Science Comics: Wild Weather
Storms, Meteorology, and Climate
A nonfiction graphic novel about weather, meteorology, and climate, told through grumpy TV meteorologist Stormin' Norman Weatherby as he attempts to educate his clueless co-anchor during a monster snowstorm — covering everything from the water cycle to hurricanes to climate change.
When “Snowpocalypse 20XX” descends on the TV studio, meteorologist Stormin’ Norman Weatherby has finally had enough. His dimwitted co-anchor Chase McCloud thinks a snow day proves climate change is fake, and Norman is about to set him — and the entire viewing audience — straight.
What follows is a comprehensive tour through meteorology, delivered through Norman’s increasingly animated presentations: how the water cycle works, what actually causes wind, the difference between weather and climate, how satellites help forecasters predict the future, cloud formations, pressure fronts, jet streams, the Fujita scale for tornadoes, and how hurricanes form and intensify. There’s also a memorable two-page spread showing exactly what different wind speeds do to a neighborhood — from rustling leaves to structural destruction.
The book covers climate change directly and honestly, debunks common weather myths with help from a consulting meteorologist, and ends with guidance on building a household disaster preparedness kit. School Library Journal recommended it for grades 3–6, and it was selected for the Texas Library Association’s Little Mavericks Reading List.
Thoughts from a Looper:
Weather on the water is a different animal than weather on land, and the Carolinas leg of the Loop is one of the best classrooms for learning that firsthand. Afternoon thunderstorms develop quickly along the ICW, the Outer Banks are notorious for rapidly changing conditions, and hurricane season overlaps with the prime southbound window for many Loopers. Understanding why weather behaves the way it does — not just what the forecast says — makes for better decisions underway.
This book doesn’t cover sailing or coastal weather specifically, but the fundamentals it teaches are exactly what any young crew member needs: how pressure systems work, why storms build the way they do, what clouds are telling you, and the real relationship between weather and climate. A kid who reads this will ask better questions at the nav station and understand the answers.
The region assignment here is georgia-carolinas, but honestly this one belongs on the boat for the entire Loop — the weather questions it answers come up everywhere from the Chesapeake to the Gulf.
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