On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States
This study examines the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and snowmelt in spring in the upper southwestern states of the United States (UP_SW) including California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, using SNOTEL datasets for 34 yr (1980–2014). Statistically significant negative cor...
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ftchapmanuniv:oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:scs_articles-1496 2023-05-15T17:30:51+02:00 On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States Myoung, Boksoon Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Jinwon Kafatos, Menas 2017-03-16T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_articles/496 https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1496&context=scs_articles unknown Chapman University Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_articles/496 https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1496&context=scs_articles American Meteorological Society Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research North America Snowmelt icemelt Climate variability Interannual variability North Atlantic Oscillation Spring season Climate Environmental Monitoring Fresh Water Studies Hydrology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology text 2017 ftchapmanuniv 2022-03-07T13:39:49Z This study examines the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and snowmelt in spring in the upper southwestern states of the United States (UP_SW) including California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, using SNOTEL datasets for 34 yr (1980–2014). Statistically significant negative correlations are found between NAO averages in the snowmelt period and timings of snowmelt (i.e., positive NAO phases in spring enhance snowmelt, and vice versa). It is also found that correlations between El Niño–Southern Oscillation and snowmelt are negligible in the region. The NAO–snowmelt relationship is most pronounced below the 2800-m level; above this level, the relationship becomes weaker. The underlying mechanism for this link is that a positioning of upper-tropospheric anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulations over the western United States that are associated with development of the positive (negative) NAO phases tends to bring warmer and drier (colder and wetter) spring weather conditions to the region. The temperature variations related with the NAO phases also strongly modulate the snowfall–rainfall partitioning. The relationship between the NAO and spring snowmelt can serve as key information for the warm season water resources management in the UP_SW. Text North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Chapman University Digital Commons |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Chapman University Digital Commons |
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ftchapmanuniv |
language |
unknown |
topic |
North America Snowmelt icemelt Climate variability Interannual variability North Atlantic Oscillation Spring season Climate Environmental Monitoring Fresh Water Studies Hydrology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology |
spellingShingle |
North America Snowmelt icemelt Climate variability Interannual variability North Atlantic Oscillation Spring season Climate Environmental Monitoring Fresh Water Studies Hydrology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Myoung, Boksoon Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Jinwon Kafatos, Menas On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
topic_facet |
North America Snowmelt icemelt Climate variability Interannual variability North Atlantic Oscillation Spring season Climate Environmental Monitoring Fresh Water Studies Hydrology Other Earth Sciences Other Environmental Sciences Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology |
description |
This study examines the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and snowmelt in spring in the upper southwestern states of the United States (UP_SW) including California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, using SNOTEL datasets for 34 yr (1980–2014). Statistically significant negative correlations are found between NAO averages in the snowmelt period and timings of snowmelt (i.e., positive NAO phases in spring enhance snowmelt, and vice versa). It is also found that correlations between El Niño–Southern Oscillation and snowmelt are negligible in the region. The NAO–snowmelt relationship is most pronounced below the 2800-m level; above this level, the relationship becomes weaker. The underlying mechanism for this link is that a positioning of upper-tropospheric anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulations over the western United States that are associated with development of the positive (negative) NAO phases tends to bring warmer and drier (colder and wetter) spring weather conditions to the region. The temperature variations related with the NAO phases also strongly modulate the snowfall–rainfall partitioning. The relationship between the NAO and spring snowmelt can serve as key information for the warm season water resources management in the UP_SW. |
format |
Text |
author |
Myoung, Boksoon Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Jinwon Kafatos, Menas |
author_facet |
Myoung, Boksoon Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Jinwon Kafatos, Menas |
author_sort |
Myoung, Boksoon |
title |
On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
title_short |
On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
title_full |
On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
title_fullStr |
On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the Relationship between Spring NAO and Snowmelt in the Upper Southwestern United States |
title_sort |
on the relationship between spring nao and snowmelt in the upper southwestern united states |
publisher |
Chapman University Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_articles/496 https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1496&context=scs_articles |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_articles/496 https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1496&context=scs_articles |
op_rights |
American Meteorological Society |
_version_ |
1766127965241868288 |