The snow depth and its dynamics on the continental part of the Russian Arctic under conditions of the present-day climate

Abstract

Based on the data of route snow surveys for the period 1966–2020, the comparison of the average long-term maximum depths of snow cover, the depths of snow cover for individual months and the dynamics of snow accumulation (the ratio of the depths of snow cover to the maximum value) on the continental part of the Russian Arctic for two representative periods (1966–1990 and 1991–2020) was made. Maps of snow cover depths and snow accumulation dynamics have been constructed for both periods. These maps made possible to analyze influence of the climatic changes on the depths of snow cover and the dynamics of snow accumulation. A comparison of these values for the first (1991–2020) period with the same of the second one showed that in October–November in the European part of the Russian Arctic, the snow depths decreased by an average of 22% (first period) and 8% (second period), and in some areas the decrease reached 70 and 20%. In the Arctic part of Western Siberia, these characteristics of snow cover increased. Growth of snow cover depths in November/January/March averaged as 11/20/23%, and in some areas it exceeded 40%. The dynamics of snow accumulation in the Arctic for the whole period 1991–2020 averages 18/37%, in October/November, and 71/91% in January/March. In the European part of the Arctic, these values are smaller: 13/29% and 68/90%, respectively. The dynamics of snow accumulation in the west and in the center of the European Arctic territory by the end of the autumn period does not reach 30%, while in the Arctic part of Siberia this mainly exceeds 50%. In October/November 1991–2020, the dynamics of snow accumulation decreased in several regions of the European Arctic and the Arctic part of Western Siberia as compared to 1966–1990. On average over the entire territory of the Arctic, the decrease in the dynamics of snow accumulation compared to 1966–1990 amounted to 13/4% in October/November, and 3/1% in January/March.