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<br />V RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION <br /> <br />On the pages immediately following this discussion in Figures 7 through <br /> <br />12 are found the average monthly average rainfall distribution over western <br /> <br />and central Kansas for each of the six monthly periods - April through <br /> <br />September. Also, long-term (30 year) averages for the 5 and 6 month periods <br /> <br />April through August and April through September are presented in Figures 13 <br /> <br />and 14. The long term averages are for the 3D-year period 1941 - 1970, prior <br /> <br />to the start of cloud seeding in both Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma. The <br /> <br />numbers used to arrive at these figures are from National Weather Service <br /> <br />reporting stations and were extracted from the NOAA monthly publication for <br /> <br />Kansas entitled, "Climatological Data". <br /> <br />It is seen in Figures 7 through 12 that rainfall quickly reaches a <br /> <br />peak in May then decreases slowly during June and continues to fall steadily <br /> <br />thereafter. On a monthly basis there is generally between 1, " - 1" less <br /> <br />rainfall in the western portions of the target area than there is in the <br /> <br />eastern part. Rainfall increases the further east one goes in the state. <br /> <br />It is when the six~arate monthly rainfall averages are combined <br /> <br />that the summertime precipitation disparity is most evident. On the average <br /> <br />there is about 3" to 31,". less in the southwestern corner of the target <br /> <br />area than in the eastern sections of the target area around Hodgeman county - <br /> <br />roughly 30% less! These figures plainly illustrate the necessity of continuing <br /> <br />rainfall augmentation in southwestern and western Kansas. <br /> <br />Through WKGMD #1, Western Kansas Weather Modification has taken on the <br />responsibiltiy of compiling the monthly precipitation totals sent in by the <br />volunteer network of observers across southwestern Kansas. Formerly, the <br /> <br />monthly precipitation figures were sent to the Kansas Water Office. The <br /> <br />3D-year rainfall distribution for the 5-month period April through August, <br /> <br />-18- <br />