Updated Precipitation Frequency Estimates for Kansas City: Comparison with TP-40 and HYDRO-35
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Volume 11, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper summarizes methods and results for a recent precipitation frequency study of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The study was motivated by prevalent concern that frequency estimates used for hydrologic design and analysis are based on studies published decades ago. Data currently used for design were extracted from National Weather Service (NWS) rainfall atlases TP-40 and HYDRO-35, published in 1961 and 1977, respectively. Results of this study are compared to those two atlases and a third regional study published by Huff and Angel in 1992. In general, the rainfall depths predicted by this study are higher than TP-40 and HYDRO-35 for return periods longer than , yet for short durations and low return periods, the converse is true. For the most part, rainfall depths from this study are within a few percent of NWS estimates.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by a grant from the Kansas City Metropolitan Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Funding for this grant was contributed by a number of municipal governments and consulting firms in the Kansas City area. This support is sincerely appreciated. Special thanks go to Bill Heatherman, Dan Miller, and Mike Ross of Overland Park, Kan., for coordinating this support and for providing the ALERT raingauge data used for this study. Xuemei Zhao, a graduate research assistant, aided with analysis of the daily and hourly rainfall data. Her help on this project is greatly appreciated.
References
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Hershfield, D. M. (1961). “Rainfall frequency atlas of the United States for durations from and return periods from 1 to 100 years.” Technical Paper No. 40, Weather Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Hosking, J. R. M., and Wallis, J. R. (1997). Regional frequency analysis: An approach based on L-moments, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Huff, F. A., and Angel, J. R. (1992). “Rainfall frequency atlas of the Midwest.” Illinois State Water Survey Bulletin 71, Midwestern Climate Center Research Rep. 92-03.
Karl, T. R., and Knight, R. W. (1998). “Secular trends in precipitation amount, frequency, and intensity in the United States.” Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 79(2), 213–241.
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Young, C. B., and McEnroe, B. M. (2002). “Precipitation frequency estimates for the Kansas City metropolitan area.” Kansas City Chapter, American Public Works Association, Kansas City.
Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 11 • Issue 3 • May 2006
Pages: 206 - 213
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 31, 2004
Accepted: Jul 5, 2005
Published online: May 1, 2006
Published in print: May 2006
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