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Current NWS Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) Documents and
Related Studies

NOAA’s National Weather Service has provided PMP guidance and studies since the late 1940s at the request of various federal agencies and with funding provided by those agencies. In recent years that funding has diminished and gradually ceased. As a result we are unable to continue our PMP activities. However, we will continue to provide copies of related documents on this site. We recognize that many of the current documents need updating. The Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information’s Subcommittee on Hydrology is examining this issue.

1. PMP documents

2. PMP related studies

3. Evaporation studies

Viewing the documents requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader (click here to download).
Viewing the shapefiles for HMR 58 and HMR 59 requires a Geographic Information Syatem (GIS).

1. PMP documents
US Regions covered by different PMP documents (as of 2008)
Document link Title Date Size
(MB)
Hydrometeorological Report No. 39 Probable Maximum Precipitation in the Hawaiian Islands 1963 4.1
Hydrometeorological Report No. 41 Probable Maximum and TVA Precipitation over the Tennessee River Basin above Chattanooga 1965 7.4
Hydrometeorological Report No. 46 Probable Maximum Precipitation, Mekong River Basin 1970 19.5
Hydrometeorological Report No. 48 Probable Maximum Precipitation and Snowmelt Criteria For Red River of the North Above Pembina, and Souris River Above Minot, North Dakota 1973 1.8
Hydrometeorological Report No. 49 Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates, Colorado River and Great Basin Drainages Reprint 1984 7.2
Hydrometeorological Report No. 51 Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates, United States East of the 105th Meridian 1978 4.4
Hydrometeorological Report No. 52 Application of Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates - United States East of the 105th Meridian 1982 9.6
Hydrometeorological Report No. 53 Seasonal Variation of 10-Square-Mile Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates, United States East of the 105th Meridian 1980 4.3
Hydrometeorological Report No. 54 Probable Maximum Precipitation and Snowmelt Criteria for Southeast Alaska 1983 5.6
Hydrometeorological Report No. 55A
Report
Plates I to III
Plates IV to VI 		Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates - United States Between the Continental Divide and the 103rd Meridian 1988
18.4
45.2
44.2
Hydrometeorological Report No. 56 Probable Maximum and TVA Precipitation Estimates With Areal Distribution for Tennessee River Drainages Less Than 3,000 Mi2 in Area 1986 10.6
Hydrometeorological Report No. 57
Report
Maps 1 to 4 		Probable Maximum Precipitation - Pacific Northwest States. Columbia River (including portions of Canada), Snake River and Pacific Coastal Drainages 1994
15.7
15.7
Hydrometeorological Report No. 58
Report
Plates I and II
Shapefiles 		Probable Maximum Precipitation for California - Calculation Procedures 1998
5.5
7.6
2.9
Hydrometeorological Report No. 59
Report
Plates I and II
Shapefiles 		Probable Maximum Precipitation for California
1999
1998
1998
19.8
7.6
2.9
NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS HYDRO 39 Probable Maximum Precipitation for the Upper Deerfield River Drainage Massachusetts/Vermont 1984 2.3
NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS HYDRO 41 Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates for the Drainage Above Dewey Dam, Johns Creek , Kentucky 1985 1.8
Technical Paper No. 42 Generalized Estimates of Probable Maximum Precipitation and Rainfall-Frequency Data for Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands 1961 5.1
Technical Paper No. 47 Probable Maximum Precipitation and Rainfall-Frequency Data for Alaska 1963 4.1

2. PMP related studies
Study link Title Date Size
(MB)
Hydrometeorological Report No. 42 Meteorological Conditions for the Probable Maximum Flood on the Yukon River Above Rampart, Alaska 1966 4.0
Hydrometeorological Report No. 47 Meteorological Criteria For Extreme Floods For Four Basins in the Tennessee and Cumberland River Watersheds 1973 2.3
Hydrometeorological Report No. 50 Meteorology of Important Rainstorms in the Colorado River and Great Basin Drainages 1981 7.8
NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS HYDRO 45 Relationship Between Storm and Antecedent Precipitation over Kansas, Oklahoma and Eastern Colorado 1995 4.0
NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS HYDRO 46 A Climatic Analysis of Orographic Precipitation Over the Big Horn Mountains 1995 4.0
NOAA Technical Report NWS 21 Interduration Precipitation Relations for Storms - Southeast States 1979 2.0
NOAA Technical Report NWS 25 Comparison of Generalized Estimates of Probable Maximum Precipitation With Greatest Observed Rainfalls 1980 3.7



3. Evaporation studies
Study link Title Date Size
(MB)
NOAA Technical Report NWS 33 Evaporation Atlas for the Contiguous 48 United States 1982 7.4
NOAA Technical Report NWS 34 Mean Monthly, Seasonal, and Annual Pan Evaporation for the United States 1982 4.5

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