Climatology of Extreme Daily Precipitation in Colorado and Its Diverse Spatial and Seasonal Variability
Climatology of Extreme Daily Precipitation in Colorado and Its Diverse Spatial and Seasonal Variability
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DOI：
10.1175/jhm-d-14-0112.1
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发表时间：
2015-04-01
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
White, Allen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mahoney, Kelly;Ralph, F. Martin;White, Allen
科罗拉多历史极端降水事件的气候学显示出显著的季节性和区域性变化。对科罗拉多COOP站按季节划分的最大历史日降水总量的分析表明，记录的最大日降水总量范围从某些地区的小于60毫米日（-1）到其他地区的大于250毫米日（-1）。在大陆分水岭以东，冬季事件很少出现在给定地点的前10名事件中，但春季事件在山麓丘陵及其附近占主导地位;夏季事件在低海拔的东部平原最常见，而秋季事件在分水岭以西的低海拔地区最典型。科罗拉多中部山区的季节信号很复杂;一年中的所有月份都发生了高海拔强降水事件，包括夏季，此时降水更可能是液体（而不是雪），这会造成更多的瞬时洪水风险。值得注意的是，导致2013年9月破坏性洪水的历史性科罗拉多前山脉日降雨总量发生在该地区最极端降水的典型季节（春夏）之外。这一事件和许多其他事件突出了这样一个事实，即科罗拉多的极端降水在历史上发生在所有季节和所有海拔高度，强调了全年全州的风险。
The climatology of Colorado's historical extreme precipitation events shows a remarkable degree of seasonal and regional variability. Analysis of the largest historical daily precipitation totals at COOP stations across Colorado by season indicates that the largest recorded daily precipitation totals have ranged from less than 60 mm day(-1) in some areas to more than 250 mm day(-1) in others. East of the Continental Divide, winter events are rarely among the top 10 events at a given site, but spring events dominate in and near the foothills; summer events are most common across the lower-elevation eastern plains, while fall events are most typical for the lower elevations west of the Divide. The seasonal signal in Colorado's central mountains is complex; high-elevation intense precipitation events have occurred in all months of the year, including summer, when precipitation is more likely to be liquid (as opposed to snow), which poses more of an instantaneous flood risk. Notably, the historic Colorado Front Range daily rainfall totals that contributed to the damaging floods in September 2013 occurred outside of that region's typical season for most extreme precipitation (spring-summer). That event and many others highlight the fact that extreme precipitation in Colorado has occurred historically during all seasons and at all elevations, emphasizing a year-round statewide risk.