Weather
This site is provided as a means of communications with the USPS National Marine Environment Committee (MEnvCom). We welcome your questions and comments on our modules, Learning Guides, and associated materials.
R/C
Robert E. Brandenstein, SN
Stf/C Garry S. Schroeder, SN
Topics
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News
Weather 2004 Update Sheet
A column for Barometer Tendency is incorrectly completed and a clarification has been added to the Wind and Pressure section in the Weather 2004 Supplement Manual. See the Downloadable Material section for these corrections. (10 May 07)
Boat U.S. Hurricane Resource Center
Boat owners from Maine to Texas have reason to become edgy in the late summer
and fall: Each year, on average, two hurricanes will come ashore somewhere
along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, destroying homes, sinking boats, and turning
people’s lives topsy turvy for weeks, or even months. This year, who
knows? Florida is struck most often, but every coastal state is a potential
target.
Experts predict that in the next 20 years there will be much more hurricane
activity than has been seen in the past 20 years. Experts also fear that
after a number of storm-free years, people in some of the vulnerable areas
will be less wary of a storm’s potential fury. But to residents of
Charleston, South Carolina, crippled by Hugo in 1989, and people in Dade
County, Florida, ravaged by Andrew in 1993, the hurricane threat won’t
soon be forgotten.
Click on http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/brochure.asp for
more information. (16 Aug 06)
Weather 2002 CD Slides Update
Six slides have been corrected in accordance with suggestions made by Bill Woodward, SEO of Beaufort Sail and Power Squadron. See the Downloadable Material section for these corrections. (17 Mar 06)
Weather Course Description
The Weather course will furnish basic weather knowledge for safer and more enjoyable boating. The student will learn to make weather predictions based upon observations of the sky, upon barometer and wind information, as well as weather data provided by maps, satellite images, and radio and TV broadcasts. Wx 101 and Wx 102 use a USPS supplement manual together with The Weather Book from USA Today (second edition, 1997) as the textbook.
Wx 101 - Basic Weather - topics include:
- Effects of Heat and Cold
- Wind and Pressure
- Storms and Fronts
- Rain, Humidity and Fog
- Floods, Droughts, and Winter Precipitation
Wx 102 - Advanced Weather - topics include:
- Thunderstorms and Tornados
- Tropical Weather
- Atmosphere and Clouds
- Forecasting
- Climate
Downloadable Material
See the Educational Department Help page to obtain any needed free viewers or shareware zip programs for these files. See the PowerPoint Help page for information on how to replace slides.
Weather 2004 Supplemental Manual Update
An update sheet for the Weather 2004 Supplemental Manual is available in PDF format (49KB). A clarification has been added to Wx 101, Section 2: Wind and Pressure, page 10, Paragraph 16. Wx 102, Section 4: Forecasting, page 37, Figure 7 (Weather Log) shows a column for Barometer Tendency that is incorrectly completed. Use the Update Sheet to correct the information. (10 May 07)
Weather 2002 CD Slides Update
Six slides have been corrected in accordance with suggestions made by Bill Woodward, SEO of Beaufort Sail and Power Squadron. CD Update 1 is available as a PDF file (638KB). Individual PPT slides are available below: (17 Mar 06)
- wx_101-3_slide29.ppt (2964KB)
- wx_101-4_slide16.ppt (618KB)
- wx_101-4_slide32.ppt (213KB)
- wx_101-4_slide34.ppt (1890KB)
- wx_101-5_slide08.ppt (535KB)
- wx_102-2_slide13.ppt (297KB)
Weather 2002 Update Sheet 1
Weather 2002 Update Sheet 1 may be downloaded and used with any 2002 material already in squadron inventory. Download Wx 2002 Update 1 in PDF (13KB) format.
Clouds As PowerPoint Slides
These slides were created with PowerPoint 97. You will need Microsoft PowerPoint or its free viewer to view or print these slides. You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view/print the accompanying notes. A compressed file containing all the slide images in JPEG format for faster downloads is also listed. Depending on your computer software, download the appropriate file to a folder on your hard drive and follow the instructions from the download site. Use your browser's "Save as" or "Save Target as" function (usually the right mouse button) to download the files to a directory/folder on your computer.
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Clouds PowerPoint Slides - This is a large (3.8Mb) file in PowerPoint (PPT) format which will take a long time to download unless you have high speed Internet access.
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Clouds Slides in zipped JPEG format - All slides, compressed into a 1.2Mb zip file and providing a shorter download time, may be viewed/printed by any graphics program capable of reading JPEG format.
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Clouds Notes - A PDF (27KB) document containing notes to accompany the slides.
Weather Log
The following Weather Logs are for use in both the Cruise Planning and Weather courses.
- Weather Log in Acrobat format (PDF, 13KB)
- Weather Log in MS Excel format (XLS, 26KB)
Weather PowerPoint Slides
Slide shows of various weather phenomena for use by Weather course instructors and students. You will need Microsoft PowerPoint or its free viewer to view or print these slides. To download into a directory on your hard drive, right click on the file link and be sure to change the file name to something meaningful for you.
- Clouds ( 727KB)
- Floods (609KB)
- Hail (201KB)
- Miscellaneous (104KB)
- Thunderstorms and Tornados (1110KB)
- Weather Instruments (1475KB)
Frequently Asked Questions
Following are some questions that have been asked of the committee.
1. QUESTION: Is the Weather course in a modular or standard course format?
ANSWER: The course is modular, but sold as one package. The package includes The Weather Book (second edition, 1997, from USA Today), a USPS supplement manual, a cloud chart and weather maps for 1-3 October. The supplement manual includes the student material for Wx 101 and Wx 102, and the instructor material as well - all in one volume.
2. QUESTION: If there are two modules, are there also two exams?
ANSWER: Correct - there are separate exams for Wx 101 and Wx 102.
3. QUESTION: Are OHTs available for the Weather course?
ANSWER: We provided a CD with overheads to all squadrons. Each squadron educational officer received one CD for Weather course instruction. This CD has both USA Today graphics and other graphics on it, both as a PowerPoint file and as jpegs - organized to go with the modules. Our agreement with USA Today allows us to use their graphics, but not to put them where just anyone can get them; accordingly, we provide a limited version of the OHTs, without any USA Today graphics, on our web site.
Graphics from The Weather Book have been used with permission from USA Today. The USPS agreement with USA Today stipulates they will be used for teaching purposes only. Please respect this agreement.
Regional Weather Guides
The MEnvCom is looking for your help with the Regional Weather Learning Guides Project. We are soliciting contributions from all Members, Squadrons and Districts to complete this ambitious and worthwhile project. Districts and individual Squadrons are encouraged to “adopt” one of the guides and contribute your local expertise to the rest of USPS. We will also, of course, accept information from any individual contributors!
Introduction to Weather for Boaters, with examples from the Upper Mississippi River Basin (1936KB, PDF)—authored by Don Hansen, St Paul Squadron, D/10
Listed below are the 15 Regional Guides we would like to complete. Following the list is a suggested outline for the guides we would like everyone to use for consistency.
1. Northeast Atlantic Coast - (New England – Long Island Sound)
2. Northeast Interior (22KB, PDF) - (Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, Finger Lakes & Erie Canal)
Adopted by D/6--contact Harry Winberg, Utica Squadron, with comments and updates.
3. Middle Atlantic Coast (11KB, PDF) - (Long Island South Shore, New York Harbor and Approaches, New Jersey and Delaware coasts and Bays)
Barnegat Bay from Barnegat Twp to the Metedeconk River, including Barnegat Inlet, adopted by D/4--contact Warren Timm, Barnegat Bay Squadron, with comments and updates.
4. Chesapeake Bay
5. Southeast Atlantic Coast - (including North Florida)
6. South Florida and the Northern Bahamas - (east and west Florida coasts)
7. Eastern Caribbean
8. Gulf of Mexico
9. Southern California and Baja
10. Northwest Pacific Coast - (Northern California, Oregon/Washington and British Columbia)
Adopted by D/16—please contact Vern Redecker, Bellevue Squadron, with comments and updates.
11. Great Lakes (9KB, PDF) - (lakes may be grouped or done individually as appropriate – note overlap with Northeast Interior)
Western Lake Erie adopted by D/7—please contact Doug Sewell, Berea Squadron, with comments and updates. Writeups are needed for Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior.
12. Mississippi River Basin Waterways (784KB, PDF)
Adopted by D/10--please contact Don Hansen, St Paul Squadron, with comments and updates.
13. Inland Western Lakes
14. Alaska
15. Hawaii – South Pacific
Please contact the MEnvCom
chair to get involved!
Regional Weather Learning Guide Suggested Outline
I. Overview of local weather.
A. What seasons provide the best and/or worst boating?
II. Where does the weather come from?
III. What systems bring good and bad weather?
IV. What conditions precede these systems?
V. These systems bring what:
A. Winds
B. Precipitation
C. Visibilities
D. Clouds
E. Seas
VI. Currents.
VII. Tides.
VIII. Where to seek shelter during a storm?
IX. Sources of weather information.
Weather Course Reference Material
Material of use to Weather course students is listed here.
- Weather symbols used on weather maps
- Suggested reference book list, May 2000 (PDF) (128KB)
- More suggested books, September 2000 (PDF) (137KB)
Questions or Comments?
If you have any questions or comments about the Weather course, please contact the National Marine Environment Committee chairman by e-mail, phone or postal service mail. Please be sure to keep your SEO and/or DEO advised of any correspondence you may have with the National committee. Addresses for the National MEnvCom chairman are listed in The ENSIGN and on the Committee Chairpersons page.
We will try to answer your questions as soon as possible, but please allow 5 working days for an answer.
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