FOREWORD

Foreword by Dr. Ephraim M. Sparrow

James Kennedy's “How's the Weather” contains a remarkably complete collection of climate data which is unique in its point of view.

Although the depth and breadth of the data would delight a scholar, it is aimed at helping the vacationer and the general retiree choose a climate that is perfectly suited to complement the activities and lifestyle that are the planned goals of the vacation and/or the retirement.

I am especially pleased to see that the author has chosen to convey humidity information in terms of the dew point instead of the relative humidity.

For years, it had been customary to regard the relative humidity as a meaningful way to report how humid is the outdoor air. However, it is easily realized how flawed is the relative humidity for this purpose when note is taken of the fact that the exceedingly dry outdoor air during a cold Minnesota winter may have a relative humidity of approximately 80%.

PREFACE

his is a how-to book, to be used by anyone – vacationers, campers, families, retirees, travelers and business people – to estimate most favorable weather conditions at their destination site.

The book explains how a core group of historical climate variables (air temperature, dew point temperature and precipitation) recorded by 303 U.S. weather stations can yield practical information to aid your travel planning.

We direct major focus by means of tables and contour maps on estimating human physiological sensitivity to air moisture and temperature (referred to as “leisure thermal comfort”). Leisure thermal comfort is expressed as a simple numeric scale and in terms of three standard regionally defined daily temperature conditions (MINTMP, MAXTMP and AVETMP).

To characterize conditions in shade (that is, out of the sun), the reader is presented with full-page thermal comfort isoline contour maps, one for each month, as well as tables of leisure thermal comfort and climate data, each sorted by city and state or by thermal comfort values.

In addition to tabulated values of leisure thermal comfort for the 303 listed cities, readers are shown how to do their own estimates of leisure thermal comfort for:

• other regions not listed in the tables, as well as

• environments exposed to direct solar radiation.

It is worth noting that virtually any city or town within the United States qualifies as an “outdoors comfort paradise” for at least a brief period of time throughout the year. This book aims to conveniently assist the reader to identify the numerous other cities and towns and seasons that also qualify as outdoors comfort paradise.

Finally, we acknowledge that this book’s substantial reliance upon charts and tables, together with related discussion of definitions and concepts, necessarily reflects some characteristics of a handbook or a manual or even a textbook. But we emphasize that the charts and tables are the real core or essence of the book. Once the reader has acquired confidence and familiarity in use of the charts and tables, everything else within the book is secondary. ■

Jim Kennedy

Bloomington, MN