Agroclimate Zones for Idaho

Frequently-asked questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. Where did the data come from?
  2. What changes have been made?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
  6. Is there some other way to get the data?
  7. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
• Who wrote the metadata?

Multivariate statistical analysis and geographic information systems were used to delineate homogeneous agroclimate zones for Idaho for the purpose of applying successful dryland agricultural research practices and management decisions throughout these areas of relative climatic uniformity.  Data used to produce the classification are from the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM), developed at Oregon State University.  PRISM has produced gridded estimates of mean monthly and annual climatic parameters from point data and a digital elevation model (DEM).  Principal components analysis was performed on fifty-five variables including various temperature and precipitation parameters, the number of growing-degree days, the mean annual number of freeze-free days, the mean annual day of first freeze in the fall, and the mean annual day of last freeze in the spring.  Cluster analysis was used to identify sixteen agroclimate zones each having similar climatic conditions regardless of its spatial location.  As a result, successful dryland agricultural practices and management decisions that are based on new technologies and developed for one part of the state may potentially be applied to other parts of the state that fall within the same agroclimate zone.

Grid cells sizes are approximately 4 km by 4 km.

1. How should this data set be cited?
   
   
   Idaho State Climate Services, 200001, Agroclimate Zones for Idaho: Idaho State Climate Services, Moscow, ID, USA.
   
   
   Online links:

   • http://data.insideidaho.org/data/ICS/archive/agroclim_id_ics.gz

   
   
   This is part of the following larger work:

   
   

   Bruce Godfrey - Idaho State Climate Services, 1999, Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.

   
   

   Online links:

   • http://uidaho.worldcat.org/oclc/43584798
   • http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen.htm

   
   

   Other citation details:

   This coverage is a product of the thesis (M.S.): Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho. Bruce R. Godfrey and Myron P. Molnau -- Program in Environmental Sciences Dissertations. University of Idaho Library Call Number: S600.43.M37G63 1999. (<http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/agroclimate.htm>)

   
   
2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
   
   
   Bounding coordinates:

   West: -117.543917

   East: -110.627583

   North: 49.054454

   South: 41.933366
   
   
3. What does it look like?
   
   
   Thumbnail image:
   
   
   
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
   
   
   Beginning date: 1961

   Ending date: 1990
   Currentness reference:

   Climatological period

   
   
5. What is the general form of this data set?
   
   
   Geospatial data presentation form: raster digital data
   
   
6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   
   
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      
      
      This is a Raster data set. It contains the following raster data types:

      • Dimensions 199 x 128 x 1, type Grid Cell
      
      
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      
      
      The map projection used is Transverse Mercator.

      
      

      Projection parameters:

      Transverse Mercator

      Scale factor at central meridian: 0.999600

      Longitude of central meridian: -114.000000

      Latitude of projection origin: 42.000000

      False easting: 500000.000000

      False northing: 100000.000000

      
      

      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column.

      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 3951.765158.

      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 3951.765158.

      Planar coordinates are specified in meters.

      
      

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.

      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.

      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.400000.

      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698.

      
      
7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
   
   
   agclim_ics

   Attributes of the agroclimate zones (Source: None)

   
   

   ObjectID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)
                     

   
   

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   
   

   Value

   Internal feature number for GRIDs (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	12235

   
   

   Count

   Number of GRID cells of a VALUE (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	2

   
   

   Agclim_zone

   Agroclimate Zone number (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	16

   
   

   Low_min_t

   Lowest minimum temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-186
   Maximum:	-20
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   High_min_t

   Highest minimum temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-3
   Maximum:	171
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Avg_min_t

   Average minimum temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-88
   Maximum:	61
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Low_max_t

   Lowest maximum temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-73
   Maximum:	61
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   High_max_t

   Highest maximum temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	156
   Maximum:	354
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Avg_max_t

   Maximum average temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	41
   Maximum:	200
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Low_avg_t

   Lowest average temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-124
   Maximum:	15
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   High_avg_t

   Highest average temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	93
   Maximum:	261
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Avg_avg_t

   Mean average temperature (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-13
   Maximum:	127
   Units:	C*100

   
   

   Low_ppt

   Minimum precipitation (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	4
   Maximum:	98
   Units:	mm

   
   

   High_ppt

   Maximum precipitation (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	21
   Maximum:	431
   Units:	mm

   
   

   Avg_ppt

   Average precipitation (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	174
   Maximum:	2865
   Units:	mm

   
   

   Frz_free

   Number of freeze-free days (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	2
   Maximum:	163
   Units:	number of days

   
   

   Frz_fall

   Day of first freeze in the fall (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	214
   Maximum:	284
   Units:	day of year

   
   

   Frz_spr

   Day of last freeze in the spring (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	119
   Maximum:	212
   Units:	day of year

   
   

   Avg_gdd

   Number of growing degree-days (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	2095
   Units:	(C-days)

   
   

   Elev

   Elevation (Source: Idaho State Climate Services)
                     

   
   

   Range of values
   Minimum:	240
   Maximum:	3259
   Units:	meters

   
   

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   
   
   • Idaho State Climate Services
   
   
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
   
   

   Idaho State Climate Services -- Bruce R. Godfrey, Myron P. Molnau

   
   
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   
   
   Idaho State Climate Services

   Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering

   University of Idaho

   EP425

   Moscow, Idaho 83844-0904

   USA

   
   

   208-885-7004 (voice)

   208-885-7908 (FAX)

   climate@uidaho.edu

1. To demonstrate that a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) and multivariate statistical procedures can be used to map climate using data from the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM).

2. To delineate agroclimate zones for the purpose of applying successful dryland agricultural research management practices throughout areas of relative climatic uniformity.

No responsibility is assumed by Idaho State Climate Services in the use of these data.

1. Where did the data come from?
   
   
   PRISM (source 1 of 2)

   
   

   Daly, C., R.P. Neilson, and D.L. Phillips, 1994, A Statistical-Topographic Model for Mapping Climatological Precipitation Over Mountainous Terrain: Water and Climate Center of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Portland, Oregon.

   
   

   Online links:

   • http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html

   
   

   Other citation details:

   Chris Daly of Oregon State University and George Taylor of the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Water and Climate Center, NRCS National Cartography and Geospatial Center (NCGC), PRISM Model, and the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University.

   
   

   Type of source media: online

   Source contribution:

   PRISM datasets--gridded ASCII data for numerous climate variables.

   
   
   AGROZONES (source 2 of 2)

   
   

   Idaho State Climate Services -- Bruce R. Godfrey and Myron P. Molnau, 199912, Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho: University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.

   
   

   Online links:

   • http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_map/agroclimate.htm

   
   

   Other citation details:

   This coverage is a product of the thesis (M.S.): "Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho". Bruce R. Godfrey and Myron P. Molnau -- Program in Environmental Sciences Dissertations. University of Idaho Library Call Number: S600.43.M37G63 1999

   
   

   Type of source media: online

   Source contribution:

   Agroclimate Zones coverage in Arc/Info Grid format

   
   
2. What changes have been made?
   
   
   Date: 1999 (change 1 of 1)

   It is beyond the scope of this metadata to describe in detail the procedures used to create this coverage.  A full description of the methods used can be found at http://www.uidaho.edu/~climate.  In general, the procedures used were:
   
   1. Downloaded PRISM data from Oregon Climate Services web site (http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_new.html):
   - Mean temperature
   - Minimum temperature
   - Maximum temperature
   - Precipitation
   - Growing-degree days
   - Day of spring freeze
   - Day of fall freeze
   - Growing season length
   
   2. ARC/INFO GIS was used to extract information needed for agroclimate classification.  The ASCII data were converted to ARC/INFO grids and projected to IDTM.  The fifty-five grids used in the classification were created from various seasonal temperature and precipitation parameters, the seasonal number of growing-degree days, the mean annual number of freeze-free days, the mean annual day of first freeze in the fall, and the mean annual day of last freeze in the spring.
   
   3. The data were exported to a statistical software package and PCA and cluster analysis were performed.  A georeferenced ASCII file was created that contained the sixteen cluster groupings (i.e. the agroclimate zones).
   
   4. The GIS was then used to display the agroclimate zones.
   

   
   

   Person responsible for change:
   

   Idaho State Climate Services

   Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering
   University of Idaho
   EP425
   

   Moscow, Idaho 83844-0904

   
   

   208-885-7004 (voice)

   208-885-7908 (FAX)

   climate@uidaho.edu

   Hours of Service: 0900-1700 Pacific Time

   
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • PRISM

   
   

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   
   
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   
   
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   
   
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   
   

   none

   
   
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   
   

   none

   
   

None

Who distributes the data set?


Bruce Godfrey
University of Idaho Library
GIS Specialist
Box 442350
Moscow, ID 83844-2350
USA


208-885-6463 (voice)
208-885-6817 (FAX)
bgodfrey@uidaho.edu


What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?


Downloadable Data


What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?


Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Idaho State Climate Services office, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.


How can I download or order the data?


• Availability in digital form:




Data format:	in format ESRI ARC/INFO Export (.e00) Size: 1.033
Network links:	http://data.insideidaho.org/data/ICS/archive/agroclim_id_ics.gz



• Cost to order the data: None



Is there some other way to get the data?


What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering

University of Idaho

EP425