Winter severity and snowiness and their multiannual variability in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains

Grzegorz Urban,Dáša Richterová,Ilona Zusková,Piotr Pawliczek,Stanislava Kliegrová

doi:10.1007/s00704-017-2270-y

Abstract

This paper analyses winter severity and snow conditions in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains and examines their long-term trends. The analysis used modified comprehensive winter snowiness (WSW) and winter severity (WOW) indices as defined by Paczos (1982). An attempt was also made to determine the relationship between the WSW and WOW indices. Measurement data were obtained from eight stations operated by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMGW–PIB), from eight stations operated by the Czech Hydrological and Meteorological Institute (CHMI) and also from the Meteorological Observatory of the University of Wrocław (UWr) on Mount Szrenica. Essentially, the study covered the period from 1961 to 2015. In some cases, however, the period analysed was shorter due to the limited availability of data, which was conditioned, inter alia, by the period of operation of the station in question, and its type.Viewed on a macroscale, snow conditions in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains (in similar altitude zones) are clearly more favourable on southern slopes than on northern ones. In the study area, negative trends have been observed with respect to both the WSW and WOW indices—winters have become less snowy and warmer. The correlation between the WOW and WSW indices is positive. At stations with northern macroexposure, WOW and WSW show greater correlation than at ones with southern macroexposure. This relationship is the weakest for stations that are situated in the upper ranges (Mount Śnieżka and Mount Szrenica).

Highlights

Among the basic research problems in modern climatology is that of establishing climate trends and variability, including in the winter period, through the analysis of winter severity and snowiness
The snow conditions typical of the slope zone in the Elbe River catchment are present in the Odra River catchment at altitudes that are approx. 250 m higher
The analysis of temperature and snow conditions in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains, which was conducted on the basis of modified multicomponent formulas proposed by Paczos (1982), enables us to put forward the following claims:

Summary

Introduction

Among the basic research problems in modern climatology is that of establishing climate trends and variability, including in the winter period, through the analysis of winter severity and snowiness. Snow cover and its multiannual trends are the result of the direct or indirect simultaneous impact of multiple climate components and factors and of their changes in subsequent years (Foster et al 1983; Falarz 2004). The climate changes predicted to take place until 2050, i.e. progressive warming, will cause a gradual decrease in the surface area of glaciers and in snow cover; the snow line and vegetation zones will move upwards and northwards (IPCC 2001, 2013; Migała 2005). The results of snow cover studies confirm its high sensitivity to climate change and to individual climate components (Cayan 1996; Bednorz 2004; Stewart et al 2005) as well as to progressive warming (Karl et al 1993; Dettinger and Cayan 1995; Stewart et al 2004; Hidalgo et al 2009)

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Conclusion