David Whiteman's Mountain Meteorology: Fundamentals and Applications is a book that meets the needs of interested laypersons who wish to know more about the nature of weather and climate in mountain regions. Whiteman, a Staff Scientist of the U.S. Department of Energy, set about to produce a book that would address a variety of important topics, especially for individuals whose work requires better knowledge of the subject. Hence the author's research received support from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Army. The result is a book that is of use to weather professionals and also to people whose recreational interests bring them into the mountain environment.

Mountain Meteorology is divided into several logical sections. An introductory section gives an overview of mountain climates and the factors that characterize the prevailing weather of higher altitudes. This section also includes a synopsis of the climates of North America's principal mountainous areas.

The second section of Whiteman's book provides a good presentation, in a nutshell, of several major topics in meteorology. The nature of the atmosphere, atmospheric dynamics, air pressure, air masses and frontal systems, clouds, and precipitation are reviewed in a general sense, with mountain areas especially in mind. There is also a helpful overview of weather forecasting and weather maps.

Whiteman devotes an entire section of his book to mountain winds, an item that of course is of great interest to Mount Washington aficionados. He considers both the effects of topography on the wind regime in mountain areas and also looks at the daily cycle of winds in many mountain ranges.

The final section is of greatest interest to those who are involved in work in the field. Perhaps not all readers will feel they would benefit from learning more about air pollution dispersion, fire weather, and aerial spraying, but by learning more about how some scientists apply their knowledge of mountain weather to specific, real-world situations, any reader can deepen his or her understanding of the subject. The text is complemented by copious color photographs and illustrations. There is also a helpful bibliography and an extensive glossary.

This book had barely appeared on the shelves of the Weather Discovery Center's shop when several staff members decided they had to purchase a copy for their own home bookshelves.

All in all, Mountain Meteorology, while technical as it should be, is approachable and very accessible to anyone with a keen interest in mountain weather.