Fluctuations in us freezing rain days

• Published in: Climatic change Vol. 69; no. 2-3; pp. 229 - 244
• Main Authors: CHANGNON, David, BIGLEY, Russell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.04.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Climate change; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Digitization; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Fluctuations; Freezing; Frequency distribution; Freshwater; Meteorology; Precipitation; Rain; Trends; United States; USA, New England; USA, Rocky Mts; USA, Great Plains; North America, Great Lakes; USA, Indiana, Ohio R. Valley; time series analysis; Century 20th; Climatology; trend-surface analysis; Spatial distribution; Freezing rain; Occurrence frequency; Long term variation; North America
• ISSN: 0165-0009; 1573-1480
• DOI: 10.1007/s10584-005-3585-8

Freezing rain occurrences during a 50-year period, 1949/1950-1998/1999, derived from carefully examined records of 161 first-order stations distributed across the United States, were assessed for temporal fluctuations and trends. Classification of station fluctuations based on five 10-year periods revealed five unique distribution types in areas east of the Rockies. One of these five distributions, for stations located in the western Great Plains, experienced its greatest 10-year value at the end of the 50-year period. The other four regional distributions experienced their highest 10-year value in either of the first two 10-year periods. Nationally, the 10-year period when the greatest number of stations experienced their maximum value was 1949/1950-1958/1959, while the period when the greatest number of stations experienced their minimum value fell near the end of the 50-year record (1979/1980-1988/1989). The 50-year linear trends defined one region, the western Great Plains, with increasing values, while three areas of decreasing trend were identified; the Great Lakes, the eastern Ohio River valley, and southern New England. These analyses also indicate the need to examine and consider such time-space changes in the frequency of climate variables at various spatial scales when assessing weather risks and developing climate change scenarios. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]