Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China
This study investigates and compares the reasons for high-frequency heavy and light snowfall in winter on interannual timescales over northeast China (NEC) during 1961–2017. Results indicate that the frequency and its variability are strong over southeastern NEC for heavy snowfall but over northern...
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2073-4433/11/9/936/ 2023-08-20T04:08:31+02:00 Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China Lushan Wang Ke Fan Zhiqing Xu agris 2020-09-02 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Meteorology https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Atmosphere; Volume 11; Issue 9; Pages: 936 snowfall frequency heavy and light snowfall interannual variability northeast China NAO quasi-stationary waves Text 2020 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 2023-08-01T00:01:33Z This study investigates and compares the reasons for high-frequency heavy and light snowfall in winter on interannual timescales over northeast China (NEC) during 1961–2017. Results indicate that the frequency and its variability are strong over southeastern NEC for heavy snowfall but over northern NEC for light snowfall. Analysis of the annual cycle shows that the maximum frequency of heavy snowfall occurs in November and March due to more warm–wet air masses and increased atmospheric instability, and that of light snowfall occurs in December–January due to drier conditions and increased atmospheric stability. The frequency of heavy snowfall exhibits an increasing trend which partly results from the warming trend in NEC, while that of light snowfall shows a decreasing trend. High-frequency heavy snowfall is associated with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), warmer regional air temperatures, an increased water vapor budget associated with an anomalous anticyclone occupying the Kuril Islands, and relatively unstable atmospheric layers. High-frequency light snowfall is associated with a strengthened East Asian winter monsoon, colder regional air temperatures, a decreased water vapor budget, and relatively stable atmospheric layers. High-frequency heavy and light snowfall are both related to eastward-propagating quasi-stationary waves over Eurasia, but with different features. The waves of the former are located in midlatitude Eurasia and related to the positive phase of the NAO. The waves of the latter exhibit two pathways, located in midlatitude and northern Eurasia, respectively. The northern one can be partially attributed to a weak polar vortex. In addition, higher sea surface temperatures of the Kuroshio Extension may contribute to high-frequency heavy snowfall. Text North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation MDPI Open Access Publishing Atmosphere 11 9 936 |
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MDPI Open Access Publishing |
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language |
English |
topic |
snowfall frequency heavy and light snowfall interannual variability northeast China NAO quasi-stationary waves |
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snowfall frequency heavy and light snowfall interannual variability northeast China NAO quasi-stationary waves Lushan Wang Ke Fan Zhiqing Xu Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
topic_facet |
snowfall frequency heavy and light snowfall interannual variability northeast China NAO quasi-stationary waves |
description |
This study investigates and compares the reasons for high-frequency heavy and light snowfall in winter on interannual timescales over northeast China (NEC) during 1961–2017. Results indicate that the frequency and its variability are strong over southeastern NEC for heavy snowfall but over northern NEC for light snowfall. Analysis of the annual cycle shows that the maximum frequency of heavy snowfall occurs in November and March due to more warm–wet air masses and increased atmospheric instability, and that of light snowfall occurs in December–January due to drier conditions and increased atmospheric stability. The frequency of heavy snowfall exhibits an increasing trend which partly results from the warming trend in NEC, while that of light snowfall shows a decreasing trend. High-frequency heavy snowfall is associated with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), warmer regional air temperatures, an increased water vapor budget associated with an anomalous anticyclone occupying the Kuril Islands, and relatively unstable atmospheric layers. High-frequency light snowfall is associated with a strengthened East Asian winter monsoon, colder regional air temperatures, a decreased water vapor budget, and relatively stable atmospheric layers. High-frequency heavy and light snowfall are both related to eastward-propagating quasi-stationary waves over Eurasia, but with different features. The waves of the former are located in midlatitude Eurasia and related to the positive phase of the NAO. The waves of the latter exhibit two pathways, located in midlatitude and northern Eurasia, respectively. The northern one can be partially attributed to a weak polar vortex. In addition, higher sea surface temperatures of the Kuroshio Extension may contribute to high-frequency heavy snowfall. |
format |
Text |
author |
Lushan Wang Ke Fan Zhiqing Xu |
author_facet |
Lushan Wang Ke Fan Zhiqing Xu |
author_sort |
Lushan Wang |
title |
Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
title_short |
Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
title_full |
Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
title_fullStr |
Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
title_full_unstemmed |
Comparison of the Causes of High-Frequency Heavy and Light Snowfall on Interannual Timescales over Northeast China |
title_sort |
comparison of the causes of high-frequency heavy and light snowfall on interannual timescales over northeast china |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 |
op_coverage |
agris |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Atmosphere; Volume 11; Issue 9; Pages: 936 |
op_relation |
Meteorology https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090936 |
container_title |
Atmosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
936 |
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1774720805424332800 |