Weather class !
...a engineer's guide to meteorology !
Authored by: Various
Brought to you by www.dieselduck.net, comments to [email protected]
Predicting Weather
-HYATT VERRILL
Unusual twinkling of stars: double horns to the moon:, halos around stars or moon: "wind dogs - increasing wind, or rain with a liability of wind
Wind shifting from west to east - increase of wind front the other direction
Rosy sky at sunset - fine weather
Sickly, greenish - colored sunset - Wind and rain
Dark red or crimson sunset - rain
Bright-yellow sky at sunset - wind
Pale-yellow, or saffron sunset - rain
Mixed red and yellow sunset - rain and squally weather
Remarkably clear atmosphere with distant objects standing above the water and seemingly in air - wind, usually from the northwest, and often rain
Heavy dews - Erie weather
Fogs - change in weather and little wind
Misty clouds on hills, remaining stationary, increasing or descending - rain and wind
Misty clouds on hills, rising or dispersing - fairer weather
Red morning sky - bad weather and wind
Gray morning sky - fine weather
High dawn (dawn seen above a bank of clouds) - wind
Low dawn (daylight breaking close to the horizon) - fair
Soft, delicate clouds - fair and light winds
Hard - edged, oily clouds-wind
Dark, gloomy sky - windy
Light, bright sky - fine weather
Small, inky clouds - rain
Light "scud,"' or small clouds moving across heavier clouds - Wind and rain
Light, scudding clouds by themselves - wind and dry weather
High, tipper clouds scudding past moon or stars in a different direction from the lower cloud masses - change of wind
Fine weather followed by light streaks, wisps, or mottled patches of distant clouds that increase and join - change
Haze that becomes murky and clouds the sky - change to bad weather
Light, delicate colors, with soft edged clouds - fine weather
Brilliant, or gaudy, colors and sharp, hard-edged clouds - rain and wind
Mackerel sky (small, separate, white clouds covering the sky) - wet weather
"Mares' tails" (long, wispy, curved, isolated clouds against a blue sky) - wind
Rainbow early in the morning - bad weather
Rainbow in afternoon - fair
Some Terms to Know
Ash Breeze - oar power
Black squall - a sudden strong wind that comes, with a dark line on the surface
Blowing up and down - a dead calm
Cape Horn fever - the feigned illness of a malingerer
Capful - a heavy wind off the sea froth
Dogs running before their master - the heavy swell in advance of the hurricane
Gasoline breeze - same as above, for those who prefer motoring over rowing
rish hurricane - a flat calm
Livina gale - a severe storm
Blowing up and down - a dead calm
Soldier's breeze - a fair, light wind
White squall - a sudden wind so strong that it turns the surface of the sea to white
THE QUAHOG SKIFF BUGSYS BOOMER
BILLINGSGATE SHOAL, CAPE COD BAY
DECEMBER 19, 1956So it came on to lunch. Fred was eating an oily-looking sausage bomb and going on and on about how the shellfish warden was a dimestore nutcase and if brains were dynamite he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose and "Hell's hairy bells, that guy's so stupid he.... hey! anyone got a drink?" Larry dug around under the floorboards and came up with a can of beer. Fred said thanks, popped the top, took a pull, belched, bit off another piece of the bomb, took another pull, and went back to deconstructing the warden. And that's when we were bit by a set of the nastiest cresting waves you're ever going to see. The skiff nearly rolled over. Fred turned sort of grayish-green. Suddenly he said, I feel funny," stumbled to the rail, and-how should we say?--proceeded to chum for the whales.
-E.H. Morgan
TO PREVENT SEASICKNESS
Before getting underway and while at sea: avoid heavy meals, particularly fried food, and alcohol.
Remain on deck in the fresh air.
Keep your eyes on the horizon.
Position yourself amidships, where motion is least.
Anticipate the vessel's motion.
Keep warm on cold days and cool on hot days.
Don't smoke, get upwind from those who do.
FOUR SUREFIRE WAYS TO BRING ON SEASICKNESS WHEN UNDERWAY IN FOUL WEATHER
Read a book, especially one with fine print.
Remain below decks.
Use binoculars for extended periods.
Have a sausage bomb for lunch...
... with a beer chaser.
-Fred Brooks
If there is no wind, row.
- old saying
Force
Speed
Speed
Wind Description
Sea Condition
Wave Height
Wave Height
miles/hr
knots
meters
ft
0 - 1
0 - 1
Calm
Sea like a mirror
-
-
1 - 3
1 - 3
Light air
Ripples with the appearance of scales are formed, but without foam crests.
0.1
1/4
4 - 7
4 - 6
Light Breeze
Small wavelets, still short, but more pronounced. Crests have a glassy appearance and do not break.
0.2 - 0.3
0.5 - 1
8 - 12
7-10
Gentle Breeze
Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of glassy appearance. Perhaps scattered white horses.
0.6 - 1
2 - 3
13 - 18
11 - 16
Moderate Breeze
Small waves, becoming larger; fairly frequent white horses.
1 - 1.5
3.5 - 5
19 - 24
17 - 21
Fresh Breeze
Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed. Chance of some spray.
2 - 2.5
6 - 8.5
25 - 31
22 - 27
Strong Breeze
Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive everywhere. Probably some spray.
3 - 4
9.5 - 13
32 - 38
28 - 33
Near Gale
Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along the direction of the wind.
4 - 5.5
13.5 - 19
39 - 46
34 - 40
Gale
Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift. The foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind.
5.5 - 7.5
18 - 25
47 - 54
41 - 47
Severe Gale
High waves. Dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind. Crests of waves begin to topple, tumble and roll over. Spray may affect visibility.
7 - 10
23 - 32
55 - 63
48 - 55
Storm
Very high waves with long over-hanging crests. The resulting foam, in great patches, is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of the wind. On the whole the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance. The 'tumbling' of the sea becomes heavy and shock-like. Visibility affected.
9 - 12.5
29 - 41
64 - 72
56 - 63
Violent Storm
Exceptionally high waves (small and medium-size ships might be for a time lost to view behind the waves). The sea is completely covered with long white patches of foam lying along the direction of the wind. Everywhere the edges of the wave crests are blown into froth. Visibility affected.
11.5 - 16
37 - 52
73 - 83
64 - 71
Hurricane
The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving spray; visibility very seriously affected.
14 - (-)
45 - (-)
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