Living in Kansas, we are used to a wide range of weather changing with our four distinguishable seasons. Summer is full of hot days, plenty of sun, and occasional rain and storms. Fall sees warm temperatures cooling down with rain, sun, and the occasional snow during the later part of the season. Temperatures become cold in winter with some moderately cool days mixed with other days of extreme wind chills. We might experience rain and sun, but also have the danger of snowstorms, snow showers, ice, sleet, and freezing rain that can wreak havoc. Then comes spring, the season of intense storms bringing the threat of torrential rains, hail, and tornadoes, as well as the temperature roller coaster.
Most likely, you've heard stories about the weather in Kansas and how different Kansans react to it, such as the front porch storm watchers when major storms roll in and tornadoes are predicted. Maybe you've heard of a street being split down the middle with rain on one side and no rain and bright sunshine on the other that never ends up getting the rain. There's also the stories from adults of when they were kids occasionally having to go trick-or-treat in snow and a winter coat. Many Kansans will say they've been taught how to recognize storm clouds, wall clouds, and funnel clouds since they were a child. Kansans love their weather stories and to talk about how weather patterns are changing.
But talking about the weather and climate isn't only a Kansas pastime. Other people from around the U.S. and in other countries find weather and climate just as fascinating and like to share their own stories. We've found some weather and climate related books in our collection that relay stories of past weather events, anecdotal experiences, meteorological insight, and climate concerns. Make one of these your next read this fall.
DB118644 Wait five minutes: weatherlore in the twenty-first century by Shelley Ingram
"The weather governs our lives. It fills gaps in conversations, determines our dress, and influences our architecture. No matter how much our lives may have moved indoors, no matter how much we may rely on technology, we still monitor the weather. Wait Five Minutes: Weatherlore in the Twenty-First Century draws from folkloric, literary, and scientific theory to offer up new ways of thinking about this most ancient of phenomena. Weatherlore is a concept that describes the folk beliefs and traditions about the weather that are passed down casually among groups of people. Weatherlore can be predictive, such as the belief that more black than brown fuzz on a woolly bear caterpillar signals a harsh winter. It can be the familiar commentary that eases daily social interactions, such as asking, "Is it hot (or cold) enough for you?" Other times, it is simply ubiquitous: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change." From detailing personal experiences at picnics and suburban lawns to critically analyzing storm stories, novels, and flood legends, contributors offer engaging multidisciplinary perspectives on weatherlore. As we move further into the twenty-first century, an increasing awareness of climate change and its impacts on daily life calls for a folkloristic reckoning with the weather and a rising need to examine vernacular understandings of weather and climate. Weatherlore helps us understand and shape global political conversations about climate change and biopolitics at the same time that it influences individual, group, and regional lives and identities. We use weather, and thus its folklore, to make meaning of ourselves, our groups, and, quite literally, our world." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook.
DB130668 Cloud warriors: deadly storms, climate chaosand the pioneers creating a revolution in weather forecasting by Thomas E. Weber
For millennia, humans have tried to understand and predict the weather. The Space Age helped usher in satellites and radar, while computers made it possible to plug all that data into complex equations that anticipated the atmosphere's future behavior. Now a new age of advances in forecasting is unfolding, driven by AI, drones, and satellites. The Internet of Things has turned everything from cellphones to cars into ubiquitous weather sensors. Equally significant are new efforts to understand how people respond to forecasts and warnings. Scientists and government officials are realizing that how people get their weather information, and how they use it, are crucial factors in the outcome of a catastrophic weather event. Employing in-depth reporting on cutting edge science and technology, veteran journalist Thomas E. Weber takes us on a tour of how meteorologists, scientists, and officials track and prepare for major weather events. As climate change is altering our planet and making weather events more extreme, Weber introduces us to those on the front lines of weather preparation and prediction. We travel from coast-to-coast, to space and back, meeting TV meteorologists and storm chasers, city planners, backyard weatherman, and many others. Cloud Warriors will change the way you think about the weather--and the power of being able to see it coming. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DBC05312 How to find a good weather forecast by Tony Pann
This engaging and entertaining book takes a humorous, but detailed, look at one of the things we all take for granted every day: The Forecast.
DB 82316 Rain: a natural and cultural history by Cynthia Barnett
Journalist details the history of rain, from its beginnings approximately four billion years ago during Earth's infancy to its impact on life in the twenty-first century. Describes the geometry of the raindrop, technologies to control and direct rainfall, and rain's influence on the arts. 2015.
DB 76324 Global weirdness: severe storms, deadly heat waves, relentless drought, rising seas, and the weather of the future by Climate Central, Inc.
Nonprofit science and journalism organization compiles information regarding climate change as of the early twenty-first century. Details research and predictions for future trends, such as fewer but more powerful hurricanes. Provides solutions for limiting the impact of climate change. Commercial audiobook. 2012.
DB 31760 The Old Farmer's almanac book of weather lore: the fact and fancy behind weather predictions, superstitions, old-time sayings, and traditions by Edward F. Dolan
"Clear moon, frost soon." "Kill a beetle and it will rain." "Lighting never strikes twice in the same place." These statements belong to a centuries-old body of weather lore that ranges from pure superstition to reasonable accuracy. Dolen investigates fact or fallacy behind weather phenomena.
DB 72280 The weather of the future: heat waves, extreme storms, and other scenes from a climate-changed planet by Heidi Cullen
Climatologist discusses the art and science of long-term climate forecasting. Examines forty-year forecasts for seven locations that are physically vulnerable to climate change. Predicts that unless we actively work to reduce carbon emissions, weather conditions around the world will become unbearable. 2010.
DB 73506 Into the storm: violent tornadoes, killer hurricanes, and death-defying adventures in extreme weather by Reed Timmer
Meteorology doctoral candidate and star of Discovery Channel's reality TV series Storm Chasers discusses his love of dangerous weather--especially tornadoes; his career as a storm chaser; and the science behind severe conditions. Describes his adventures during such hurricanes as Katrina, Floyd, Ike, and others. 2010.
Find more weather-related books using the Kansas Talking Books online catalog at https://kstb.klas.com/. Some possible search terms include:
- storms nonfiction
- tornado nonfiction
- hurricane nonfiction
- weather nonfiction
Or, you can contact the office for help from a readers' advisor to find more weather-related books by calling 1-800-362-0699 or emailing KTB@ks.gov.
These books are all available for immediate download using BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled making almost our entire collection available to you at anytime of day with no due dates, no expiration dates, and no waiting. BARD can be accessed on various devices such as smartphone, tablet, the new DA2 digital player, Windows computer, or just using a web browser on a Mac computer. To learn more, visit our BARD Resources webpage. If you would like an account, contact the office to get an account started.