A Thirty-Year Precipitation Record at Wolf Creek Research Basin, Yukon and the Importance of Bias-Corrected, Sub-Daily Measurements in a Changing Climate

Precipitation (snow and rainfall) is an essential climate variable for hydrological modelling, flood forecasting, avalanche preparedness and assessing permafrost stability and ecological change. In data sparse regions, such as the Canadian Sub-Arctic, long-term sub-daily precipitation measurements are rare, yet imperative to understanding environmental feedback and the impact of extreme events. The Wolf Creek Research Basin (WCRB) in the southern Yukon, Canada, provides a unique long-term hydrological and climate record across forested, shrub and alpine ecozones. This study presents hourly precipitation recorded in WCRB since 1993 using a variety of instruments. The diversity in measurement techniques and range of monitoring elevations allows for thorough consideration of precipitation phase and lapse rate.

We outline the challenges of maintaining and compiling in-situ, remote monitoring data spanning decades of change. This study facilitates discussion around best practices for cold-region precipitation data products by using transparent data filtering, correction and in-filling. We consider the efficacy and uncertainty of measurement techniques and bias correction methods for wind-induced losses at a site equipped with multiple concurrent instruments, shields and gauges. Our results explore spatiotemporal trends in the preliminary dataset and compare to available data in the southern Yukon. This work provides critical insights into the improvement and longevity of cold region, remote precipitation monitoring and the importance of long-term data sets in a changing climate.