Weather & Climate
• Instructor: Jan Null, CCM
• Spring 2016
• Mon 18:00 – 21:00
• Duncan Hall 515
COURSE WEB SITE: http://ggweather.com/met10/
[NO Canvas]
SYLLABUS ON CLASS WEBSITE

Meteorology 10
• The one science we deal with every day
• Impacts on all aspects of our society
• Topics
– Fundamentals of the atmosphere
– Storms, Tornadoes, Hurricanes
– El Niño, La Niña
– Climate Change
• No Prior Knowledge of Math or Meteorology
• But this is a SCIENCE class!!!

CCM
• BS Atmospheric Science, UC Davis, 1974
• MA Geography (Climate), SJ State, 1992
• National Weather Service 1974-1997
• Lecturer / Adjunct Professor of Meteorology – SFSU
1987-2014, SJSU 2014-present
• Golden Gate Weather Services since 1998
– Forensic Meteorology
– Consulting (Engineering, 500+ TV Interviews)
– Forecasting (PG&E, wineries)
– Research areas (El Nino, Hyperthermia)
– Projects (AMNH, BASOC, SFPUC)

Meteorology 10
• TEXTBOOK - OPTIONAL
– Essentials of Meteorology , C.D. Ahrens, 7th ed. (5 th or 6 th okay)
• Optional
– Rental
–or Check Amazon or half.com
–or http://www.ichapters.com
–or Copy in Reserve Book Room

Course Plan
• Mostly Lecture based
– Fast Paced – LOTS OF MATERIAL
– Supplemented
• by Ahrens’ text
• by web material
• by other AV material
• All PowerPoints will be posted to class website after class.
– Especially important concept or information marked with

Tentative Course Plan
• Homework/Classwork
– (200 pts)
• Tests: All Multiple Choice
– 2 midterms (100 pts each)
– Final (200 pts)
• Term Paper (200 pts)
– 6 - 10 pages
TOTAL 800 POINTS
• Extra Credit Term Paper (100 Pts)
• Other extra credit options

Course Plan
• Grading
– 90% = A- , 80% B-, etc.
– Adjusted curve
• Integrity
DO NOT PLAGARIZE !
Zero Tolerance Policy!

House Rules
• Common Courtesy Please
– Cell phones
• “Silent” or OFF
• If you HAVE to take a call go outside
– Please NO texting !!
– If you take notes w/ a computer please sit in the back or along sides of the classroom

My Contact Info
• Office Hours
– DH 618
– Mon 17:00 – 17:45 or by appointment
– Contact Info
– Golden Gate Weather Services:
• Ofc: 408-379-7500
• jan.null@sjsu.edu {Preferred}
– Please put Met 10 in Subject line
@ggweather

Name ?
Major?
• Where do you get your weather info?
• App? Which one?
• Web? Site?
• TV? Who or what?
• Why are you taking this course?
• What is your most memorable weather event?

Groundhog Day
• Ancient Celtic celebration called Imbolog.
• Agrarian society celebrated midpoint: winter solstice and the spring equinox.
• Superstition from if fair weather on
Imbolog, the second half of the winter would be cold and stormy

Groundhog Day
• Christian times, Feb. 2 was celebrated as
Candlemas
• Scots said, ``If Candlemas be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year'‘
• English said, ``If Candlemas be sunny and warm, ye may mend your mittens and look for a storm.'‘

Groundhog Day
• Romans learned the tradition from the Celts
• Brought it to the area that became Germany.
• German immigrants brought beliefs to
Pennsylvania
• Tradition became centered on the woodchuck, or groundhog.

Groundhog Day

… do we accept weather predictions from a rodent, but deny climate change evidence from scientists.

Groundhog Day

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Weather vs. Climate
• What is Weather?
– What is Going on in the Atmosphere Now
• What is Climate?
– Weather History
– "Climate is what you expect,
Weather is what you get". ~ R. Heinlein

What do we measure?
° Temperature
° Precipitation
° Rain
° Snow
° Winds
° Humidity
° Pressure
° Cloud Cover
° Visibility

Weather Extremes
Maximum Temperature
• What’s the hottest you have experienced?
• World / United States 134 ° Death Valley
• California 134 ° Death Valley
• San Jose 109 °
• San Francisco 103 °
• How many times has SF reached 100 ° ?

Weather Extremes
Minimum Temperature
• World -129 ° Antarctica
• United States -80 ° Prospect Creek, AK
• California -45 ° Boca Reservoir
• San Jose 18 °
• San Francisco +27 °
How many times has SF had freezing temperatures?

Weather Extremes
Humidity
• Which of these cities has the highest annual average afternoon Relative Humidity
(RH)?
A. Honolulu
B. Miami
C. Atlanta
D. San Francisco

Weather Extremes
Humidity
• Which city has the highest annual average afternoon Relative Humidity?
A. Honolulu (56%)
B. Miami (61%)
C. Atlanta (56%)
D. San Francisco (62%)
Why this apparent contradiction?

Weather Extremes
Rainfall
• 1 Hour Maximum
• World - 15.78” Shangdu, China
• United States - 12” Holt, MO (~42 minutes)
• California - 4.70” Palomar
• San Francisco - 1.92”

Weather Extremes
Rainfall
•24 Hour Maximum
• World 73.62” La Reunion Island
• United States 43.00” Alvin, TX
• California 26.12” Hoegees Camp
• San Francisco 6.19”
• San Jose 4.32”

Weather Extremes
Rainfall
• 1 Year Maximum
• World 1042” Cherrapunji, India
• United States 704” Kukui, Hawaii
• California 257.9” Camp 9
• San Francisco 49.27”
• San Jose 30.25”

“Average” Weather
• What is average?
• What is normal?
• Defined as the 30-year average
• Updated each decade
• Currently: 1981-2010

Weather Extremes
Highest Normal Annual Rainfall
• World 523” Lloro, Columbia
• United States 460” Mt. Waialeale, HI
• California 104.2” Honeydew
• San Francisco 23.65”
• San Jose 14.90”

Weather Extremes
Snow
• Have You Ever Seen Snow? In San Francisco?
In San Jose?
• 1 Year Maximum
• World 1140” Mt. Baker, WA
• California 884” Tamarack, CA
• San Francisco 3.7” (1884)
• San Jose 1” (1932)

Weather Extremes
Measuring Wind
• What parameters?
• Speed
• Sustained (2 min. average)
• Gusts (1-3 sec. peak)
• Direction

Weather Extremes
Maximum Wind Gusts
• World – 253 mph – Barrow Island, Australia
• U.S. - 231 mph - Mt Washington, NH
• California – 176 mph Ward Peak (Alpine
Meadows)
• SFO – 78 mph
• Angel Island 103 mph

Weather Extremes
Maximum Sustained Wind
• 190 mph sustained (Typhoon Tip )
Tornadoes (F5)
• ~ 300 mph

Weather Extremes
Are the genesis of
• Lightning (and Thunder)
• Hail
• Downbursts
• Tornadoes
• Hurricanes

Weather Extremes
United States (World) Largest Hail Record
• July 23, 2010 – Vivian, SD
• 8” diameter, 18.5” circumference, 1.9 lbs.
World Heaviest
Hail Record
• 2.25 pounds –
Bangladesh

Weather Basics
• Air is a Fluid
• Warm Air Rises
• Air Flows from High to Low Pressure
• Differential Heating drives the weather
• Rising Air Cools by Expansion… and Cooling causes Condensation to occur
• Sinking Air Warms by Compression and Warming causes evaporation to occur

Homework #1 (10 pts)
Due via Email before class next Mon, Feb 8
Send email to jan.null@sjsu.edu with a Subject
line of Met10 and the preferred email address you would like to use for class communications.
1. Include:
Name:
Preferred Email address:
Major:
Class level:

Homework #1 (continued)
2. Other meteorology classes taken?
3. Why are you taking this class?
4. Where do you get your weather information?
- Which App(s) or Internet weather site(s) do you use?
- If TV, who do you watch most?
- What TV “meteorologist” do you like the best? Why?

Homework #1 (continued)
5. What is the most memorable weather event in your life?
6. What particular topic(s) would you like covered in this course?
7. Name one song title that has a weather element in the title or a main part of the lyrics!
8. Optional: Add a selfie!

• Monday, Feb 8
• El Niño/La Niña
• Earth’s Atmosphere
• Geog. 101