Two major sudden stratospheric warmings during winter 2023/2024

Major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) occur in the Arctic around six times per decade. During winter 2023/2024, two major SSWs occurred – a relatively rare event, having occurred on average only once per decade. Here, we summarise the evolution of the two SSWs, their dynamics and impacts on str...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Weather
Main Authors: Lee, Simon Haydn, Butler, Amy, Manney, Gloria L.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Sudden stratospheric warming
Polar vortex
Subseasonal
SSW
Northern Annular Mode
Arctic
Ozone
Online Access:https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/2f472c8f-0180-4117-b799-d93d617d46f1
https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.7656
https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/31067/1/Lee_2024_Weather_Two-major-sudden-stratospheric-warmings_CC.pdf
Description
Summary:Major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) occur in the Arctic around six times per decade. During winter 2023/2024, two major SSWs occurred – a relatively rare event, having occurred on average only once per decade. Here, we summarise the evolution of the two SSWs, their dynamics and impacts on stratospheric chemical processing and tropospheric weather patterns. While both SSWs were displacement events, they evolved remarkably differently. The 16 January SSW was short-lived and did not exert a canonical influence on surface weather. In contrast, the 4 March SSW followed a more typical evolution, albeit with only weak coupling to the troposphere.

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