¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

Well, let me ask you this: LetÂ’s say youÂ’re confronted with a “sudden weather change.” What exactly are you going to do? Run for the car? Pull out an umbrella? I mean, weather happens. Better to be prepared for it than expect to dodge it.

Suunto Core Watch

Core Watch

That said, IÂ’m more than a little bit of a weather junkie, so there certainly are some things you can do. I do like the weather radio bit, for instance. Midland makes a pretty good one called the 74-250C ($35; midlandradio.com), which receives all the NOAA weather channels. I wonÂ’t guarantee reception everywhere, but you should do OK in most places.

I also think it reasonable to have a pocket altimeter. Any garden-variety altimeter watch offers that feature, because, after all, an altimeter is simply a barometer with different calibration. BruntonÂ’s Nomad V2 Pro ($139; brunton.com) is accurate and compact, although not wristwatch-size. It also has a compass feature, so is a useful gadget. SuuntoÂ’s Core I find rather pricey at $250 (suunto.com), but itÂ’s a nice instrument and very accurate. But an altimeter/barometer doesnÂ’t “forecast” the weather any more than a watch forecasts the future. They simply detect changes in barometric pressure, which in turn may indicate changes in the weather.

But there are lots of other resources. You have a Washington state address so maybe you do a lot of trips around here. The regional National Weather Service web site (wrh.noaa.gov/sew/) offers detailed forecastersÂ’ short- and long-term discussions, giving you a heads-up on weather thatÂ’s a week out. This is a tough area in which to forecast, but IÂ’ve found their forecasts for 48 hours and less to be extremely accurate. Those from 48 to 96 hours are reasonably accurate; anything from 96 hours out is a decent guess but subject to change. The forecasters would agree with this assessment, IÂ’m sure. So right away you can leave the house with a good snapshot of whatÂ’s going to happen. The weather radio may give you more updates.

Then, I always recommend learning to read the weather yourself. Really, “sudden” weather changes arenÂ’t that sudden. There typically are lots of atmospheric tips that something is in the works. Get a copy of KING-TV weather guy Jeff RennerÂ’s excellent book, Mountain Weather: Backcountry Forecasting and Weather Safety For Hikers, Campers, Climbers, Skiers, and Snowboarders. ItÂ’s $15 (), and with a few reads youÂ’ll be divining the sky like a seasoned pro.

Check out the new 2007-2008 Winter ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ BuyerÂ’s Guide, packed with reviews of more than 300 new gear must-haves. ItÂ’s available on newsstands now.