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I am using a API to get historical weather information, only it is missing the probably and intensity of rain.

I do have this data:

  • cloudCover
  • pressure
  • dewPoint
  • humidity
  • temperature

Is there a way to approximate the probability and or intensity of rain based on just the above.

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    $\begingroup$ Do you have this information for a single location, or on a grid for a large region? Do you really not have time and location? If you have time and location, you can “easily” get precipitation information by downloading a reanalysis dataset of your choice ;-). If you really only have the above, then the answer is no. Precipitation is more complicated than that. Out of dewpoint, humidity, temperature, one can be calculated from the other two anyway. $\endgroup$
    – gerrit ♦
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 17:03
  • $\begingroup$ Is it just surface data, or do you have access to vertical data? $\endgroup$
    – BarocliniCplusplus
    Commented May 8, 2016 at 1:48

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If you live in a part of the world where the rainfall is dominated by frontal systems, and mainly by cold fronts, then there is a rough inverse correlation between pressure and rain. Otherwise, no. As Gerrit pointed out, rainfall is a whole lot more complicated than that. If you are looking for something to correlate with rain then I suggest you look into satellite-based cloud-top temperatures. The supercooled temperatures at the top of cumulus towers does correlate tolerably well with rainfall.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the detailed response. Would change in pressure be any more of a more useful indication? I.e. if there was a drop from one hour to the next? $\endgroup$
    – Robert
    Commented May 8, 2016 at 17:42
  • $\begingroup$ Falling pressure is more likely to be linked to an incoming cold front, and hence with the rain that usually accompanies it. $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Stanger
    Commented May 8, 2016 at 18:58

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