FLOOD05978

• County: Statewide
• Community: Statewide
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Analysis of Colorado Average Annual Precipitation for the 1951-1980 Period
• Date: 12/1/1984
• Prepared By: CSU Colorado Climate Center
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

Table of Contents

1951-1980 Precipitation Highlights

,

page

Ack nowl edgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. i i

Tabl e of Contents............................................ ii i

List of Fi gu res. . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. i v

List of Tabl es. ... ..... .... . . ... :... ... ... ........ .. ... . ..... v

I, I ntroducti on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

I I . Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

I I I . Data.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4

IV. Analysis..................................................... 7

A. Normal-ratio adjustment procedure........................ 11

B. Ratio adjustment procedure............................... 12

,

C. Mean annual precipitation
estimates from snow course data.......................... 15

.

D. Research data sets....................................... 20

E. Orographic precipitation model results.................., 20

V. Resul ts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 22

A. MapJling procedure........................................ 22

B. Comparison with the 1931-1960 map........................ 23

C. Variability of Colorado precipitation.................... 30

1. Median precipitation................................. 31
2. Precipitation in dry years........................... 34
3. Precipitation in wet years........................... 35
4. Cauti on ............................................. 38

V I. References.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39

,

VII. Appendix..................................................... 40

i;;