Metadata for Montana Climate Framework, Montana Climate Normals 1991-2020
Metadata for Montana Climate Framework, Montana Climate Normals 1991-2020
Identification Information
Data Quality Information
Spatial Data Organization Information
Spatial Reference Information
Entity and Attribute Information
Distribution Information
Metadata Reference Information
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Identification Information:
Citation:
Originator:
Montana Climate Office, University of Montana
Publication date:
09/07/2022
Title:
Montana Climate Framework, Montana Climate Normals 1991-2020
Publication place:
Missoula, MT
Publisher:
Montana Climate Office
Online linkage:
https://data.climate.umt.edu/mt-normals/cog/
Abstract:
This directory contains GeoTIFFs of climate normals for the state of Montna for the 1991 - 2020 reference period. All normals are derived from gridMET climate data. The base gridMET units and coordinate system (WGS 84) are maintained to minimize any errors introduced by unit conversion or reprojection.
Annual and monthly measurements are available for the following:
Precipitation - Total amount of rainfall and snowfall (mm).
Minimum Temperature - Daily average minimum temperature (deg F).
Maximum Temperature - Daily average maximum temperature (deg F).
Minimum Relative Humidity - Average minimum amount of water vapor in air relative to theoretical maximum potential vapor (%).
Maximum Relative Humidity - Average maximum amount of water vapor in air relative to theoretical maximum potential vapor (%).
Solar Radiation - Average daily incoming shortwave solar radiation (W/m^2).
Vapor Pressure Deficit - Average daily difference between moisture currently in the air vs theoretical maximum moisture (kPa).
Wind Speed - The daily average wind speed (m/s).
Reference Evapotranspiration - The average amount of water lost from a hypothetical well-watered grass surface to the atmosphere.
Files for each varaible adhere to a naming convention of {time}_{statistic}.tif, where time is the time period of the normal (e.g., annual, jan, feb, etc.) and statistic is the climate normal summary statistic (e.g., mean, median, etc). Within each directory is another subdirectory titled quantiles/{time}_{n}th.tif, where n is a quantile value for a given variable. All .tif files are stored as Cloud Otimized GeoTIFFs (cog) to enhance rendering and display on the web.
For more details about how the climate normals were created, please visit the information tab on the Montana Climate Atlas (https://climate.umt.edu/archive/atlas/default.php). If you have any other questions about the data, please reach out to Colin Brust at the Montana Climate Office (colin.brust@mso.umt.edu).
Supplemental information:
gridMET is a dataset of daily high-spatial resolution (~4-km, 1/24th degree) surface meteorological data covering the contiguous US from 1979-yesterday. We have also extended these data to cover southern British Columbia in our real time products. These data can provide important inputs for ecological, agricultural, and hydrological models. These data are updated daily. gridMET is the preferred naming convention for these data; however, the data are also known as cited as METDATA.
gridMET blends spatial attributes of gridded climate data from PRISM with desirable temporal attributes (and additional variables) from regional reanalysis (NLDAS-2) using climatically aided interpolation. The resulting product is a spatially and temporally complete, high-resolution (1/24th degree ~4-km) gridded dataset of surface meteorological variables.
Validation of the resulting gridded surface meteorological data was conducted against an extensive network of weather stations including RAWS, AgriMet, AgWeatherNet and USHCN-2. For more information on validation measures see Abatzoglou (2013).
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:
The Montana Climate Office (MCO) provides products and services for informational purposes only. Any products created or distributed by the MCO were not produced for, nor are they suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of MCO information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The MCO provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the MCO 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 MCO makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The MCO reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.
Point of contact:
Montana Climate Office at University of Montana
32 Campus Drive, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
Telephone:
4062436793
E-Mail:
state.climatologist@umontana.edu
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Data Quality Information:
Completeness report:
Point estimates of climate data originate from gridMET which uses PRISM (https://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/) and NLDLAS-2 https://ldas.gsfc.nasa.gov/nldas/NLDAS2forcing.php.
Lineage:
Source information:
Originator:
University of California Merced Climatology Lab
Title:
gridMET
Publication place:
Merced, CA, USA
Publisher:
University of California Merced
Process step:
The process used by the University of California Merced Climatology Lab to create this data is described at https://www.climatologylab.org/gridmet.html.
Process date:
2022
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Spatial Data Organization Information:
Raster object information:
Raster object type:
Grid Cell
Row count:
122
Column count:
288
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Spatial Reference Information:
Horizontal coordinate system definition:
Grid coordinate system name:
World Geodetic System 1984
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:
D World Geodetic System 1984
Ellipsoid name:
World Geodetic System 1984
Semi-major axis:
6378137.000000
Denominator of flattening ratio:
298.257222
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Entity and Attribute Information:
Entity and attribute overview:
Each grid cell value in the raster version of the data is the estimated average annual or monthly precipitation (mm), minimum temperature(deg F), maximum temperature (deg f), minimum relative humidity (%), maximum relative humidity (%), solar radiation (W/m^2), vapor pressure deficit (kPA), wind speed (m/s) or reference evapotranspiration of the point in the center of the cell.
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Distribution Information:
Distributor:
Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone:
406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone:
406-444-4799
Fax:
406-444-0266
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:
Format name:
GeoTIFF and ESRI Shape file
megabytes
Online option:
https://data.climate.umt.edu/mt-normals/cog/
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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:
406-444-4799
Fax:
406-444-0266
E-Mail:
geoinfo@mt.gov
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