The study investigates a number of characteristics of precipitation, including its frequency and depth, in the context of atmospheric circulation in Krakow. The work is based on a nearly one and a half-century long (1863-2008) record of measured precipitation in the city, on a catalogue of atmospheric circulation types, a calendar of air masses and atmospheric fronts, as well as on circulation indices for southern Poland. The entire homogeneous series of daily precipitation data starting from the beginning of instrument-based measurements was used, as well as information about its form and type and the number of days with precipitation during the period 1812-1855.
This is the first study investigating the annual and multi-annual variability of precipitation broken down into form and type in Poland and in Central Europe that combines this level of detail and a broad and credible set of input data. Results obtained using the Krakow precipitation record are important from the point of view of climate change and climate variability at a regional scale and for practical uses in many aspects of human activity, including transport and construction.