The ability to understand the weather is essential, regardless of where or how you live. It doesn’t matter if you’re cozy in a penthouse apartment or tending the fire of your remote cottage — the weather has a significant impact on your life.
Weather doesn’t discriminate, and it includes a vast spectrum of possibilities both positive and negative. The best we can do is to understand the signs and signals that indicate how the weather might behave.
Many of us know the basics, but we’re not equipped with a nuanced understanding of the weather and how it works. The best way to start learning is to pick up a book on the subject.
We’ve got six of the best books about the weather for readers of all levels, ranked by difficulty, from lowest to highest. One of the options below is sure to help you beef up your weather knowledge.
Let’s take a look.
Check Amazon- Book for kids aged 2 to 5
- Great primer on the fundamentals of weather
- Hardcover with 50 pages of material and lots of colorful images
Check Amazon- Accessible yet complex dive into the world of weather
- Contains more scientific content
- 4.5-star rating on Amazon
Check Amazon- A little more scientific than The Secret World of Weather, yet still non-technical
- Looks at individual weather formations
- Over 550 pages of content
Check Amazon- A great introductory overview on the subject of weather
- Like a textbook but more accessible
- Over 400 pages of useful information
Check Amazon- Provides useful advice on how to react to different kinds of weather, including extreme weather
- Published by National Geographic
- Comprehensive, yet bite-sized knowledge
Check Amazon- Great book for adult readers
- Offers tips on how to resolve discrepancies between weather reports and your own observations
- A practical guide to understanding the weather
1. All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids by Huda Harajli MA
All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids by Huda Harajli MA is a book for kids aged two to five, detailing the basics of weather. This is for someone who’s just learning about storms, sunshine, rain, floods, and all of the other fundamentals.
These fundamentals are very important to learn early, though. This book is a perfect primer for you and your child to use as they start to understand the natural world.
Although this is a children’s book, it still contains 50 pages of material. It’s also hard-covered and packed with colorful images for children to marvel at.
While 95% of reviews for this book were positive, for the most part, the remaining 5% thought that the material was too difficult for small children.
Pros and Cons of All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids by Huda Harajli MA
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This is the perfect book to teach kids from two to five about weather. | Some reviewers said that the material was too difficult for the targeted reading group. |
| It covers all the weather basics, including sun, rain, storms, floods, and more. | |
| This hard-cover book is jam-packed with valuable information and colorful images. |
- Book for kids aged 2 to 5
- Great primer on the fundamentals of weather
- Hardcover with 50 pages of material and lots of colorful images
2. The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop by Tristan Gooley
The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop by Tristan Gooley is an accessible yet complex dive into the world of weather. This book explores the nuances of weather, looking at the gradients of change and how one formation leads to another.
Another theme in this book is the idea that weather shapes the environment and the environment shapes the weather. On top of scientific looks into how weather works, you’ll get a broader appreciation for the macro-effects of weather and what it means for our world.
The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop is 400 pages long, includes detailed scientific observations, and includes the occasional diagram or illustration to use as a reference. Plus, it has an 4.5-star rating on Amazon.
A couple of reviewers said that the book was “wordy,” with another saying, “Too much minutia without the larger context to place it all into any cohesive meaning.”
Pros and Cons of The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop by Tristan Gooley
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book explores the nuances of weather, examining the gradients of change and how one formation leads to another. | A couple of reviewers called the book “wordy.” |
| Another theme is that weather shapes the environment and that environment shapes the weather. | Another said that there was, “”Too much minutia without the larger context to place it all into any cohesive meaning.” |
| This book is 400 pages long, includes detailed scientific observations, and includes a few diagrams and illustrations for reference. |
- Accessible yet complex dive into the world of weather
- Contains more scientific content
- 4.5-star rating on Amazon
3. Peterson Field Guide to Weather by Jay Anderson, John A. Day, Jay M. Pasachoff
The Peterson Field Guide to Weather by Jay Anderson, John A. Day, Jay M. Pasachoff is a non-technical book that explores the minutia of weather, only to zoom out and explain the factors that allow particular weather formations to occur.
This is a little more scientific and less abstract than The Secret World of Weather, so it’s geared toward the more rigorous reader. This field guide is a great tool to bring along while you’re on a hike or a trip where you’ll encounter various types of weather.
The idea is to notice something, look it up in the book, then have a deeper understanding of it. The book is not, as the name could imply, a survival tool or a resource for emergency weather situations.
Severe weather formations are included in the book, but they’re not accompanied by thorough plans of action. In total, Peterson Field Guide to Weather reaches 552 pages and covers the majority of issues that the reader will encounter in the wild.
There are no negative reviews for this title.
Pros and Cons of the Peterson Field Guide to Weather by Jay Anderson, John A. Day, Jay M. Pasachoff
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This is a non-technical book that explores the minutia of a weather phenomenon then zooms out and explains what allowed that particular formation to occur. | None |
| This book is geared toward the more rigorous reader and is more scientific and less abstract than The Secret World of Weather. | |
| The book is designed to be carried along on trips, such as hiking or camping, so you can look up phenomenon as they occur and have a better understanding of them. | |
| This book is not intended to be a survival guide or resource for emergency weather conditions. | |
| While the book does discuss severe weather formations, they’re not accompanied by thorough plans of action. | |
| The book contains 552 pages and covers the majority of weather conditions you may encounter in the wild. |
- A little more scientific than The Secret World of Weather, yet still non-technical
- Looks at individual weather formations
- Over 550 pages of content
4. Weather for Dummies by John D. Cox
Weather for Dummies by John D. Cox is one in a long line of books for “Dummies.” These books are great introductions to any subject, and they get about as deep as the average reader will want them to.
Expect something close to a textbook, except that it won’t have a lot of information that you’re not interested in. You’ll get a thorough look at weather systems, forecasting, climate, and more. It will get scientific at times, but the majority of the book will be digestible to anyone who’s unfamiliar with the processes of weather.
You’ll get 408 pages of useful pieces of information such as how light plays tricks on our eyes to produce rainbows, how meteorologists create forecasts, and a whole lot more.
With a 4.6 positive rating, there were only two negative reviews. One said that it was “very American” and had “too much math.” The other said that that didn’t appreciate the typical “for Dummies” style, which, according to them, includes “too much not-funny, childish additional irrelevant commentary on every page.”
Pros and Cons of Weather for Dummies by John D. Cox
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This title is like a textbook on weather without a lot of the information that you’re not interested in. | One reviewer said that it was “very American” and had “too much math.” |
| The book provides an in-depth view of weather systems, forecasting, climate, and more. | Another reviewer said that that didn’t appreciate the typical “for Dummies” style, which, according to them, includes “too much not-funny, childish additional irrelevant commentary on every page.” |
| It is scientific at times, but the majority of the book will be accessible to anyone who wants to understand how weather “works.” | |
| The book contains 408 pages of useful info such as how light plays tricks on our eyes to create rainbows, how meteorologists create forecasts, and more. |
- A great introductory overview on the subject of weather
- Like a textbook but more accessible
- Over 400 pages of useful information
5. National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Weather of North America by Jack Williams
National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Weather of North America by Jack Williams includes roughly 150 different types of weather and gives the reader tips on how to react when that weather is present.
That means you’ll get some insights into what one should do in extreme weather. You’ll also develop a clear understanding of how formations occur, what they mean for the environment, and more.
This is the sort of book that’s good to keep along with you in a hiking backpack in case you start to see some dark clouds brewing in the distance and want to know if you’re safe.
This is definitely a reference guide that gets right to the point. It’s 180 pages long, and most of those pages are dedicated to the key bullets of specific weather formations. Get this book for comprehensive, yet bite-sized knowledge.
A couple of reviewers said that the print was too small.
National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Weather of North America by Jack Williams
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book covers 150 different types of weather and provides tips on how one should behave during those weather conditions. | A couple of reviewers said that the print was too small. |
| It also explains how formation occur, what they mean for the environment, and more. | |
| This guide is ideal to take in your backpack so you can refer to it if you see a particular type of weather brewing and want to know whether you’re safe. | |
| This reference guide is 180 pages long, most of which are dedicated to key bullets of specific weather formations. |
- Provides useful advice on how to react to different kinds of weather, including extreme weather
- Published by National Geographic
- Comprehensive, yet bite-sized knowledge
6. The Weather Handbook: The Essential Guide to How Weather is Formed and Develops by Alan Watts
The Weather Handbook: The Essential Guide to How Weather is Formed and Develops by Alan Watts is a must-have for any adult who spends a significant amount of time in nature. You’ll get all of the underpinnings that the previous books included alongside deep insights into how to “read” the weather and interpret it.
Primarily, the book is a reference guide that steers you in the right direction when it comes to weather. It offers tips on mitigating weather reports with the things you’re seeing with your own two eyes, then gives you ideas on how to respond.
If you read this book, you will have a practical understanding of how to read and respond to the weather. It’s available in paperback and Kindle formats, is 160 pages long, and was called “the perfect introduction to understanding weather” by Practical Boat Owner.
There were no critical reviews for this title.
Pros and Cons of The Weather Handbook: The Essential Guide to How Weather is Formed and Develops by Alan Watts
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This guide is a “must have” for any adult who spends a lot of time in nature. | None |
| You’ll learn everything offered in previous titles as well as deep insights into reading and interpreting the weather. | |
| It helps you to combine information from weather reports with what you’re seeing with your own eyes, then gives you ideas on how to respond appropriately. | |
| It’s available in paperback and Kindle formats and is 160 pages long. |
- Great book for adult readers
- Offers tips on how to resolve discrepancies between weather reports and your own observations
- A practical guide to understanding the weather
Which Is the Right Weather Book for Me?
If you’re just curious about the weather and how it works, we recommend books two through five. All four of those texts will give you a deeper understanding of the weather, and a few of them can be used as references while you’re traveling or simply experiencing new climates.
The All About Weather book, of course, is for children who are just learning about the wide world of weather.
People who are looking for a practical guide to help them in the real world should look to The Weather Handbook, as it’s a more comprehensive examination of weather and what to do when it arises.
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