eastern seaboard, especially Washington DC where nearly five feet of snow have fallen so far this season. But they are far from alone: it’s been a miserable winter everywhere. In fact, in a rare meteorological coincidence, all fifty states, once the Florida panhandle was dusted on Friday, currently have snow on the ground. (For those wondering about Hawaii, the tropical paradise always has some snow atop its highest volcano peaks.) It’s snowing today in New England and in parts of Ohio. And with a few more weeks of February looming, we’re far from out of the eye of the storm yet.
So if you are snowbound or just curious about the meteorological phenomena that causes snow, you will likely enjoy The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America’s Weather. The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to our weather and our atmosphere, it is the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to understand how forecasts work or what causes blizzards. Written by esteemed science journalist and former USA Today weather editor Jack Williams, The AMS Weather Book, is also filled with engaging full-color graphics that explain such concepts as why winds blow in a particular direction, how Doppler weather radar works, what happens inside hurricanes, how clouds create wind and snow, and what’s really affecting the earth’s climate. For Weather Channel junkies, amateur meteorologists, and storm chasers alike, The AMS Weather Book is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to better understand how weather works and how it affects our lives.
And for anyone who believes this wintry weather disproves the idea of global warming, here’s some cold comfort: a warming planet can actually mean more snow. For a prescriptive on how to reverse this trend (and if it means more snow, I’m sure everyone can understand the urgency), try Global Fever: How to Treat Climate Change, a stark warning and an ambitious blueprint for saving the future of our planet.