Time distribution of precipitation in 4- to 10-day storms : Ohio River Basins

Precipitation-frequency values for periods up to 10 days have been available for a number of years. This report suggests a time distribution for precipitation-frequency values for the 4- through 10-day durations over the Ohio River Basin. The suggested distributions were developed from single station data and are considered valid for basins up to 100 square miles and possibly a little larger. The basic data period is 1937-1966 and a sample of 1,484 storm periods for each duration was examined. Intrastorm comparisons of observation-day data and precipitation "bursts" led to the conclusion that 4- to 10-day storms over the Ohio River Basin are basically two-burst storms. The bursts tend to come at the beginning and ending of the storm period, and the larger burst is equal to the 1-day precipitation-frequency value for the same return period used for the total storm. John F. Miller and Ralph H. Frederick ; prepared by the Office of Hydrology for Soil Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture. Includes bibliographical references (page 34). 1972 NWS (National Weather Service) Library Public Domain 1931