How precipitation distribution varies with latitude (warm, records, degree, most)

[Mhc1985]

In Argentina precipitation distribution varies mostly with longitude.
We can see variation with latitude considering overall western Argentina against Patagonia (summer rain shifting towards no seasonality around 38°S) and a significant shift from Northern Andes to Central Andes:

Station (altitude): latitude / %DJF / %ONDJFM
La Quiaca (3,459 metres): 22.1°S / 68% / 96%
Puente del Inca (2,725 metres): 32.8°S / 2% / 11%

More interestingly, the severe longitudinal shift within less than 120 km around Puente del Inca:

Station (altitude): longitude / %DJF / %ONDJFM
Puente del Inca (2,725 metres): 69.9°W / 2% / 11%
Uspallata (1,890 metres): 69.3°W / 48% / 67%
Mendoza (704 metres): 68.8°W / 50% / 78%

[Joe90]

New Zealand

Motueka 41.08S: 18%/42%

Hokitika 42.43S: 24%/ 51%

Alexandra 45.16S:29%/59%

[dunno what to put here]

Leeds / 53.8N / 27% / 52%

[kronan123]

Malmö 28% / 51% (55°36'N)
Göteborg 27% / 49% (57°42'N)
Stockholm 34% / 55% (59°20'N)

[Crunch41]

Madison, WI (43N, 89W): 38/67%. Precipitation is more skewed toward summer here than similar climates in New England or Europe, though less so than places in the center of North America.

I started going up the west coast of Africa, didn't finish. But right around the equator the precipitation pattern changes extremely fast. Look at
Bata,_Equatorial_Guinea, at 1.85N versus Kribi, Cameroon at 2.9N (both on the coast)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
117 107 213 312 250 104 0 8 241 485 310 74 2221 (Bata)
4.6 4.2 8.4 12.3 10.0 4.1 0 0.3 9.5 19.1 12.2 2.9 87.6

68 84 194 236 296 281 240 313 483 456 160 59 2870 (Kribi)
2.7 3.3 7.6 9.3 11.6 11.1 9.5 12.3 19.0 18.0 6.3 2.3 113.0

Bata is very dry in July and August, and has two peaks in its wet season with moderate precipitation in the winter months.

Kribi has a long wet season, though still with two peaks, but December and January are the wettest months. August in Kribi gets over 300mm, August in Bata sees little to no rain.

also, Malabo, Equitorial Guinea at 3.8N apparently only gets 1180 hours of sun annually, surprisingly low for a tropical climate.

[RWood]

Originally Posted by Joe90

New Zealand

Motueka 41.08S: 18%/42%

Hokitika 42.43S: 24%/ 51%

Alexandra 45.16S:29%/59%

The Alex figure should be about 33% for DJF (longterm means- no proper 30-year mean available because of site changes).

[Ethereal]

Can somebody do one with Sydney?

How are you all doing the math so precisely? I'm afraid that I'll stuff it up.

[The East Frisian]

Originally Posted by theropod

Can somebody do one with Sydney?

How are you all doing the math so precisely? I'm afraid that I'll stuff it up.

Sure, i'm using the rainfall data of Observatory Hill here:

Sydney 33.9° S: 24% / 48%

To get the percentages just divide the rainfall sum of DJF by the annual rainfall and multiply it by 100. Do the same with the rainfall sum of ONDJFM.

[MeteoMan]

A far bigger influence of rainfall patterns around our current earth is oceanicity/continentality, and other factors. Regardless of latitude The interior large landmasses will tend towards dry winters and wetter summers. Maritime influenced climates (mediterranean, oceanic) will tend towards drier summers and wetter winters. This is why for example Mobile, Alabama has a drier winter and wetter summer at 30°N, yet at the same latitude a town on the Moroccan coastline has no rain in summer and all its rain in winter. It's why, for example, Beijing, China, a midlatitude climate, has nearly all its rain in summer and very little in winter; being in the interior of a massive continent. Deserts happen where you have a large continental interior in which moisture is limited due to various reasons, meaning a very dry atmosphere and little rain. These are more likely to happen at lower latitudes thanks to the strong sun and heat. However, many high latitude areas also get very little precipitation, low enough to qualify as deserts.

Otherwise, in the absense of continents, the precipitation pattern globally would be as follows with regards to latitude:
equatorial: heavy rain all year round.
mid-tropics: a summer wet season and winter dry season
horse latitudes: drier conditions due to high pressure domination
mid-latitudes: yearly even rainfall patterns more likely (depressions in winter, convection in summer)
high latitude: wetter winters, drier summers. more low pressure activity in winter
very high latitudes: very low rainfall/precipitation

But it is nowhere near that simple due to the complex array of continental landmasses which dramatically alter rainfall distributions around the planet we currently live on.

[RWood]

In mid latitudes, in NZ's case, multiple factors apply, and topography of course strongly influences some regions. A portion of the southern half of the hinterland in the South Island shows (in long term averages) a slight bias for combined spring and autumn rainfall to exceed summer plus winter - by up to about 17%.