Statistical analysis of rainfall intermittency at small spatial and temporal scales

Rainfall intermittency is analyzed and quantified at small spatial and temporal scales using 2 years of radar and disdrometer data collected in Switzerland. Analytical models are fitted and used to describe the intermittency for spatial scales between 0 and 30 km and temporal resolutions between 30 s and 6 h, providing climatological parameterizations for efficient and accurate upscaling/downscaling of intermittent rainfall fields. First, the zero rainfall probability is analyzed with respect to the considered spatial resolution. Second, the spatial autocorrelation of rainfall intermittency is quantified with respect to the temporal resolution. Finally, the temporal autocorrelation is analyzed with respect to the spatial resolution. The results show that all these different aspects of rainfall intermittency can be accurately described by a scaled exponential function with a fixed shape parameter and a variable scale parameter. Models describing this variability are provided. Key Points Rainfall intermittency can be described by a scaled exponential function The evolution of the model parameters with the space‐time resolution is provided The analysis focuses on small scales (0–30 km ; 0–6h)