Precipitation

There are two plots for precipitation, both of which are measured in millimeters. The first plot shows the current season’s cumulative precipitation compared to the 5-year mean. When the cumulative precipitation goes above the 5-year mean, the area between the current values and the 5-year mean is colored in green to indicate above cumulative average rainfall. When the cumulative precipitation goes below the 5-year mean, the area between the current values and the 5-year mean is colored in red to indicate below average cumulative rainfall. In addition to recorded precipitation, the chart shows the 15-day forecast precipitation as a dot, either green or red to indicate if the forecast will place the cumulative precipitation up above or below the 5-year mean. The second plot shows the daily precipitation events for the season across time, helping to identify the evenness of rainfall over time or major rainfall events.

During the course of the season, the timing and the amount of rainfall surpluses or deficits can have different effects. As an example, too much rainfall during sowing can prevent farms from planting crops and flooding events can cause dramatic yield reductions. Alternatively, not enough rainfall early in the season can prevent sown crops from emerging and properly developing.