Course Outline:

Basic Material

Introduction. Temperature and its measurement 
Pressure and its measurement
Wind and humidity 
Surface weather map 
Fronts and cyclones. Upper air observations
Upper air charts. Weather satellite imagery
Weather radar 
Identifying clouds 

Core Background

Composition and origin of the atmosphere 
Vertical structure of the atmosphere
Gas laws. Adiabatic warming and cooling 
Moisture and its measurement 
Condensation, evaporation, and latent heat 
Dew, frost, and fog
Stability and instability 
Cloud development 
Precipitation mechanisms and weather modification
Force and motion. Coriolis and pressure gradient forces
Geostrophic balance. Effects of friction and topography 
Radiation laws. Solar and terrestrial (infrared) radiation 
Greenhouse effect and global warming 
Optical phenomena  

Storms and Large Scale Weather Systems

Local winds (sea breezes, mountain/valley winds)
Global wind systems 
Air masses and fronts 
Midlatitude cyclones and their development

Dynamical and Hydrostatic Concepts

Thickness, hydrostatic, and hypsometric equations
  
Convective Systems.

Thunderstorms 
Tornadoes  
Hurricanes

Topics to be Included in Weather Discussion:

Northwest Weather

Weather of the Pacific Northwest: an overview 
Northwest windstorms and snowstorms 

Weather Forecasting

Weather forecasting  
Personal weather forecasting; how to find reliable weather data on the net. 

Additional Topics

El Nino/ENSO and it local/global effects
Air pollution and the ozone hole