Observed Variability of Cloud Frequency and Cloud-Base Height within 3600 m above the Surface over the Contiguous United States

Abstract

Abstract The geographic and temporal variability of the surface–3600-m cloud frequency and cloud-base height over the contiguous United States for a 5-yr period (2008–12) and the interannual variations for a 16-yr period (2000–15) are described using information from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) observations. Clouds were separated into four categories by the cloud amount reported by ASOS: few (FEW), scattered (SCT), broken (BKN), and overcast (OVC). The geographic distributions and seasonal and diurnal cycles of the four categories of surface–3600-m cloud frequency have different patterns. Cloud frequency of FEW, SCT, and BKN peaks just after noon, whereas the frequency of OVC peaks in the early morning. However, the geographic distributions and seasonal and diurnal cycles of the four categories of the surface–3600-m cloud-base height are similar. The diurnal cycles of the cloud-base height within the surface–3600-m level present a minimum in the morning and peak in the late afternoon or early evening. Cloud frequency and cloud-base height within this range are closely related to surface air temperature and humidity conditions. From 2000 to 2015, the cloud frequency in the contiguous United States showed a positive trend of 0.28% yr−1 while the cloud-base height showed a negative trend of −4 m yr−1 for the surface–3600-m level, accompanied with a positive trend of precipitation days (0.14 days yr−1). Moreover, the increase of cloud frequency and the decrease of cloud-base height were most obvious in winter in the eastern half of the contiguous United States.