Climatological Relationships Among Precipitable Water, Thickness and Precipitation

Abstract

Climatological relationships among precipitable water, thickness and precipitation are presented in such a manner that a line of saturation thickness may be defined. One year of data were used to develop such a line and the subsequent year's data were used to check the validity of the line. The equation for this line is hs = 5550 + 300 In W + 0.1 E, where the saturation thickness (hs) is given in meters when the precipitable water (W) is in inches and the elevation (E) is expressed in meters. The equation is valid over a wide region cast of the Rocky Mountains during all seasons of the year. A weakness in the relationship occurs under extreme cold and dry conditions. Possible applications include the use of observed (or predicted) fields to produce diagnostic (or forecast) values of atmospheric moisture, including precipitation.