The objectives of this study were to analyze the distribution of total daily rainfall data and the number of rainy-days, and to determine the probability variation of daily precipitation during the months of the year in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A 36-year rainfall database measured at the Climatological Station of 8th District of Meteorology, located in Santa Maria Federal University (29º 43' 23" S and 53º 43' 15" W) were used in the study. The following probability distribution functions were tested: gamma, Weibull, normal, lognormal and exponential. The functions that best described the frequency distribution were gamma and Weibull. There were more number of rainy days in the winter, but with less amount of rainfall, resulting in similar monthly total precipitation for the twelve months of the year.
distribution function; precipitation; gamma; Weibull
