A Step Towards Understanding the Climatological Precipitation Maximum Over the Eastern Alps

Two distinct climatological precipitation maxima in the Alpine region exist. While the western maximum over Ticino/Lago Maggiore has been extensively covered in research literature, the eastern maximum over Friuli/Julian Alps has been overlooked. As noted by Frei et al (1998), they both receive a comparable amount of precipitation. Seasonal charts of precipitation climatology for the Alps, however, suggest the eastern maximum receives more precipitation during the winter months.

By using statistical methods and reanalysis data, patterns of governing meteorological fields responsible for precipitation over the Alpine region are being studied. The focus will be on the aforementioned maxima and differences in precipitation producing mechanisms. These results, combined with recent findings on influence of terrain shape, will hopefully shed some more light on the nature of the eastern Alpine precipitation maximum.