<p>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. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-08T17:42:59.580Z
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?
Robert
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-08T18:58:31.383Z
Falling pressure is more likely to be linked to an incoming cold front, and hence with the rain that usually accompanies it.
Gordon Stanger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-07T18:29:59.120Z
2016-05-07T18:29:59.120Z
Gordon Stanger
<p>I am using a API to get historical weather information, only it is missing the probably and intensity of rain.</p>

<p>I do have this data:  </p>

<ul>
<li>cloudCover</li>
<li>pressure</li>
<li>dewPoint</li>
<li>humidity</li>
<li>temperature</li>
</ul>

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

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-06T17:03:02.513Z
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.
gerrit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-08T01:48:08.553Z
Is it just surface data, or do you have access to vertical data?
BarocliniCplusplus
<meteorology>
Is there a way to guess if its going to rain based on pressure temperature humidity and cloud cover
Robert
# Is there a way to guess if its going to rain based on pressure temperature humidity and cloud cover

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-06)

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.

**Tags:** meteorology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 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.  
> **username_2**: Is it just surface data, or do you have access to vertical data?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-07. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

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 username_1 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.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 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?  
> **username_3**: Falling pressure is more likely to be linked to an incoming cold front, and hence with the rain that usually accompanies it.  

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