The eastern Mediterranean extreme snowfall of January 2022: synoptic analysis and impact of sea‐surface temperature

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea is affected by cyclonic activity often associated with extreme weather. Intense snowfall events are rare, but when they occur they can lead to severe impacts especially due to the lack of infrastructure and public awareness. This study focuses on the mechanisms that can trigger extreme snowstorms over the eastern Mediterranean and the quantification of the influence of sea‐surface temperature (SST) anomalies on them. Different scenarios show that positive SST anomalies lead to more severe snowfall over higher altitudes, whereas negative anomalies lead to longer duration of snow cover on lower altitudes and seaside areas.image