Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Physical mechanisms of European winter snow cover variability and its relationship to the NAO

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Annual snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased in the past two decades, an effect associated with global warming. The regional scale changes of snow cover during winter, however, vary significantly from one region to another. In the present study, snow cover variability over Europe and its connection to other atmospheric variables was investigated using Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function (CSEOF) analysis. The evolution of atmospheric variables related to each CSEOF mode of snow cover variability was derived via regression analysis in CSEOF space. CSEOF analysis clearly shows that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is related to European snow cover, particularly in January and February. A negative NAO phase tends to result in a snow cover increases, whereas a positive NAO phase results in snow cover decreases. The temporal changes in the connection between the NAO and European snow cover are explained by time-dependent NAO-related temperature anomalies. If the NAO phase is negative, the temperature is lower in Europe and snow cover increases; by contrast, when the NAO phase is positive, the temperature is higher and snow cover decreases. Temperature and snow cover variations in Europe are associated with the thermal advection by anomalous wind by NAO. CSEOF analysis also shows an abrupt increase of snow cover in December and January and a decrease in February and March since the year 2000, approximately. This abrupt change is associated with sub-seasonal variations of atmospheric circulation in the study region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnett TP, Dümenil L, Schlese U, Roeckner E (1988) The effect of Eurasian snow cover on global climate. Science 239(4839):504–507. doi:10.1126/science.239.4839.504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett TP, Dümenil L, Schlese U, Roeckner E, Latif M (1989) The effect of Eurasian snow cover on regional and global climate variations. J Atmos Sci 46(5):661–686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RD (2000) Northern hemisphere snow cover variability and change, 1915–1997. J Clim 13(13):2339–2355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RD, Mote PW (2009) The response of northern hemisphere snow cover to a changing climate*. J Clim 22(8):2124–2145. doi:10.1175/2008jcli2665.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RD, Petkova N (2007) Snow cover variability in Bulgarian mountainous regions, 1931–2000. Int J Climatol 27(9):1215–1229. doi:10.1002/joc.1468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark MP, Serreze MC (2000) Effects of variations in East Asian snow cover on modulating atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific Ocean. J Clim 13(20):3700–3710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark MP, Serreze MC, Robinson DA (1999) Atmospheric controls on Eurasian snow extent. Int J Climatol 19(1):27–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen J, Entekhabi D (1999) Eurasian snow cover variability and northern hemisphere climate predictability. Geophys Res Lett 26(3):345–348. doi:10.1029/1998gl900321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen J, Foster J, Barlow M, Saito K, Jones J (2010) Winter 2009–2010: a case study of an extreme Arctic Oscillation event. Geophys Res Lett 37(17):L17707. doi:10.1029/2010gl044256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Déry SJ, Brown RD (2007) Recent northern hemisphere snow cover extent trends and implications for the snow-albedo feedback. Geophys Res Lett 34(22):L22504. doi:10.1029/2007gl031474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falarz M (2004) Variability and trends in the duration and depth of snow cover in Poland in the 20th century. Int J Climatol 24(13):1713–1727. doi:10.1002/joc.1093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong G, Entekhabi D, Cohen J (2002) A large-ensemble model study of the wintertime AO–NAO and the role of interannual snow perturbations. J Clim 15(23):3488–3499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong G, Entekhabi D, Cohen J (2003) Modeled northern hemisphere winter climate response to realistic Siberian snow anomalies. J Clim 16(23):3917–3931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong G, Entekhabi D, Cohen J (2004) Orographic constraints on a modeled Siberian snow–tropospheric–stratospheric teleconnection pathway. J Clim 17(6):1176–1189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong G, Cohen J, Entekhabi D, Ge Y (2007) Hemispheric-scale climate response to Northern Eurasia land surface characteristics and snow anomalies. Glob Planet Change 56(3–4):359–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groisman PY, Karl TR, Knight RW (1994a) Observed impact of snow cover on the heat balance and the rise of continental spring temperatures. Science 263(5144):198–200. doi:10.1126/science.263.5144.198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groisman PY, Karl TR, Knight RW, Stenchikov GL (1994b) Changes of snow cover, temperature, and radiative heat balance over the northern hemisphere. J Clim 7(11):1633–1656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson GR, Leathers DJ (2010) European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings. Int J Climatol 30(10):1440–1451. doi:10.1002/joc.1990

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalnay E, Kanamitsu M, Kistler R, Collins W, Deaven D, Gandin L, Iredell M, Saha S, White G, Woollen J, Zhu Y, Leetmaa A, Reynolds R, Chelliah M, Ebisuzaki W, Higgins W, Janowiak J, Mo KC, Ropelewski C, Wang J, Jenne R, Joseph D (1996) The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc 77(3):437–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K-Y, North GR (1997) EOFs of harmonizable cyclostationary processes. J Atmos Sci 54(19):2416–2427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K-Y, North GR, Huang J (1996) EOFs of one-dimensional cyclostationary time series: computations, examples, and stochastic modeling. J Atmos Sci 53(7):1007–1017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindap T (2010) A severe sea-effect snow episode over the city of Istanbul. Nat Hazards 54(3):707–723. doi:10.1007/s11069-009-9496-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laternser M, Schneebeli M (2003) Long-term snow climate trends of the Swiss Alps (1931–1999). Int J Climatol 23(7):733–750. doi:10.1002/joc.912

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Na H, Kim K-Y, Chang K-I, Kim K, Yun J-Y, Minobe S (2010) Interannual variability of the Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water and its relationship with the upper water temperatures and atmospheric forcing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). J Geophys Res 115 (C9):C09031. doi:10.1029/2010jc006347

  • Robinson DA, Frei A (2000) Seasonal variability of northern hemisphere snow extent using visible satellite data. The Professional Geographer 52(2):307–315. doi:10.1111/0033-0124.00226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson DA, Dewey KF, Heim RR (1993) Global snow cover monitoring: an update. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc 74(9):1689–1696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saito K, Cohen J, Entekhabi D (2001) Evolution of atmospheric response to early-season Eurasian snow cover anomalies. Mon Weather Rev 129(11):2746–2760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seager R, Kushnir Y, Nakamura J, Ting M, Naik N (2010) Northern hemisphere winter snow anomalies: ENSO, NAO and the winter of 2009/2010. Geophys Res Lett 37(14):L14703. doi:10.1029/2010gl043830

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terzago S, Cassardo C, Cremonini R, Fratianni S (2010) Snow precipitation and snow cover climatic variability for the period 1971–2009 in the Southwestern Italian Alps: The 2008–2009 snow season case study. Water 2(4):773–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Liu H, Lee S-K (2010) The record-breaking cold temperatures during the winter of 2009/2010 in the Northern Hemisphere. Atmos Sci Lett 11(3):161–168. doi:10.1002/asl.278

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs, Korea (Ocean Climate Variability Program and EAST-I Project). KYK and YK were supported by Brain Korea 21 Project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-747, Republic of Korea

    Yoojin Kim & Kwang-Yul Kim

  2. Korea Polar Research Institute, 12 Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 406-840, Republic of Korea

    Baek-Min Kim

Authors
  1. Yoojin Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kwang-Yul Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Baek-Min Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kwang-Yul Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, Y., Kim, KY. & Kim, BM. Physical mechanisms of European winter snow cover variability and its relationship to the NAO. Clim Dyn 40, 1657–1669 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1365-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-012-1365-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation