As a native Seattleite, I’ve been blessed my entire life with our four seasons, umpteen varieties of rain, and countless beautiful days (no matter what kind of weather we’re having). Recently someone asked me about a particular bit of weather lore, and this led me on a quest to find out more not just about our weather, but about our particular ecosystem here in the Pacific Northwest. Here are some of my finds.
Trees of Seattle by Arthur Lee Jacobson
We have an amazing variety of trees here in Seattle; look around, especially in the fall or spring when trees are in leaf or showing off their branches. Jacobson’s book (in two editions) provides an excellent field guide to trees all around the city, with notable examples given special mention.
The Street-Smart Naturalist by David B. Williams
This book is by and for the all-around naturalist. Williams returned to Seattle after his health forced him to leave Utah; his return prompted him to find out more about his native place, and so he writes chapters about our eagle, goose, crow and insect populations, our trees and plants, and even our water and stone. Human history often figures in to his investigations, giving a deep view of our place here.
Pacific Northwest Weather: But My Barometer Says Fair! by George R. Miller
This is the science book for weather watchers, but even if you aren’t an armchair meteorologist, you will learn everything from the fundamentals of meteorology to the particulars of Chinook winds and local tornadoes.
Rains All the Time: A connoisseur’s History of Weather in the Pacific Northwest by David Laskin
Laskin is a transplant who writes about the history of weather around here, touching on Native American myths about the seasons and notes from the Lewis and Clark Expedition to show how our weather has been affecting us all these years. Along with a general explanation of phenomena, he delves into each season with notes from his own weather journals.
Somewhere I Was Right: Why Northwest Weather Is So Unpredictable by Steve Pool and Scott Sistek
A longtime local favorite when it comes to weathermen, Steve Pool’s conversational style brings insight and humor to all our weather conditions. His explanations of wind and rain patterns, especially that nasty Convergence Zone we see every winter, are clearer than a July day in Seattle.
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