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A CLIMATOLOGY OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION VARIABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Citation:
Eder, B., L. Truppi, AND Peter L. Finkelstein. A CLIMATOLOGY OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION VARIABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-89/025 (NTIS PB89165930).
Description:
This paper examines the seasonal and variance and standardized range for temperature and the seasonal end annual coefficient of variation and normalized standardized range for precipitation, on a climatic division level for the contiguous United States for the period 1895 to 1985. Examination of the temperature variance reveal's a continentality phenomenon in which the largest variances occur in the upper midwest section of the country, while the smallest variances are generally found in coastal regions along the west coast, the Gulf coast and southeastern states. The winter season displays roughly twice the amount of seasonal variance as does spring, and roughly four times that of summer or autumn. Analysis of the standardized temperature range sports the continentality phenomenon; however, the transitional seasons, spring and autumn display the largest amount of within season variability with winter and summer displaying the least amount. Examination of the coefficient of variation for precipitation depicts a propensity for the largest seasonal and annual variation to occur over the southwestern states from Texas to California. Conversely, the smallest coefficient of variations are found over the northeastern sections of the country from New England into the mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states. Analysis of the seasonal and annual standardized precipitation range reveals that the pattern mimics the coefficient of variation patterns, but does however, exhibit less of a gradient, resulting in a smoother pattern. Areas of greater than normal seasonal and annual precipitation ranges include the southwestern states from Texas to California, while areas of less than normal ranges include the northeastern and Ohio River Valley states.