Assessing High-Latitude Winter Precipitation from Global Precipitation Analyses Using GRACE

Abstract This study compares cold-season, high-latitude precipitation estimates from two global, merged satellite–gauge precipitation analyses—Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) and Climate Prediction Center Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP)—to total water storage anomalies produced from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). In general, spatial patterns and interannual variability are highly correlated between the datasets, although significant differences are also observed. Differences vary by region but typically increase at higher latitudes. Furthermore, results indicate that the gauge undercatch correction used by GPCP may be overestimated. These comparisons may be useful for assessing precipitation estimates over large regions, where in situ gauge networks may be sparse.