Reading the clouds

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Can anyone recommend a course or a book that can explain the basics, to a numbnut like myself, of cloud reading as a method of weather forecasting?

eg Look up and see a whatisname cloud moving towards a thingymegig cloud that's at a different altitude, therefore the weather will do such and such in the next hour, 2 hours 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours.

Thanks in advance.
 
no good at forecasting?

Join the club mate. Alan Watts books, available in chandleries, have pictures in them which you can compare with what yr looking at. I think they are called instant weather forecasting and instant wind forecasting. I keep them where I can reach them from the cockpit and (I think) I have improved.
 
I have not seen any of Watts recent books but for me who finds it hard to get beyond Garfield cartoons I found the old ones having a heavy emphasis on words rather than pictures - would be interested to know if different now.

One that relies mainly on photos of clouds showing what to expect with approaching fronts, etc and dead simple brief text (covers other weather things as well, including fogs, mists, tornados, etc) is The World of Weather by Brian Cosgrove like at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1853107654/103-9364626-6661439. In checking for links to it just now I see it seems to be used for pilot training as well as is listed on a number of places supplying texts to them.

John
 
I learned from Cloud types for observers , the met office's tome. But that was a long time ago, and I did have an incentive at the time (i.e. a job as a met. observer).
Interestingly, I typed in "weather" on the Amazon page to see what else they did and perhaps the series that starts with "Pearl the Cloud fairy" would be easier? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Read any good ones recently? nm

I find that the clouds very seldom look like they do in the books. I have several books and go on the SA weather services site to look at their cloud atlas etc.
Try Weather for Mariners plus the yacht master sylabus covers it without going into too much depth.
Most heavy weather sailing books cover the subject.
I have a pile next to the crapper and have been reading them for the last few years I also have some on the boat and look at them every day to see if I can tell what type of cloud is above and try to predict the weather over the next short while but my success rate is very limited. I find theory and practice are hard to bring together.
Maybe I am just thick or perhaps one of these days it will all fall into place.
Anyway success to you it is worth trying.
 
Thanks for all the replies and tips. I now have a wish list on Amazon.

I am surprised that no one was able to point me towards a weather forecasting course for numbnut sailors!
 
Stingo - google for Starpath Weather Trainer. It's a software package that is a very comprehensive marine weather course. I'm part way through it and am very impressed so far.
 
Weather courses for met numpties

Just to state the blindingly obvious, the Yachtmaster Ocean course covers a fair amount of what you are looking for. Add my own favourite book, David Houghton's Weather at Sea and you have all you need IMO.
 
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