Impacts of autumn-winter Central Asian snow cover on the interannual variation in Northeast Asian winter precipitation

Abstract

The current work investigated the impact of the interannual variation in the autumn-winter snow cover extent (SCE) over the extratropical Eurasian continent on Northeast Asian winter precipitation (NAWP) using observational data from 1972 to 2019. The leading singular value decomposition (SVD) mode of the interannual variation in the NAWP is significantly related to autumn SCE anomalies over Central Asia (SCE_CA), with decreased autumn SCE_CA corresponding to increased NAWP. The possible mechanisms responsible for this autumn SCE_CA-NAWP relationship are examined. The analytical results show that the reduced autumn SCE_CA has a significant warming effect on the overlying atmosphere and induces an anomalous anticyclone over CA. This anticyclonic response cooperates with the North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomaly (SST)-generated atmospheric wave pattern, promoting a further eastward extension of the wave pattern to the downstream regions of the Eurasian continent. The anomalous autumn SCE_CA can persist to the following winter, and its related atmospheric wave train is maintained and further strengthened by the increased winter SCE over North China (SCE_NC). In winter, the atmospheric circulation features a pronounced low-pressure system over Northeast Asia and a high-pressure system over the western North Pacific sector. The anomalous southeasterly winds between these two systems transport water vapor from the lower-latitude Pacific Ocean to the interior of the continent, accounting for more NAWP. A composite analysis further indicates that this autumn SCE_CA-NAWP relationship is primarily independent of the North Atlantic SSTs.