The radiation climate of Cache Valley was established f rom the continuous recordings of global and diffuse sky radiation at Utah State University campus from June 1968 to July 1969 and August 1968 to July 1969, respectively. The influence of topographic features during summer and winter conditions a t seven representative locations running on an east-west direction across the valley were determined by making short term measurements on clear days.
A comparison of the clear day average global radiation on approximate dates of the same solar declination shows higher values during late winter and spring than t he values during late summer and autumn. This is mainly the influence of the higher atmospheric water vapor during the warmer months. An interesting fact is, that not only the direct , but also the scattered radiation shows higher values during the spring months . This is caused by additional reflection from the snow-covered mountain slopes . In the curve showing the distribution of the diffuse sky radiation on completely cloudy days, the effect of the multiple reflection between the ground surface and t he bases of clouds is very prominent in the period when there is snow on the ground.
sky radiation at Utah State University campus and to study the local influences of local topography on the receipt of global and diffuse sky radiation at various locations across the valley on an east-west direction by making short term measurements under summer and winter conditions .
In a mountain valley like Cache Valley, the difference in climate between the two opposite sides can largely be attributed to differences in the amounts of radiation received. This study was conducted on a scale where the incoming solar radiation may be influenced by topographic features
