Microclimates of the arid lands ecology reserve, 1968--1975

Abstract

The climatology of the Hanford Reservation Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) Reserve does not end, of course, with this report. As this goes to press the arid lands of eastern Washington are experiencing the driest winter in 65 years of record. Even without including this winter's (1976-77) data in our summaries here, we have been fortunate to have had a very dry winter (1972-73) and a very wet winter (1973-74) occur within our first 8 years of climatological measurements on the Reserve. Our primary purpose with this report has been to analyze the first 8 years of climatological measurements from the ALE Reserve and to identify persistent spatial variations between stations or groups of stations. From these variations we have been able to recognize several distinct, but related microclimates occurring within the Reserve. Secondly, we have shown that significant correlations exist between each microclimate on the Reserve and that of the Hanford Meteorological Station nearby. These correlations, coupled with the 30-year weather record at the HMS and possibly with the 32-year (1912-1944) record at the Hanford townsite, allow ALE Reserve temperature and precipitation estimates to be made for years prior to the ALE climatology program.