Climatology Products Available from the SCAS OCS PRISM Mapping Project

(Source: PRISM Home Page) The data sets available on this web site were created using the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climate mapping system, developed by Dr. Christopher Daly, PRISM Group director. PRISM is a unique knowledge-based system that uses point measurements of precipitation, temperature, and other climatic factors to produce continuous, digital grid estimates of monthly, yearly, and event-based climatic parameters. Continuously updated, this unique analytical tool incorporates point data, a digital elevation model, and expert knowledge of complex climatic extremes, including rain shadows, coastal effects, and temperature inversions. PRISM data sets are recognized world-wide as the highest-quality spatial climate data sets currently available. PRISM is the USDA's official climatological data.