Computed Normal Range of Iowa Statewide July Precipitation

Authors

H. C. Vaughan, Iowa State UniversityFollow
D. S. Sheets, Iowa State University
G. R. White, Iowa State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Iowa rainfall, Natural rain distributions, small-scale rain perturbations

Abstract

Iowa summer rainfall distributions are examined to identify small-scale anomalies. Examination of extremely wet and dry summer months shows that large rain amounts fall mainly in small, cellular areas for both extremely wet and dry months. These configurations result from individual rainfall events. Analysis of the distribution of mean July rainfall across the state reveals significant anomalous wet and dry regions that contrast with the background, east-west rainfall gradient. Because of the skewed nature of summer rainfall distributions, the median value is used to represent a more realistic expected rainfall amount for any given year. Some parts of the stare have a more variable distribution and are more sensitive to the expected annual swing of one standard deviation. On the basis of statistical probabilities, these areas can expect summers of more severe moisture deficiencies to occur more often than in the rest of the stare.

Publication Date

September 1990

Journal Title

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

97

Issue

3

First Page

91

Last Page

97

Copyright

© Copyright 1990 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

EN

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Vaughan, H. C.; Sheets, D. S.; and White, G. R. (1990) "Computed Normal Range of Iowa Statewide July Precipitation," Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS, 97(3), 91-97.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/jias/vol97/iss3/7