This study compares monthly average frequency, intensity, and amount of hourly precipitation simulated by National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 2/Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme to the smoothed estimates of these observed locally over the continental United States. The observed monthly intensifies vary from less than 1 to 5 mm h−1, with lowest values in the winter in northern midcontinent and highest around the Gulf Coast in summer. Model intensifies are on the average 3-4 times less when drizzle is excluded and an order of magnitude less when drizzle is included. As might be anticipated, relative frequencies are much too high and intensifies much too low in the model fields, compared to those observed. The spatial pattern of these quantities and the total precipitation are more realistic. The study also compares extreme events and diurnal and seasonal variations and finds that, in general, the simulated precipitation has larger spatial variability, larger ... Abstract This study compares monthly average frequency, intensity, and amount of hourly precipitation simulated by National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 2/Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme to the smoothed estimates of these observed locally over the continental United States. The observed monthly intensifies vary from less than 1 to 5 mm h−1, with lowest values in the winter in northern midcontinent and highest around the Gulf Coast in summer. Model intensifies are on the average 3-4 times less when drizzle is excluded and an order of magnitude less when drizzle is included. As might be anticipated, relative frequencies are much too high and intensifies much too low in the model fields, compared to those observed. The spatial pattern of these quantities and the total precipitation are more realistic. The study also compares extreme events and diurnal and seasonal variations and finds that, in general, the simulated precipitation has larger spatial variability, larger ...