CLOUDINESS in the WILLAMETTE VALLEY of OREGON Abstract Approved: Redacted for Privacy (Major Professor)
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ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF FRANK PETER HEINSOHN for the Master of Science (Name of student) (Degree) in Geography presented on -.\\ Ç \ \C)(C1 (Major) (Date) Title CLOUDINESS IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY OF OREGON Abstract approved: Redacted for Privacy (Major professor) Temporal and spatial patterns of daytime cloudiness in the Willamette Valley of Oregon were studied by utilizing monthly and daily sky cover data published by the U. S. Weather Bureau for the Portland, Salem, and Eugene stations. The 15 -year period, 1949 through 1963, was selected as the maximum reliable period length common to all three stations for accurate comparisons, for in the latter 1940's hourly observations of the number of tenths of the sky field of view obscurred by cloud cover for the time between sunrise and sunset were initiated. The measures of cloudiness used in this study, each of which is based on sky cover in tenths, include: 1. Percent sky cover. Z. Clear and cloudy days (0 -5 and 6 -10 tenths). 3. Cloudless and overcast days (0 and 10 tenths). 4. Clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy days (0 -3, 4 -7, and 8 -10 tenths, respectively). The average annual and monthly sky cover in tenths and the number of clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy days can be ascertained directly from Weather Bureau data sources. The principal objectives of this study, however, include the comparison of cloudiness among stations and data presentation which affords a more revealing image of the character of cloudiness. To achieve the latter, variation, persistence, and a range of temporal frameworks were employed as well as the liberal use of graphs and tables. The Willamette Valley averages nearly 70 percent sky cover annually, and only July, August and September average less than 60 percent sky cover. During most months the three stations compare closely in the amount of cloudiness. In July and August, however, Portland averages ten percent more cloudiness than Eugene, and Salem has intermediate cloudiness characteristics. Although overall annual cloudiness in the Willamette Valley may fluctuate as much as 15 percent between extremes, the three stations tend to be affected by the same cloudiness patterns for a given year. The winter half of the year, which is characteristically quite cloudy, shows the least variation in cloudiness, but the late spring and summer show monthly ranges between extremes approach- ing 50 percent sky cover. The duration of periods of specified amounts of cloudiness indi- cates frequent changes in the amount of cloudiness, although exceptionally long periods of cloudy weather in winter have occurred. The three stations experience the same periods of cloudiness through- out the year. Contrasts in the persistence of cloudiness among sta- tions, however, are primarily reflected in the summer when Eugene has somewhat longer lasting periods of clear weather than Portland. Partial cloudiness tends to be a transitional rather than persistent cloudiness characteristic, for, despite the overall considerable cloudiness in the Willamette Valley, most clear (0 -5 tenths) days that do occur tend to be cloudless or have only scattered cloudiness. CLOUDINESS IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY OF OREGON by FRANK PETER HEINSOHN A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 1967 APPROVED: Redacted for Privacy Professor of Geography in charge of major Redacted for Privacy Chairman of the Department of Geography Redacted for Privacy Dean of Graduate School cl Date thesis is presented (A , \ C i \C.) (g') >c: ) Typed by Donna Olson for Frank Peter Heinsohn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere appreciation is accorded to Dr. R. D. Rudd who carefully reviewed the manuscript and offered many helpful suggestions. Acknowledgements are also ex- tended to personnel of the Willamette Valley Weather Bureau stations who cooperatively provided basic in- formation for this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 Historical Summary of Data Collection 1 Station Site and Situation 4 Cloudiness Indicators 6 Sources of Cloudiness Data 8 Previous Investigations 9 Purpose 10 Scope 10 Data Considerations 12 II. ANNUAL AND MONTHLY MEAN CLOUDINESS 13 Mean Annual Cloudiness 13 Percent Sky Cover 13 Frequency of Occurrence of Sky Cover Conditions 14 Mean Monthly Cloudiness 16 Percent Sky Cover 16 Multi -Class Cloudiness Expressions 20 Clear and Cloudy Days 20 Cloudless and Overcast Days 22 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 24 III. ANNUAL AND MONTHLY VARIATION IN CLOUDINESS 32 Annual Variation 33 Percent Sky Cover 33 Frequency of Occurrence of Sky Cover Conditions 35 Clear and Cloudy Days 35 Cloudless and Overcast Days 35 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 38 Monthly Variation 39 Percent Sky Cover 39 Frequency of Occurrence of Sky Cover Conditions 43 Clear and Cloudy Days 43 Cloudless and Overcast Days 49 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 54 Chapter Page IV. PERSISTENCE OF CLOUDINESS CONDITIONS 60 Clear Days 61 Cloudless Days 65 Overcast Days 69 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 72 V. WEEKLY PATTERNS OF CLOUDINESS 81 Percent Sky Cover 81 Clear and Cloudy Days 84 Cloudless and Overcast Days 86 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 86 VI. VARIATIONS IN CLOUDINESS DURING A SELECTED SAMPLE YEAR 9 0 Percent Sky Cover 92 Clear and Cloudy Days 94 Cloudless and Overcast Days 94 Clear, Partly Cloudy, and Cloudy Days 95 VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 97 Mean 9 7 Variation 98 Persistence 99 Weekly and Daily Cloudiness 101 Conclusions 101 BIBLIOGRAPHY 104 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Annual number of clear (0 -3 tenths sky cover) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene from 1920 through 1963. 3 2. The Willamette Valley, Oregon. 5 3. Mean frequency of occurrence of clear and cloudy; cloudless and overcast; and clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 15 4. Mean monthly percent sky cover at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 18 5. Mean monthly percentage frequency of clear (0 -5 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 21 6. Mean monthly percentage frequency of cloudless days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 23 7. Mean monthly percentage frequency of overcast days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 25 8. Mean monthly percentage frequency of clear (0 -3 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 26 9. Mean monthly percentage frequency of partly cloudy (4 -7 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 28 10. Mean monthly percentage frequency of cloudy (8 -10 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 31 11. Annual percent sky cover at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 34 12. Annual mean, mean deviation, and maximum and minimum frequency of occurrence of sky cover conditions for the period 1949 -1963. 36 Figure Page 13. Annual number of clear (0 -5 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 37 14. Monthly extremes in percent sky cover at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 40 15. Monthly mean, mean deviation, and extreme percent sky cover at Salem, 1949 -1963. 44 16. Monthly extremes in the number of clear (0 -5 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 45 17. Monthly mean, mean deviation, and extreme number of clear (0 -5 tenths) days at Salem, 1949 -1963. 47 18. Monthly extreme number of cloudless days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 50 19. Monthly extreme number of overcast (10 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 53 20. Monthly extreme number of clear (0 -3 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 55 21. Monthly extreme number of partly cloudy (4 -7 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 56 22. Monthly extreme number of cloudy (8 -10 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 57 23. Monthly number of clear (0 -5 tenths) day periods of 1 -2, 3 -4, 5 -10, and more than 10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 62 24. Monthly number of cloudless (0 tenths) day periods of 1 -2, 3 -4, and 5 -10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 67 25. Monthly number of overcast (10 tenths) day periods of 1-2, 3 -4, 5 -10, and more than 10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949-1963. 70 Figure Page 26. Monthly number of clear (0 -3 tenths) day periods of 1 -2, 3 -4, 5 -10, and more than 10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 73 27. Monthly number of partly cloudy (4 -7 tenths) day periods of 1 -2, 3 -4, and 5 -10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 74 28, Monthly number of cloudy (8 -10 tenths) day periods of 1 -2, 3 -4, 5 -10, and more than 10 days duration at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949- 1963. 80 29. Weekly mean, mean deviation, and extreme percent sky cover at Salem, 1949 -1963. 82 30. Mean and extreme weekly number of clear (0 -5 tenths) and cloudy (6 -10 tenths) days at Salem, 1949 -1963. 85 31. Mean weekly number of cloudless and overcast days at Salem, 1949 -1963. 87 32. Mean weekly number of clear (0 -3 tenths), partly cloudy (4 -7 tenths), and cloudy (8 -10 tenths) days at Salem, 1949 -1963. 88 33. Daily sky cover in tenths at Portland, Salem, and Eugene in 1964. 91 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Mean Monthly Percent Sky Cover at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963. 17 2. Mean Monthly Number of Clear (0 -5 tenths) Days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949- 1963. 20 3. Mean Monthly Number of Cloudless (0 tenths) days at Portland, Salem, and Eugene, 1949 -1963.