The association between extremes in North American snow cover extent and United States temperatures

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Climate; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1993)006<1345:TABEIN>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:5418566

Leathers, D J ^[1]; Robinson, D A ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Deleware, Newark, DE (United States)
2. Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States)

The association between satellite-derived North American snow cover extent and United States winter (December, January, February) temperature is examined. The results indicate that winter months evidencing extreme position (negative) values of North American snow cover extent are associated with below- (above) normal temperatures across the majority of the United States. The area evidencing the largest temperatures departures during both positive and negative North American snow cover extremes is located across the central United States, roughly from the Dakotas south through the southern plains, and from the Rocky Mountains east the Mississippi Valley. This area is collocated with the largest variations in snow cover frequency. No consistently strong association is indicated east of the Appalachians or west of the Rocky Mountains. During December, strong 500-mb height anomalies are collocated with the area of maximum snow cover frequency deviations and the largest temperature departures. This is not the case in January and February. During these months the snow cover frequency and temperature anomaly fields are not in close proximity to strong areas of 500-mb deviations. Evidence is presented to suggest that continental snow cover anomalies produce remote temperature perturbations away from the area of local snow cover variations, through the large-scale modification of air masses. In addition, a brief climatology of North American snow cover is presented. 38 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 5418566
• Journal Information: Journal of Climate; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Climate; (United States) Vol. 6:7; ISSN JLCLEL; ISSN 0894-8755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
DISTRIBUTION
NORTH AMERICA
SNOW
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
VARIATIONS