How Can I Tell If A Cloud Will Bring Rain?
Is it going to rain? What a popular question. The key to longer-term forecasts lies in studying changes in clouds and fronts over hours, but…
Tag: weather-reading
How to Forecast Weather with Contrails
Below is a short excerpt from the book, The Secret World of Weather, on how contrails can be used to predict changes in weather Contrails…
How to Tell If You Are Looking at a Storm Cloud
If we see clouds growing taller, it is a sign that showers and storms are more likely than days when the clouds are flat and…
BUMPER HOLIDAYS PUZZLE
Here is a bumper photo puzzle that went out in my newsletter email earlier this month (you can sign up for that at the bottom…
The Temperature Rises Before Snow Arrives
The temperature often rises just before it snows, but why? When it is very cold in winter, we instinctively feel that snow is likely. It…
What do Scientists Read on Holiday?
Dear Mr. Gooley,I have stumbled upon your book on the secret world of weather in a small bookstore in Flagstaff, Arizona on a road trip.…
Dew Maps the Cold Pockets
Dew shows us the places that remain cold even after the rest of the landscape has warmed up. On sunny days in autumn it is…
What are Lens Clouds? (Altocumulus lenticularis)
Lens clouds are saucer, lens or lentil-shaped clouds that form when wind blows moist air over mountains. Their formal name is Altocumulus lenticularis (lenticula means…
EasyJet Calms Orographic Storms
My thanks to all the team at the Mosto Festival in Italy for organising such a fun event based around the theme of water. I…
Why is visibility so good in the mountains?
Many visitors to cold mountains are struck by the amazing visibility. The visibility is so good that it can trick the brain into thinking things…
Three Generations of Nature Readers
My thanks to Kareem Dieng and his family for reading my books. That’s Kareem with The Secret World of Weather, ‘Pops’ reading Lost Art of…
Saharan Dust Moon Halo
There was a 22 Degree halo around the moon a couple of nights ago. This is a sign of cirrostratus, a high veil of icy…
How to Beat the Wind
I’ve been faced with an interesting weather challenge recently. I needed to take a sail off my boat for maintenance. This is something I can…
What is a Frost Hollow?
A frost hollow is a local low point in a landscape where cold dense air collects overnight. It is also known as a ‘frost pocket’.…
Dew: A Sign of a Clear Skies
There are many signs within dew, but the simplest one is that you are most likely to see it after clear and cloudless skies overnight.…
Two Cloud Signs Showing Rain Likely Soon
There are two strong cloud signs in this picture showing that rain is likely soon. A heavy downpour started 20 minutes after this photos was…
The Lost Material – Some Thoughts on Writing
Some sentences are blessed. They leap onto the page, flick their hair and then go through editing life without a care. Months later they bounce…
The First Review is In!
The first review of The Secret World of Weather is in and it’s a fun one. It’s in the Times today. “Gooley marshals a riveting…
More Beautiful Sun Dogs
My thanks again to Alan Gibson for sending over some great images. These are sun dogs or parhelia and parts of a “22 degree halo”.…