A high-resolution 1961–1990 monthly temperature climatology for the greater Alpine region

The main object of the presented study was the creation of a high-resolution monthly temperature climatology for the greater Alpine region (GAR). This climatology, which is determined from observational averages for the period 1961-1990, necessitated a multinational, high-quality temperature dataset, in which especially inhomogeneities due to different methods of means estimation had to be regarded. Based on multilinear regression techniques and regionalisation, significant model improvements could be reached by adjusting for mesoscale effects in cold air pools, coastal and lakeshore belts, urban areas and slopes. The final 1 x 1 km grids allowing temperature description of the orographically complex Alpine terrain with an accuracy of I degrees C have been made available for further applications at the web pages of the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics.