Somewhere I Was Right

By Steve Pool

Book Overview

Subtitle: Why Northwest Weather Is So Unpredictable. Forward by Ann Rule.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1598490001
• ISBN13: 9781598490008
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Classic Day/Peanut Butter Publ
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Great weather information source.

I bought this book a couple of weeks ago. This book is full of information which is interesting and fun to read. This is a must have for anyone interested in weather and its difficulty in predicting.

Weather forecastnig is like interpreting abstract art, but with much more math

Back in early January of 2004, the weather forecasts for Seattle was all over the map, proverbially speaking. On a lark, I tracked forecasts for that week from eight sources. What struck me as particularly odd was how often the forecasts changed for the worse. I repeated the experiment the following month, this time coming up with a control case based solely on assuming typical weather conditions. Much to my surprise, control won. This surprised me because I knew I was just lucky. The model was based on freely available data, with no benefit from a gaggle of weather radars or a degree in climatology. It's unfortunate that this book, Somewhere I was Right hadn't been published back then because it would have saved me a lot of research into how weather is forecast. The book is done in a conversational tone, yet conveys much information about how forecasting is done, why much of it is open to interpretation (and interpolation), and nuances of this geographic area.

Worth it for the "worm moon" alone!

I bought a brand new signed copy of this first edition paperback yesterday at a chain bookstore in Seattle. Cover price is $14.95. This book is fun and very informative, and brings a lot to an otherwise humdrum viewing of the weather forecast each night. I have trouble understanding the physics underlying certain weather visuals on tv - what causes fronts, the mechanics of high and low pressure areas, etc. Poole explains these and many other terms simply and clearly in the context of the Seattle and Pacific Northwest areas. Good graphics as well, though I wish there were even more. Leavened with wit, but not overly so, the book is a very accessible read and a real service to Pacific NW weather watchers, a category which includes virtually everyone who lives here, as the weather is famously fickle at certain times of the year.