Course Outline:
The readings in Ahrens, Meteorology Today, Eighth Edition, Core Version, are shown in parentheses. 

Quick Start Mini-Course

Introduction. Temperature and its measurement (78-81) 
Pressure and its measurement (192-198) 
Wind and humidity (230-235, 184-187) 
Surface weather map  (198-202)
Fronts and cyclones. Upper air observations 
Upper air charts. Weather satellite imagery (130-135)
Weather radar 
Identifying clouds (117-130)

The Basics

Composition and origin of the atmosphere (1-8) 
Vertical structure of the atmosphere (8-24) 
Gas laws. Adiabatic warming and cooling (28-35)
Moisture and its measurement (108-117)
Condensation, evaporation, and latent heat (139-148) 
Dew, frost, and fog (148-161)
Stability and instability (161-174) 
Cloud development (175-184) 
Precipitation mechanisms and weather modification
Force and motion. Coriolis and pressure gradient forces (198-208)
Geostrophic balance. Effects of friction and topography  (208-216
Radiation laws. Solar and terrestrial (infrared) radiation (35-48)
Greenhouse effect and global warming (55-71, 447-456) 
Optical phenomena 

Storms and Weather Systems

Global wind systems (254-268) 
Air masses and fronts (286-306)
Midlatitude cyclones and their development (308-323) 
Local winds (sea breezes, mountain/valley winds) (236-251)
Thunderstorms (366-388) 
Tornadoes (389-401) 
Hurricanes and tropical meteorology (404-427) 

Northwest Weather

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

Weather Forecasting

Weather forecasting (334-350) 
Personal weather forecasting; how to find reliable weather data on the net. (350-362) 

Additional Topics

El Nino/ENSO and it local/global effects (271-280)
Air pollution and the ozone hole