The California Sky Watcher

William A. Selby is an earth science researcher and teacher. A former professor at Santa Monica College, where he taught for three decades, Selby is the author of the popular textbook Rediscovering the Golden State: California Geography, whose fourth edition was published in 2019. He has conducted research on behalf of the National Weather Service, and he continues to present at professional conferences and lead teacher trainings and docent workshops. His academic and practical expertise within California’s myriad landscapes make him an invaluable guide to the developments that are changing California’s climate in the twenty-first century. He lives in Santa Monica, CA.

INTRODUCTION: Connecting to our Atmosphere


CHAPTER ONE: Summer’s Stable Drought




When High Pressure Controls our Weather
Power of the Gyre
Marine Layer Madness
Blocking the Sea Breeze
Baseball Weather...or Not
The Marine Layer Owns Us
Pushing into Hotter Inland Valleys
Harnessing the Wind
Worlds away from the Ocean
Moving On Up
Thunder and Turbulence Interrupts Summer’s Tranquility
Shocking Thunderstorm Science
When the Tropics Invade California
Washoe Zephyr Wind Mysteries and Legends
Falling out of Summer and into the Arms of Autumn


CHAPTER TWO: Autumn’s Windy Metamorphoses 




How does Air Pressure Command our Winds and Weather?
Looking for Signs of Change
Pressure and Wind Patterns Reverse
Clearing the Great Barriers, Heading for the Coast
Blasting into the Southland
Celebrating Autumn, Preparing for Winter
A Time to Burn
Wind beneath their Wings: Using Meteorological Skills to Survive Challenging 
Times
Changing Weather Patterns Shape Moods and Holiday Traditions
Signpost Clouds: Harbingers of Seasonal Change
Night Moves Reveal Nocturnal and Seasonal Moods
Blazing a Jet Trail
Will Beauty or Beast bring the Season’s First Quenching Rains?


CHAPTER THREE: Winter’s Nourishing Turbulence




Winter’s Storm Door Opens to End the Endless Summer
Made for and by the Rain
Ocean Cycles Change Weather and Climate
Moving to the Dry Side
Life Cycles of California Storms
Optical Phenomena May Help Us Anticipate Weather Changes
Following our Winter Storms as They Hit the Slopes
Winter’s Cold and Fog Settle into Inland Valleys
Winter’s Storms Finally Meet our Highest and Largest Walls
Averting the Deadliest Natural Disaster in California History
Farther East, Stuck in the Rain Shadow Again
Winter Storms Arrive in Southern California
Every Storm makes Magic in our Climate of Change
Springing and Singing into Spring


CHAPTER FOUR: Spring’s Bright Reawakening




Resurgence Begins in Baja
Spring Advances into Transmontane California
Desert Spring Migrates North and Uphill
Seasonal Fits and Starts Power Energetic Winds
Spring Fever Chases Retreating Snow Lines
Following Spring in Coastal California
Coastal Currents and Eddies Churn Things Up
Plunging North into our Weather-making California Current
Making Waves
Restless Wind Takes Control Again
Iconic Plants Signal Mild Coastal Climates
Spring Spreads into Inland Valleys
What is Earthquake Weather?
Following Spring and its Water into the High Country
Runoff Timing is Everything
How to Make it Rain or Snow
Ending our Journey, but the Show Must Go On


CHAPTER FIVE: Demystifying Weather Forecasting and Climate Change




And Now, Here’s My Forecast
A Brief History of Weather Forecasting in California
Weather Forecasting in the 21st Century
Interpreting the Forecast
The Science of Climate Change in California
What are the Natural Causes of Climate Change?
What are the Main Causes of Climate Change Today?
Anticipating the Future
How is Climate Change Affecting California?
California’s Landscapes and People React and Adapt to Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation


EPILOGUE


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


APPENDIX: California’s Diverse Climates in Maps and Graphs


BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sources and Recommendations for Further Reading


ABOUT THE AUTHOR