Authors of the storm : meteorologists and the culture of prediction

Whether it is used as an icebreaker in conversation or as the subject of serious inquiry, “the weather” is one of the few subjects that everyone talks about. And though we recognize the faces that bring us the weather on television, how government meteorologists and forecasters go about their jobs is rarely scrutinized. Given recent weather-related disasters, it’s time we find out more. In __Authors of the Storm,__ Gary Alan Fine offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather. Based on field observation and interviews at the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the National Weather Service in Washington, D.C., and a handful of midwestern outlets, Fine finds a supremely hard-working, insular clique of professionals who often refer to themselves as a “band of brothers.” In Fine’s skilled hands, we learn their lingo, how they “read” weather conditions, how forecasts are written, and, of course, how those messages are conveyed to the public. Weather forecasts, he shows, are often shaped as much by social and cultural factors inside local offices as they are by approaching cumulus clouds. By opening up this unique world to us, __Authors of the Storm__ offers a valuable and fascinating glimpse of a crucial profession. This volume offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather. Based on field observation and interviews, the author describes a hard-working, insular clique of professionals who often refer to themselves as a "band of brothers." Readers learn their lingo, how they "read" weather conditions, how forecasts are written, and how those messages are conveyed to the public. Weather forecasts, the author maintains, are often shaped as much by social and cultural factors inside local offices as they are by approaching cumulus clouds. "Whether it is used as an icebreaker in conversation or as the subject of serious inquiry, "the weather" is one of the few subjects that everyone talks about. And though we recognize the faces that bring us the weather on television, how government meteorologists and forecasters get about their jobs is rarely scrutinized. Given recent weather related disasters, it's time we find out more. In Authors of the Storm, Gary Alan Fine offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather."--Jacket Offers an inside look at how meteorologists and forecasters predict the weather. Through field observation and interviews, this work shows that weather forecasts are often shaped as much by social and cultural factors inside local offices as they are by approaching cumulus clouds. Contents 8 Preface 10 Introduction 14 1 On the Floor 32 2 A Cult of “Science” 70 3 Futurework 112 4 Writing on the Winds 148 5 Ground Truth 186 6 A Public Science 222 7 Weather Wise 250 Notes 264 Index 300