Abstract
Abstract. Winter snowfall and its temporal variability are important factors in the development of water management strategies for snow-dominated regions. For example, mountain regions of Europe rely on snow for recreation, and on snowmelt for water supply and hydropower. It is still unclear whether in these regions the snow regime is undergoing any major significant change. Moreover, snow interannual variability depends on different climatic variables, such as precipitation and temperature, and their interplay with atmospheric and pressure conditions. This paper uses the EASE Grid weekly snow cover and Ice Extent database from the National Snow and Ice Data Center to assess the possible existence of trends in snow cover across Europe. This database provides a representation of snow cover fields in Europe for the period 1972–2006 and is used here to construct snow cover indices, both in time and space. These indices allow us to investigate the historical spatial and temporal variability of European snow cover fields, and to relate them to the modes of climate variability that are known to affect the European climate. We find that both the spatial and temporal variability of snow cover are strongly related to the Arctic Oscillation during wintertime. In the other seasons, weaker correlation appears between snow cover and the other patterns of climate variability, such as the East Atlantic, the East Atlantic West Russia, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Polar Pattern and the Scandinavian Pattern.
Highlights
The cryosphere is the major stock of freshwater resources on Earth (e.g., Dingman, 1994; Chow et al, 1988), and as such it plays an important role in the water cycle, climate dy-namics, human activities and ecosystem functioning (Bonan, 2002)
The interannual variability of snow cover is initially assessed by means of trend analysis
The analysis of the interannual variability of snow cover in Europe shows some significant trends with an increase in snow covered area during cold months (October–December) and a decrease in the warm season (July–September)
Summary
The cryosphere is the major stock of freshwater resources on Earth (e.g., Dingman, 1994; Chow et al, 1988), and as such it plays an important role in the water cycle, climate dy-namics, human activities and ecosystem functioning (Bonan, 2002). At large scales, snow cover extent and temporal persistence influence the interaction and feedbacks between the land surface and the atmosphere, due to the effect of albedo on the surface energy balance (e.g., Bonan, 2002; Armstrong and Brun, 2008). It is important to understand the patterns and drivers of seasonal and interannual fluctuation in snow cover extent and temporal persistency (e.g., Popova, 2007; Brown, 2000; Cohen and Entekhabi, 2001; Yoo and D’Odorico, 2002). Clark et al (1999) identified connections between patterns of atmospheric circulation and Eurasian snow cover, and explained them as an effect of the relation existing between the NAO and surface temperatures. The relation between the NAO and precipitation or temperature has been well documented and understood (e.g., Hurrell, 1995; Bartolini et al, 2009), and could translate into a dependence of snowfall and snow accumulation on the NAO
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
