New England Weather, New England Climate

New Englanders talk as much about their weather as about all other subjects combined. Anyone who's scampered for shelter during a summer shower or shoveled a path through snow in May knows that bending to the weather's whims is a way of life in New England. But what do you actually know about New England's weather or climate?

Combining a scholarly appreciation of weather systems and events with an ability to transmit their passion to a general audience, Gregory A. Zielinski and Barry D. Keim have written a one-of-a-kind guide to New England weather and climate. Not only are weather patterns in New England more changeable and more extreme than almost anywhere in the country, New England is the ultimate destination of nearly all storm tracks nationwide. Recently, newsworthy items such as global warming, El Nino, and La Nina have significantly impacted our local weather, in both the short and long term. Luckily, the science of meteorology and climatology and their tools of observation and analysis have made great strides in the past few years.

The authors offer an in-depth explanation of the latest theoretical insights into New England's weather along with a flurry of stories and lore about the vagaries of our clime. The book is divided into the seasons as we actually experience them--ski season, mud season, beach and lake season, and foliage season. It includes photos and illustrations: some all too familiar, many hard to believe. Zielinski and Keim succeed in providing an illuminating and entertaining analysis and commentary while whole-heartedly embracing our region's atmospheric peculiarities. This book won't do anything about New England's weather or climate but it will help you understand each of them.

GREGORY A. ZIELINSKI is a research associate professor in the Institute for Quaternary and Climate Studies at the University of Maine. During the last ten years he has authored over forty articles including the cover story for the January 2002 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. He has taught courses on New England weather and climate and is the Maine State Climatologist. BARRY D. KEIM is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and is a member of the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. He has co-authored an atlas of extreme rainfall for the south-central United States and New England's Changing Climate, Weather and Air Quality. Keim also serves as the New Hampshire State Climatologist.