This book describes all of the basic weather maps used used in contemporary operational weather forecasting. It is written for the non-meteorologist as well as for the meteorologist. The chapters are written in an easy-to-read format and embody explanations of meteorological principles and processes throughout the text. The final few chapters cover advanced topics in the science and are included for the reader who is also interested in new "cutting edge" topics in meteorology.

The book can also be used as a text in meteorology. If the reader starts with chapter one and progresses numerically through each chapter, he / she will find that some chapters build on material presented in previous chapters. Thus, by using weather maps as the means to study meteorology, the science comes alive and remains exciting, especially if you have access to daily weather maps and use them with this book to learn more about the weather.

This book is also a handy reference for professional meteorologists and other weather enthusiasts on how to read and interpret the most commonly-used weather maps.