Metadata for Montana Average Annual Precipitation, 1971-2000 Metadata for Montana Average Annual Precipitation, 1971-2000

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: PRISM Group, Oregon Climate Service, Oregon State University
Publication date: 06/21/2006
Title: Montana Average Annual Precipitation, 1971-2000
Other citation details:: The former name of the data set on the NRIS web site was "precip71_00"
Online linkage: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Shapefiles/Precipitation2000.zip

Browse graphic file name: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Documents/Maps/Thumbnails/20060621_606_thumb.jpg
Browse graphic file description: Thumbnail image of Montana 1971-2000 Average Annual Precipitation map

Browse graphic file name: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Documents/Maps/Individual/20060621_606_2000_AvgPrecip71to00.gif
Browse graphic file description: Montana 1971-2000 Average Annual Precipitation map

Abstract:

These data are estimates of average annual precipitation, in inches, for the climatological period 1971-2000. Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) derived raster data is the underlying data set from which the data were created. PRISM is an analytical model that uses point data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to generate gridded estimates of annual, monthly and event-based climatic parameters. For further information, the online PRISM homepage can be found at http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/.

The data is available as an ESRI GridASCII export file, in latitude/longitude coordinates with a horizontal resolution of 0.00833 degrees, for the entire United States from the Oregon Climate Service web site. The data for Montana is available in Montana State Plane Coordinates, resampled to a resolution of 600 meters, in either GeoTIFF format or as a shapefile with polygons representing 27 precipitation ranges.

Supplemental information:

There are many methods of interpolating precipitation from monitoring stations to grid points. Some provide estimates of acceptable accuracy in flat terrain, but few have been able to adequately explain the extreme, complex variations in precipitation that occur in mountainous regions. Significant progress in this area has been achieved through the development of PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). PRISM is an analytical model that uses point data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to generate gridded estimates of monthly and annual precipitation (as well as other climatic parameters). PRISM is well suited to regions with mountainous terrain, because it incorporates a conceptual framework that addresses the spatial scale and pattern of orographic precipitation.

Time period of content:

Beginning date: 1971
Ending date: 2000
Currentness reference:: Climatological period from which the point observations were taken.

Status:

Progress: Complete

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

This data is copyright 2004, PRISM Group, Oregon State University, http://www.prismclimate.org. A statement of this copyright must accompany any transfer or display of this data.

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Point of contact:

Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University
Strand Ag Hall 326, Oregon Climate Service, Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-2209
Telephone: 541-737-5710
E-Mail: oregon@oce.orst.edu

Data Quality Information:

Completeness report:

Point estimates of monthly precipitation originated from the following sources: 1) National Weather Service Cooperative (COOP) stations, 2) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL, 3) local networks, and 4) statistically in-filled missing monthly data to produce a serially complete station data set, generated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Lineage:

Source information:

Originator: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Publication date: 2001
Title:: U.S. National 1971-2000 Climate Normals, Climatography of the United States

Source information:

Originator: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Publication date: 2001
Title:: Cooperative Snow Survey Data of Federal - State - Private Cooperative Snow Surveys
Source contribution:: Location and values of known average monthly and annual precipitation
Beginning date: 1971
Ending date: 2000

Source information:

Originator:: Natural Resources Conservation Service, Water and Climate Center
Publication date: Unpublished Material
Title: Local Precipitation monitoring networks
Beginning date: 1971
Ending date: 2000

Source information:

Originator: Defense Mapping Agency
Publication date: 1985
Title:: 1:250,000-scale Digital Elevation Models (DEM) also known as 1-Degree DEM's
Source contribution:: Terrain surface input to PRISM model for estimation of precipitaion between known points.
Calendar date: 1985

Source information:

Originator: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Publication date: Unpublished material
Title: Serially complete station data set
Source contribution:: Serially in-filled data set in which missing monthly values are replaced with reasonable values generated by a statistical process (kriging).
Beginning date: 1971
Ending date: 2000

Process step:

The process used by the Oregon Climate Service to create this data is described at http://wwww.ocs.oregonstate.edu/prism.


Process date: 2002

Process step:

The 1971-2000 average annual precipitation data for the United States was downloaded from the Oregon Climate Service web site. This data was clipped to the area of Montana, projected from latitude/longitude coordinates to Montana State Plane Coordinates (and resampled from a resolution of 0.0083 degrees to 600 meters), and the precipitation units were converted from 100ths of a millimeter to inches. The grid data was classified into 27 classes and converted to shapefile format.


Process date: 06/21/2006

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Raster object information:

Raster object type: Grid Cell
Row count: 894
Column count: 1537

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

SDTS object type: G-polygon

SDTS object count: 12937

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System

SPCS zone identifier: 2500

Lambert conformal conic:

Standard parallel: 45.000000
Standard parallel: 49.000000
Longitude of central meridian: -109.500000
Latitude of projection origin: 44.250000
False easting: 600000.000000
False northing: 0.000000

Planar distance units: meters

Geodetic model:

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222

Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: Precip1971_2000.dbf

Attribute label: FID

Attribute definition: Shapefile sequence number

Attribute label: Shape

Attribute definition: Feature geometry

Attribute label: GRIDCODE

Attribute definition:: Upper limit of average annual precipitation within the polygon, inches.
Range domain minimum: 7
Range domain maximum: 114

Attribute label: Inches

Attribute definition:: Range of average annual precipitation within the polygon, inches.

Entity and attribute overview:

Each grid cell value in the raster version of the data is the estimated average annual precipitation of the point in the center of the cell, in inches.

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Resource description: Downloadable Data

Distribution liability:

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Standard order process:

Digital form:

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 01/24/2014

Metadata review date: 04/17/2013

Metadata review date: 06/21/2006

Metadata contact:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov