An Investigation of Clouds and Precipitation for the Texas High Plains Page: 21
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21
during each month over the entire study period and dividing by the number of
months in the series. Thus, in the case of Amarillo and Lubbock, the total
was divided by ten, while in the case of Midland the divisor was eight.
The frequency curves for stratus (St) occurrence are bi-modal for
Lubbock and Midland. Maxima occur in February in association with the maxi-
mum in frontal activity and in October as a result mainly of nocturnal
cooling and overrunning in association with early-season cyclonic activity.
At Amarillo, the winter maximum is considerably broadened to include the
entire spring season. This is probably due in part to the higher frequency
of occurrence of frontal passages in the late winter and early spring at
Amarillo. The high frequency in May can be accounted for in large party
a relatively high number of stratus observations during May 1954 and May 1957.
The minimum at all three stations is in August.
Stratocumulus (Sc) is characterized by maxima in the fall and spring
with the minimum occurring during the middle and late summer. The strato-
cumulus curves have much the same shape as those for stratus. One apparent
difference is that there is a broad late winter and spring maximum at all three
stations. The minimum is once again in August, followed by another peak in
October. The higher frequency at Midland in the fall may be due to the fact
that the Midland data are weighted by more wet than dry years.
Cumulus (Cu) is obviously associated with the warmer half of the
year, the peak frequency occurring in July and August at each of the stations.
The annual variation in cumulus frequency is considerably higher than any of
the other cloud types with the exception of cirrus, which exhibits an annual
variation almost as large.
Cumulonimbus (Cb) is typically a late spring and summer cloud type.
Early and mid-summer rainfall depends upon the development of these clouds,
thru daytime heating, low-level moisture and the absence of subsidence aloft.
Dry summers are characterized by an extension of the Atlantic anticyclone
westward which brings upper level stability and inhibits vertical development
in any but isolated cases.
Altostratus (As) and Nimbostratus (Ns) are not dominant cloud types
at any of the stations. The distribution is fairly uniform throughout most
of the year with a maximum in mid-winter during the time of maximum cyclonic
disturbances.
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Haragan, Donald R. An Investigation of Clouds and Precipitation for the Texas High Plains, report, March 1970; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth839452/m1/33/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.