Note the different horizontal axis scale in the plot for summer; monthly mean cloud cover is nearly always considerably more than 50 percent in summer.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Fairbanks Cloud Cover vs Temperature
Reader Eric suggested that the relationship between cloud cover and temperature in Fairbanks would be nicely revealed using scatter plots; he is right, of course, and the results are below. The winter positive correlation between cloud cover and temperature is significant from November to March (and strongest in November), while the summer inverse correlation shows up quite strongly in June through August (and is strongest in June).
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Eyeballing it, it seems that the winter slope is twice as steep. But what I find surprising is how straight the slope is. I would expect a U shape since inversions pool cold air no matter how clear it is. Maybe the monthly average is clouding it.
ReplyDeleteScatter plots are fun!
Derive a line through them and run the stats to compare if interested.
ReplyDeleteWhat's new? In winter clouds affect radiational losses from the surface, while in summer they decrease insolation. Winds play a role as well I assume.
Gary