A comparison of two statistical methods for spatial interpolation of Canadian monthly mean climate data

Two methods for elevation-dependent spatial interpolation of climatic data from sparse weather station networks were compared. Thirty-year monthly mean minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation data from regions in western and eastern Canada were interpolated using thin-plate smoothing splines (ANUSPLIN) and a statistical method termed ‘Gradient plus Inverse-Distance-Squared’ (GIDS). Data were withheld from approximately 50 stations in...