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<br />15 <br /> <br />for common years. The stations with the highest correlation coefficient <br /> <br />were paired. Correlation coefficients for the best matched pairs <br /> <br />averaged 0.81 and ranged from a low of 0.60 to a high of 0.93, The <br /> <br />actual adjustments which were made ranged from -2.02" to +1.29". Of the <br /> <br />71 stations adjusted, 70% were adjusted by less than 0.50", Only annual <br />precipitation averages were adjusted. No estimates of monthly or <br /> <br />seasonal averages were made for this set of stations. <br /> <br />C. Mean annual precipitation estimates <br />from snow course data <br /> <br />In the Colorado high country, where a large portion of the state's <br /> <br />precipitation falls, year-round measurements are sparse. Of the NWS <br /> <br />stations with complete 30-year records, only 5 of them are above 9,000' <br /> <br /> <br />of which only one is located above 10,000'. The priority 2 and 3 <br /> <br /> <br />stations add 12 more sites above 9,000' elevation of which 6 are at <br /> <br />least 10,000' above sea lpvel. This is certainly inadequate station <br /> <br />density to support the type of detailed isohyetal analysis which is <br /> <br /> <br />attempted here. For this reason a considerable effort was made to make <br /> <br />use of all other high elevation data sources such as winter snowpack <br /> <br />data collected by the SCS (priority 4 stationsl. <br /> <br /> <br />Historical snow course data gathered in Colorado dates back to the <br /> <br />mid 1930s. The data collected by the SCS cons~st of once a month <br /> <br /> <br />readings, February 1 to May 1 of snowdepth and water content. At a few <br /> <br />stations, some earlier and later measurements are also taken. In no way <br />do these measurements determine the annual precipitation at those sites. <br />Neither do they give an exact measurement of winter season precipitation <br /> <br />since they obviously do not take melting or evaporation/sublimation into <br /> <br /> <br />account, They simply give an indication of the amount of water on the <br />