Journal article
Annual Drought in California: Association with Monthly Precipitation and Climate Phases
Shraddhanand Shukla, Anne Steinemann, Sam F Iacobellis, Daniel R Cayan
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology | AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC | Published : 2015
Abstract
Annual precipitation in California is more variable than in any other state and is highly influenced by precipitation in winter months. A primary question among stakeholders is whether low precipitation in certain months is a harbinger of annual drought in California. Historical precipitation data from 1895 to 2013 are investigated to identify leading monthly indicators of annual drought in each of the seven climate divisions (CDs) as well as statewide. For this study, drought conditions are defined as monthly/annual (October-September) precipitation below the 20th/30th percentile, and a leading indicator is defined as a monthly drought preceding or during an annual drought that has the stro..
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Awarded by California-Nevada Applications Program
Awarded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Funding Acknowledgements
This study received support through the California-Nevada Applications Program (NA11OAR4310150) and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grants (NA13OAR4310172 and NA15OAR4320071), the National Integrated Drought Information System, and the Southwest Climate Science Center.