Marine Weather Seminars, Webinars and Clinics


Great Lakes Marine Weather Forecasting

Format: In-Person
Duration: 8 Hours (Including Lunch)

Boating on the Great Lakes requires many skills. None is more important than a basic understanding of marine weather forecasting. Being familiar with basic weather principles and knowing where to find and how to interpret weather graphics can improve cruise planning, enhance racing performance and reduce the likelihood of being exposed to uncomfortable or hazardous weather conditions. (click here to read more.....)


Marine Weather Forecasting For Paddlers

Format: In-Person
Duration
: 8 Hours (Including Lunch)

Paddling requires many skills. Regardless of where your adventures take you, no aspect is more important than an understanding of marine weather forecasting. By attending the Marine Weather Forecasting For Paddlers Seminar you will gain an understanding of basic weather principles and learn how to use a wide variety of forecasting resources. (click here to read more....)


Coastal & Offshore Marine Weather Forecasting

Format: In-Person
Duration
: 14 Hours (Two Days Including Lunch)

Coastal and off-shore cruising requires many skills. Regardless of where your adventures may take you, no aspect of cruising is more important than an understanding of marine weather forecasting. During the 2-day Coastal & Offshore Marine Weather Forecasting, you will gain an understanding of basic weather principles and learn how to use a wide variety of forecasting resources. These skills will improve your cruise planning and reduce the likelihood that you will be exposed to uncomfortable or hazardous weather conditions. (click here to read more...)


Basic Marine Weather For Junior Sailors

Format: In-Person
Duration
: 4 Hours

Sailing a small boat requires many skills, however no aspect of boating is more important than understanding marine weather forecasting. The weather determines when it is safe to leave port and whether your outing will be safe and enjoyable. During this four-hour seminar, high school age junior sailors will learn basic weather principles and how to use a wide variety of forecasting resources. These skills will reduce the potential that they will encounter uncomfortable or hazardous weather conditions while they are on the water. (click here to read more ....)


Marine Weather 101

Format: In-Person or 3-Part Webinar
Format
: 4 1/2 Hours

Wether you are a sailor or power boater, learning a few basic weather forecasting skills will improve the safety and comfort of your outings. Marine Weather 101 will teach you how to interpret weather maps, prepare a wind & wave forecast, and recognize the potential for thunderstorms. You will also learn where to find marine weather information and how to use Doppler Weather radar to monitor thunderstorms. (click here to read more.....)


Understanding & Avoiding Thunderstorms

Format: In-Person or 2-Part Webinar
Duration
: 4 Hours

Thunderstorms can quickly spoil an outing in many ways—strong winds, large waves, dangerous lightning, waterspouts, or visibility-limiting rain. This four-hour clinic will examine the various types of thunderstorms and the ingredients that lead to their formation. The clinic will cover why thunderstorms often ‘pop-up’ late on summer afternoons and why some storms have short life-spans while others persist for several hours. (click here to read more...)


Weather Routing For Long Distance Racing

Format: In-Person or 2-Part Webinar
Duration
: 4 Hours

Doing well in a long distance race such as the Bayview Mack, Chicago Mac, or TransSuperior demands teamwork, endurance, and a routing strategy based on an accurate weather forecast. Developing a competitive routing strategy requires an understanding of basic weather forecasting principles, a familiarity with weather resources, and a working knowledge of modern routing software. (Click here for more information...)


Great Lakes Wind Forecasting

Format: In-Person or 2-Part Webinar
Duration
: 4 Hours

No aspect of weather is more important to sailors than the wind. It dictates when it is safe to leave port and whether your journey will be fast or comfortable. On the race course, properly predicting the wind separates the winners from the losers. (Click here for more information...)


About The Presenter

Mark Thornton has been boating on the Great Lakes for more than 30 years. Mark recently transitioned from sailing and now owns Osprey, a Mainship 34 Pilot. He is a 2006 graduate of the Penn State University Certificate of Achievement in Weather Forecasting, a two-year program that develops skills in general, tropical, and severe weather forecasting.

He is the president of LakeErieWX LLC, a company dedicated to providing marine weather education and forecasting resources for recreational boaters (www.lakeeriewx.com). Mark publishes a marine weather blog and teaches basic forecasting seminars to recreational boaters during the off-season. He has served as the Race Meteorologist for the Bayview Race to Mackinac since 2014. Mark is employed as a Teaching Assistant in the Certificate of Achievement in Weather Forecasting Program at Penn State University.

Click here to read about my marine weather forecasting seminars, webinars and presentations. Click here for the current schedule of educational programs.

Interested in reading and learning more about marine weather? A few times each year, I publish an article on an interesting marine weather event. Click here to subscribe to my email distribution list.

Email: LakeErieWX@gmail.com
Phone: 440.250.9179



Weather Skills for a Successful Race
February 18, 25, & March 4, 2025
Click here for details.

Great Lakes Marine Weather Essentials
February 20 & 27 and March 6 & 13, 2025
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Understanding & Avoiding Great Lakes Thunderstorms
March 18 & 25, 2025
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Marine Weather Forecasting
Cruisers University - Annapolis Boat Shows
October 2025
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Click here for the complete seminar schedule.

Seminar Reviews
"You have a passion for meteorology that is contagious and a gift for communicating a complex subject.".

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