Heavy Snowfall Research Articles

Environmental factors regulating stream nitrate concentrations at baseflow condition in a large region encompassing a climatic gradient

AbstractThough high rates of nitrate (NO3−) leaching from forests are undesirable, the factors significantly regulating stream NO3− concentration is not clarified yet. In Japan, not only near metropolitan areas but also the Japan Sea‐side area with heavy snowfall is well known for receiving more than 10 kg‐N ha−1 year−1 of nitrogen (N) deposition. However, NO3− concentration in stream water is relatively low in the Japan Sea‐side area compared with its concentration in other areas. We examined important environmental factors regulating stream NO3− concentrations at baseflow condition in a large region of Japan, the Kinki region (KIN) including a part of Japan Sea‐side (JSK) using Random Forest regression. The amounts of N deposition and precipitation were common regulating factors for stream NO3− concentration at baseflow condition. Random forest showed the significant correlation between the factors related to ecosystem N retention and stream NO3− concentration at baseflow condition, and it suggests that large N deposited during the growing season was incorporated into the ecosystem in the entire KIN. Heavy rain and snow flush N and wash out N accumulated in the surface soil, causing small N accumulation in forests. Also, large precipitation dilute NO3− concentration in baseflows. These things lowered stream NO3− concentration at baseflow condition. Especially in JSK, most of N deposed with the heavy snow flushed out during the snowmelt period. We provided the first statistical confirmation using Random Forest regression that N accumulation and cycling in forest ecosystems were related to NO3− leaching from forests into streams.

Analysis on the Mechanism of the Heavy Snow Process in the Northeast of Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, in 2018

An analysis was made on the routine data of meteorological stations, high-resolution satellite cloud images and the NCEP/NCA R 1°×1° reanalysis data during one instance of heavy snow precipitation that took place in northern Bazhou, Xinjiang on October 18, 2018, followed by a diagnostic analysis of physical quantities, including the large-scale circulation anomalies, upper and lower-level circulation conditions and water vapor transport. The following are the results: (1) the heavy snow precipitation process in northern Bazhou, Xinjiang is a heavy precipitation process largely caused by a convergence of severely cold air carried from Siberia by an upper vortex, and a strong, warm and humid air current from southwest China. During this weather process, the upper layer was dry and cold, while the lower layer was warm and humid; an obvious wind shear and convergence center appeared at 700hPa, 850hPa in the lower layer over northern Bazhou; the heavy precipitation area was located in the front of the trough bottom at 500hPa, on the left side of the lower-level shear line. 2) The secondary circulation formed on the right side of the upper-level jet stream entrance area at 200hpa and 300hpa enlarged the ascending motion of the heavy snowfall area, while the low-level easterly jet stream played a critical role in transporting and accumulating water vapor at 850hpa. 3) The variations of temperature at 850hpa and on the ground layer were of certain indicative significance to the forecast of the precipitation phase state, and the temperature field at 850hpa well-indicated the change from rain to snow. When the air temperature fell to 0.5°C or so, and the ground temperature fell below 0°C given T700hpa<-10°C and T850hpa<-2°C, it could be used as a criterion for the judgment of rain changing to snow. 4) The vapor condition, lifting force condition and unstable stratification condition in the numerically-forecasted physical quantity field, all had a good guiding effect on the heavy precipitation process that took place in the Yanqi Reclamation Area.

Habitat Characteristics Coincidence of Dead and Living Long-Tailed Gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) According to Extreme Snowfall.

Simple SummaryThe long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus Milne-Edwards) is a critically endangered herbivore in South Korea. From March to June in 2010, 24 animals were found to have died due to heavy snowfall in the Wangpi Stream basin. In this study, we hypothesized that gorals that died due to snowfall are low-status individuals that lived in the sub-optimal or non-suitable areas. The results suggested that the sites where dead gorals were found were highly related to typical goral habitats. The optimal goral habitats could become uninhabitable following heavy snowfall. Most of the dead animals were pregnant females or were young, implying that they could not escape their primary habitats due to lower mobility. Thus, when there is a climate catastrophe, the optimal goral habitats should be considered for rescue and artificial feeding.The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is a critically endangered herbivore in South Korea. Despite government efforts to recover the population through reintroduction programs, the animal remains vulnerable to heavy snowfall. From March to June 2010, 24 animals were found dead due to heavy snowfall in the Wangpi Stream basin. In this study, we hypothesized that gorals that died due to snowfall are low-status individuals that lived in the sub-optimal or non-suitable areas. Using the occurrence data from extensive field surveys from 2008 to 2010 in the Wangpi Stream and the carcass location data, we (1) defined the goral habitat characteristics and (2) compared the habitat characteristics between dead and living gorals using ensemble species distribution modeling. The results suggested that the sites where dead gorals were found were highly related to typical goral habitats. These results implied that the optimal goral habitats could become uninhabitable following heavy snowfall. Most of the dead animals were pregnant females or were young, implying that they could not escape their primary habitats due to lower mobility. Thus, when there is a climate catastrophe, the optimal goral habitats should be considered for rescue and artificial feeding.

Arctic sea-ice loss fuels extreme European snowfall

The loss of Arctic sea-ice has been implicated with severe cold and snowy mid-latitude winters. However, the mechanisms and a direct link remain elusive due to limited observational evidence. Here we present atmospheric water vapour isotope measurements from Arctic Finland during ‘the Beast from the East’—a severe anticyclonic outbreak that brought heavy snowfall and freezing across Europe in February 2018. We find that an anomalously warm Barents Sea, with a 60% ice-free surface, supplied up to 9.3 mm d−1 moisture flux to this cold northeasterly airflow. We demonstrate that approximately 140 gigatonnes of water was evaporated from the Barents Sea during the event, potentially supplying up to 88% of the corresponding fresh snow over northern Europe. Reanalysis data show that from 1979 to 2020, net March evaporation across the Barents Sea increased by approximately 70 kg per square metre of sea-ice lost (r2 = 0.73, P < 0.01), concurrent with a 1.6 mm (water equivalent) per year increase in Europe’s maximum snowfall. Our analysis directly links Arctic sea-ice loss with increased evaporation and extreme snowfall, and signifies that by 2080, an Atlantified ice-free Barents Sea will be a major source of winter moisture for continental Europe.

Change of the distribution and management of avalanche prevention forest in Taira, Gokayama, Japan

Located in Gokayama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, Taira is a village with precipitous terrain and heavy snowfall, thus causing snow damage to occur frequently. In order to protect the village from disasters caused by avalanches, avalanche prevention forests (APF) has been maintained and managed since 1600s. However, due to the decline and aging of the rural population in mountainous areas in recent years, APF maintenance has become an important issue. Thus, this study aims to provide basic data for searching maintenance methods for APF, by clarifying the distribution, forest stand, management, and those changes. As a result, the distribution of APF changed after 1940s. To be specific, the APF distributed on the steep slopes behind each village has been preserved, while the conventional functions have been taken over. However, there has been still increasing the number of planted forests, scatter, and grass in the APF, which made the distribution of conventional APF decreased. In terms of the forestry laws, lots of parts of APF were designated according to the Protection Forest System of Forest Act step by step, which provides legal protection for part of APF. In short, it’s important to integrate sustainable maintenance solutions from multiple perspectives (disaster prevention, ecosystems, and landscapes, etc.) and to adjust measures according to different conditions of conventional APF and the part being protected by law.

The Background and Changes of the Dual Habitation of the Elderly Persons from the Area of Heavy Snowfall

The purpose of this study is to clarify the background and changes of the dual habitation before the relocation of elderly persons from the area of heavy Snowfall after several years of dual habitation. This study focuses on the dual habitation in Matsudai area, Tokamachi city, Niigata prefecture: one of the heavy snow areas by statute. The dual habitation in this area has been continued since 1980’s. The dual habitation of Elderly persons takes the form of going out of this area in winter and coming back when the spring comes. Eventually they relinquish their house and relocate to place where their children live. The dual habitation in this area has the background affected by regional conditions: the community and supports which responses to heavy snowfall. There were several settlements isolated by snow during winter in this area in 1980’s. This area could clear snow away from all streets in 1989. Elderly persons continued their dual habitation using railways despite losing the fear of isolation by snow because they still have the insecurity for living alone and have a wish to live with their family. The dual habitation is often treated as a measure to promote migration from the city areas to depopulated areas. This study indicated the dual habitation of elderly persons has regional characteristics and has been a buffer which reduce relocation damage. Besides, this study could give an important viewpoint in considering residence support in rural area and another aspect of the dual habitation.

Elk migration influences the risk of disease spillover in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Wildlife migrations provide important ecosystem services, but they are declining. Within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), some elk Cervus canadensis herds are losing migratory tendencies, which may increase spatiotemporal overlap between elk and livestock (domestic bison Bison bison and cattle Bos taurus), potentially exacerbating pathogen transmission risk.We combined disease, movement, demographic and environmental data from eight elk herds in the GYE to examine the differential risk of brucellosis transmission (through aborted foetuses) from migrant and resident elk to livestock.For both migrants and residents, we found that transmission risk from elk to livestock occurred almost exclusively on private ranchlands as opposed to state or federal grazing allotments. Weather variability affected the estimated distribution of spillover risk from migrant elk to livestock, with a 7%–12% increase in migrant abortions on private ranchlands during years with heavier snowfall. In contrast, weather variability did not affect spillover risk from resident elk.Migrant elk were responsible for the majority (68%) of disease spillover risk to livestock because they occurred in greater numbers than resident elk. On a per‐capita basis, however, our analyses suggested that resident elk disproportionately contributed to spillover risk. In five of seven herds, we estimated that the per‐capita spillover risk was greater from residents than from migrants. Averaged across herds, an individual resident elk was 23% more likely than an individual migrant elk to abort on private ranchlands.Our results demonstrate links between migration behaviour, spillover risk and environmental variability, and highlight the utility of integrating models of pathogen transmission and host movement to generate new insights about the role of migration in disease spillover risk. Furthermore, they add to the accumulating body of evidence across taxa that suggests that migrants and residents should be considered separately during investigations of wildlife disease ecology. Finally, our findings have applied implications for elk and brucellosis in the GYE. They suggest that managers should prioritize actions that maintain spatial separation of elk and livestock on private ranchlands during years when snowpack persists into the risk period.

Increased autumn and winter precipitation during the Last Glacial Maximum in the European Alps

The culmination of the glaciers in the European Alps during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is one of the most intensively studied paleoglaciological events, but its trigger and forcing remain incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that the timing of this glacier maximum coincided within age uncertainties with a 3100 yr-long interval of subsurface warming (26.6 to 23.5 ka BP) as recorded by an archive preserved in caves, cryogenic carbonates. This interval of sustained permafrost degradation during one of the coldest intervals of the last glacial period calls for a fundamental change in the dry Arctic-style precipitation regime. Instead, heavy snowfall during autumn and early winter led to the accumulation of a seasonal snowpack insulating the ground from the winter chill. Combined with thermal modelling, the data provide compelling evidence that the LGM glacier advance in the Alps was fueled by intensive snowfall late in the year, likely sourced from the Mediterranean Sea.

Impact of physical parameterizations on simulation of the Caspian Sea lake-effect snow

The southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea often experiences heavy snowfall during winter season due to the lake effect. The accurate estimation of snowfall in this region is still a challenge for weather forecasters. This study attempts to investigate the simulation of lake-effect snow (LES) event occurring along the southwest coastline of the Caspian Sea from 31 January to 4 February 2014 using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The study evaluates the sensitivity of four microphysics (WSM6, Goddard, Morrison, and Thompson) schemes and two planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes (the Yonsei University (YSU) and the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ)), yielding eight distinct combinations. The results indicated that all the simulations overestimated the precipitation. However, the best configurations for estimation of precipitation and snow in terms of their spatiotemporal variation were the Morrison-MYJ and the Goddard-MYJ, respectively. Analyses of the vertical profiles of hydrometeor species showed that the combination of Goddard and MYJ schemes created more snow and graupel than the other configurations. Although the combination of WSM-MYJ schemes revealed the least bias, it was not appropriate for the prediction of snow. A comparison of the two boundary layer schemes showed that the MYJ scheme simulated better intensity and distribution of precipitation than the YSU scheme compared to observations. Also, the maximum radar reflectivity of the model output was useful for identifying the location of maximum precipitation.

Yearly and seasonal changes in species composition of hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) caught with bait traps on the Sea of Japan coast

Hornets belong to the genus of Vespa, and are potentially effective predators of insect pests in forests and other environments. To assess the potential impact of prey foraging by the Vespa species, studies have attempted to understand species composition of hornets caught with bait traps in several regions in Japan. These studies showed that the species composition of hornets was different among the different regions in Japan, possibly due to the differences in the geographical distribution and climates. Additionally, the species composition of hornets has only been examined in the inland regions of Japan. In this study, we studied species composition of hornets caught with bait traps in Niigata city on the coast of the Sea of Japan, for a period of four years. The species composition observed in Niigata city was very similar to the composition seen in other temperate, warmer regions, but diffe¬rent from that in subarctic and heavy snowfall regions. There was a single peak in the trap catch due to seasonal changes in the two major species, V. analis and V. ducalis. There were also yearly changes in the species composition of hornets in Niigata city. The possible causes of the differences among the hornet populations in the seasons and years are discussed in this study.

Snow removal maintained a high level of physical activity in patients undergoing hemodialysis in heavy snowfall areas

BackgroundPhysical activity is an essential parameter associated with the prognosis of hemodialysis patients. Physical activity has regional characteristics; for example, snow removal is imperative in snowbelts during the winter. This study investigated the effects of removing snow on the physical activity levels of hemodialysis patients living in a snowbelt.MethodsThis study retrospectively examined 28 patients who underwent hemodialysis (age 69.6 ± 15.4 years, 19 males) in Uonuma Kikan Hospital between December 2019 and March 2020. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Patients were divided into a snow remover group and a non-snow remover group. We examined whether there were differences in physical or mental functioning and physical activity between the two groups. We also investigated the factors that influence high levels of physical activity among hemodialysis patients using multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsThe snow remover group had significantly greater grip strength, higher sit-to-stand test scores and gait speed, and a lower prevalence of frailty than the non-snow remover group. The level of physical activity was also significantly higher in the snow remover group. One of the patients in the snow remover group was frail. The univariate linear regression analysis showed that physical activity was related to age, grip strength, sit-to-stand test score, gait speed, and snow removal. In the multivariate linear regression analysis, snow removal and grip strength were significantly associated with a high level of physical activity.ConclusionsAmong hemodialysis patients living in a snowbelt, the snow remover group had significantly better physical functioning and a higher level of physical activity.

Risk evaluation of traffic standstills on winter roads using a state space model

A method that evaluates the risk of traffic standstills on winter roads in real time using a state space model is proposed herein. In Japan, large-scale anomaly events such as traffic standstills that cause serious road disturbances occur frequently every year because of heavy snowfall. However, if the risk of anomaly events is known in advance, appropriate preparation and management can be undertaken to prevent such events and/or alleviate their impacts on road traffic. Therefore, this study attempts to evaluate the risk of standstills based on the degraded road performance estimated from probe vehicle speeds using sequential Bayesian filtering in a state space model (SSM). The SSM comprises a system model constructed by learning historical data and a measurement model using several exogenous variables such as snowfall amounts and temperature. The risk of anomaly events is then determined as the deviation of the filtered vehicle speed by the SSM from the statistically feasible speed distribution. The validation is performed by applying the proposed model to 58 traffic-standstill cases in northern Japan, and we confirm that the model successfully evaluates risks at a reasonable level that permits the practical use.

Climatic hazards for native tree species in Poland with special regards to silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

The study defines the hazards for European native trees, such as silver fir and European beech generated by extreme weather events in Poland in 1954–2015. For this purpose, these extremes have been ranked in terms of their frequency. Trends of their frequency over studied period have also been tested. The study was based on meteorological data collected from 6 weather stations situated in central and eastern Poland, in the vicinity of the northeastern edge of the silver fir and European beech ranges. It was found that weather extremes which pose the largest threat to trees in Polish forests were late spring frost and strong winds. On average, these extremes occurred several times a year. Droughts and heavy snowfalls were less frequent and occurred every 1.3–4.7 years, on average. Winter severe frost was the rarest and occurred every 5.1–10.1 years. It should be emphasised that, despite the observed global warming, the weather extremes typical for winter and spring, namely severe frost, late spring frost and heavy snowfalls, were also present in Poland in the twenty-first century and no negative trend in their frequency was identified. However, a negative trend in the De Martonne aridity index was identified at some weather stations, which indicates an increased risk of drought.

Statistical characteristics of the spatial distribution of wind and snowfall in the Beijing\u2013Tianjin\u2013Hebei Region

In the current design specification of building structure, the basic wind pressure and basic snow pressure are two independent values, and it is impossible to acquire both of these values when snow and wind occur at the same time. Taking parameters such as snowfall intensity, snowfall amount, wind speed, and wind direction as indicators, the value of the combined distribution of wind and snowfall in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China was extracted. A joint distribution map of the daily average snowfall among the top-ten largest consecutive snowfall events and the daily average wind scale from the first day of snowfall to the fifth day after the snowfall were obtained. The study found that after a heavy snowfall in the Zhangjiakou area, the accumulated wind power was large and, although the wind speed was favorable for the occurrence of snowdrifts, the snowfall was light. After a heavy snowfall in the Shijiazhuang area, the accumulated wind power was small, and the probability of snowdrift formation was low. In the eastern regions of Cangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Tangshan, and Qinhuangdao, the accumulated wind force was relatively large after a heavy snowfall, and the probability of windblown snow was relatively high.

Illogical smart highway management policy in Japan

This paper reports an illogical policy on smart highway management in Japan. Heavy snow in Japan on Dec. 17 in 2020 revealed the failed link in the current policy between the smart highway management and weather forecast. Weather forecast information is supposed to be used in controlling the gates in highway for mitigating stranded vehicles by heavy snowfalls, blizzards, freezing rain or sleet, dense fog, high winds, and other weather-related phenomena respectively. However, more than several thousand vehicles were stranded every winter on the smart highway in Japan. This paper examines what is wrong and what should be fixed in the current highway policy in Japan.

Diel Activity Patterns of Three Sympatric Medium-Sized Carnivores during Winter and Spring in a Heavy Snowfall Area in Northeastern Japan

In a heavy snowfall area in northeastern Japan, we clarified the diel activity patterns of and seasonal differences in three sympatric carnivores (red foxes, raccoon dogs, and Japanese martens) during winter and spring, and the interspecific differences among the activity patterns in each season. The activity time of the target species was obtained by camera-trap surveys at seven sites around the Experimental Forest of Yamagata University from January to June 2019. The diel activity patterns of each species, and seasonal and interspecific differences in the activity patterns were evaluated using the kernel density method. Red foxes showed a unimodal nocturnal pattern in spring, whereas they were also observed during the daytime in winter. Raccoon dogs showed a unimodal nocturnal pattern, and peak activity after sunset in both seasons. Japanese martens were clearly nocturnal during both seasons. Because there were a few interspecific differences in diel activity patterns among three species, species interactions had little effect on diel activity patterns. Our findings indicate that the diel activity of medium-sized carnivores responding to winter conditions may vary depending on species.

Not avian but mammalian scavengers efficiently consume carcasses under heavy snowfall conditions: a case from northern Japan

Interest in trophic interactions and ecosystem functions derived from carcass consumption by scavengers has been increasing. Here, we conducted the first evaluation of scavenging processes in an ecosystem with heavy snow, located in northern Japan, which is characterized by the limitations of visual and odor cues to detect carcasses. In this study, we verified the behavioral traits and assemblage compositions of avian and mammalian scavengers, which consumed six different carcass types buried in snow. We measured the visits of scavengers using camera traps between 2010 and 2020. The total scavenger richness observed was relatively low (only 12 species) compared to warmer biomes. We observed seven avian scavenger species, but their visit frequencies were extremely low compared with those of nocturnal mammalian scavengers, such as raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and martens (Martes melampus), which were able to detect carcasses more rapidly and frequently. Our findings imply that large snow piles significantly prevent avian scavengers from detecting carcasses. In contrast, the snow piles could protect carcasses from the freezing air and ensure the occurrence of a basal level of microbial decomposition, possibly leading to carcass decomposition. This probably results in carcasses still providing odor cues for mammalian scavengers with heightened sense of smell. Moreover, considering the high carcass consumption rate (91.3% of full-body carcass; n = 23) and short carcass detection times (approximately 90 h) observed, it is possible that scavenging in heavy snowfall conditions has become systematically integrated into the foraging tactics of many mammalian scavengers.

Diagnostic analysis of a regional heavy snowfall event over the Tibetan Plateau using NCEP reanalysis data and WRF

Snowstorms frequently occur in spring over the heterogeneous underlying surface of the Tibetan Plateau, causing both economic and societal damage. What the intensity of factors triggering snowstorms remains poorly understood. This study quantitatively diagnoses water vapor, the thermodynamic and dynamic conditions of a large-scale heavy snowfall event over the Tibetan Plateau using reanalysis data. Here we show, a cold vortex, the Southern Branch Trough and a meridional shear line are favorable synoptic systems. The snowfall is characterized by low-layer (− 8.3 × 10−7 g s−1 hPa−1 cm−2) and whole-layer (− 4.5 × 10−4 g s−1 cm−2) moisture convergence, low-level atmospheric convergence and high-level divergence (± 3 × 10−4 s−1), low-level positive vorticity (4.8 × 10−4 s−1) and strong vertical velocity (− 4 Pa s−1). Although the convectively-stable stratification acted to suppress snowfall, the abundant water vapor and strong orographic uplift of Himalayas and the downhill wind speed convergence overcome this to trigger the heavy snowfall event witnessed in March 2017. These diagnostic results are well consistent with those from WRF simulation. Our study acknowledges the importance of WRF in diagnostic analysis, deepens the understanding of evolution mechanisms and provides theoretical references for accurate forecasting of such events over the Tibetan Plateau. It would aid the development of effective strategies for sustainable livestock, and the mitigation and prevention of snow disasters in this region.

Causes of the extreme snowfall anomaly over the northeast Tibetan plateau in early winter 2018

An extremely heavy snowfall event occurred in early winter (November–December) 2018 over the northeast of Tibetan Plateau (NTP), with snowfall amounts ranking the highest since 1961. It is necessary to better understand the causes and reveal the physical mechanism of this extreme snowfall event. In this article, the features of this extreme snowfall event and its possible linkage with atmospheric circulation anomalies, and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly effects are analyzed. The results show that in early winter 2018, (1) there was a similar Eurasian teleconnection (EU) pattern in the mid-latitudes with a periodic strengthening of the Siberian High, which favored northern cold airflow into the NTP, providing the suitable temperature conditions for snowfall. (2) Low-latitude meridional and mid-latitude zonal water vapor transport were both significantly greater than normal, causing much more water vapor flow than normal into the NTP region through the western and southern boundaries, leading to the second highest net water vapor input since 1961 and creating sufficient continuous water vapor conditions for extreme snowfall. (3) The baroclinicity and the instability of the atmospheric circulation, accompanied by abnormal cold and warm advection and vertical movement over the NTP, provided the dynamic atmospheric conditions for the snowfall event. (4) Under the background of warm El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event and the positive phase of the Tropical Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) SST, the EU pattern initiated by the tele-influence of IOD mode dominated the midlatitude region across Eurasia continent. The positive anomalies of EU teleconnection over western Asia guided the heavy water vapor flow into the NTP through the western and southern boundaries, respectively. In addition, the effects of ENSO/IOD caused the northern Indian Ocean and northwest Pacific to be dominated by anticyclones, creating more northward water vapor transport from the tropical region. Accordingly, sufficient water vapor flowed into the NTP along the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, providing the moisture conditions for the severe snowfall event.

Spatiotemporal distribution of heavy and extreme snowfalls in the Transcarpathian region

This paper presents a spatiotemporal analysis of the dynamics of heavy and extreme snowfalls in the Transcarpathian region during 1990-2019. Data on snowfalls are obtained from the observation points of the state hydrometeorological network of the Transcarpathian Regional Center of Hydrometeorology. Also there are data included from the Pozhezhevska snow avalanche station (Ivano-Frankivsk region) as a representative observation point for the highland zone of the eastern part of the Transcarpathian region. The analysis took into account the date of snowfall, the amount of precipitation that fell during the snowfall,l and its duration. The recurrence of different indicators of snowfall distribution was calculated for each observation point separately for the specified thirty-year period. Some results were mapped by the isolines using kriging interpolation. Spatio-temporal heterogeneities and regularities in the distribution of heavy and extreme snowfalls have been revealed.