Impact Of North Atlantic Oscillation Research Articles

North Atlantic Oscillation impact on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation shaped by the mean state

Accurate representation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in global climate models is crucial for reliable future climate predictions and projections. In this study, we used 42 coupled atmosphere–ocean global climate models to analyze low-frequency variability of the AMOC driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our results showed that the influence of the simulated NAO on the AMOC differs significantly between the models. We showed that the large intermodel diversity originates from the diverse oceanic mean state, especially over the subpolar North Atlantic (SPNA), where deep water formation of the AMOC occurs. For some models, the climatological sea ice extent covers a wide area of the SPNA and restrains efficient air–sea interactions, making the AMOC less sensitive to the NAO. In the models without the sea-ice-covered SPNA, the upper-ocean mean stratification critically affects the relationship between the NAO and AMOC by regulating the AMOC sensitivity to surface buoyancy forcing. Our results pinpoint the oceanic mean state as an aspect of climate model simulations that must be improved for an accurate understanding of the AMOC.

Changes in the Dominant Mode of Summer Precipitation Over the Central‐Eastern Tibetan Plateau Around the Mid‐1990s

AbstractThe interdecadal changes in the dominant mode of the summer precipitation over the central‐eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) are investigated around the mid‐1990s. It is found that the leading empirical orthogonal function mode of the interannual variations of summer precipitation over the central‐eastern TP is shown an out‐of‐phase pattern, with opposite variation between the southeastern and northeastern TP during 1961–1996, while the dominant mode become an in‐phase pattern during 1997–2019. During 1961–1996, the dipole pattern of TP precipitation is mainly related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and associated circulation anomalies. However, the impact of NAO on the dipole pattern of TP precipitation has weakened since the mid‐1990s. In contrast, during 1997–2019, more pronounced positive height anomalies in the upper troposphere are observed over the whole TP regions. Meanwhile, the southerly moisture flux from the Bay of Bengal and the Philippine Sea is prevalent significantly with strong moisture convergence. Further analysis demonstrates that this interdecadal spatial change is mainly linked to the significant increasing of the sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Indo‐Pacific warm pool, via wave trains propagation. The wave train‐related positive height anomalies over the TP regions are in favor of the strengthening of the South Asian high (SAH). Moreover, the zonal and meridional mean temperature advections by SAH‐related circulation anomalies are primarily responsible for the intense vertical flow anomalies. Consequently, the summer precipitation anomalies over the entire TP regions are largely enhanced and formed the mono‐sign pattern during 1997–2019.

Impact of North Atlantic Oscillation and drought conditions on summer urban heat load ‐ a case study for Zagreb

AbstractFrequent heat waves in the latest decade have drawn attention due to large mortality and economic losses. Urban areas are in additional danger of extreme heat due to the well‐known urban heat island (UHI) phenomena. Here, we investigate the effect of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in modifying urban heat in Zagreb, Croatia. Both winter (wNAO) and summer (sNAO) NAO components are analysed in terms of indirect (lagged) and direct effects on the urban heat load. The strongest increase in heat load was found when positive wNAO was followed by negative sNAO, while the opposite situation led to the strongest decrease. Situations with the same wNAO and sNAO polarity resulted in much weaker amplitude of changes due to opposing effects on climate parameters over investigated area. These findings were confirmed using ground measurements from meteorological station, as well as an urban climate model. However, not only changes in the total heat load, but also differences regarding UHI intensity are detected. It is found that soil moisture, at least partially, drives such behaviour. The combination of positive wNAO followed by negative sNAO leads to a longer drier and warmer conditions over the Zagreb area and vice versa. Hence, in situations with an extended drier period the increase in heat load over green areas is found to be stronger compared to the densely built‐up regions resulting in lower spatial gradient. This was confirmed by additional modelling experiments where the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was used to analyse the effect of drought conditions on UHI. These findings are additionally confirmed using satellite land surface temperature data. The potential applicability of this study includes UHI mitigation by irrigation of green urban areas in situations when seasonal forecasts indicate that warmer and drier conditions are expected.

Impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on water resources in South Western Poland

The paper presents the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the water resources, especially considering groundwater discharge (baseflow) in south-western Poland. The impact of long-term changes of meteorological conditions on the water resources of this area in the 1966-2015 was determined on the basis of changes in the baseflow and total stream flow. Statistical analysis of meteorological and hydrological data showed that the runoff from the Sudeten mountain range and its foreground depends on the circulating climate factors (like the NAO). The annual NAO index best describes the variability of the average annual (12-month) total stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from February to January and March to February, while the winter NAO index best describes the variability of the average annual (12-month) total stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from March to February and April to March. The winter NAO index also best describes the variability of the average six-month (6-month) stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from April to September. In the above-mentioned cases, the values of the Pearson correlation coefficient are at a high level and reach the value of -0.65.

A 2,000-year Bayesian NAO reconstruction from the Iberian Peninsula

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the major atmospheric mode that controls winter European climate variability because its strength and phase determine regional temperature, precipitation and storm tracks. The NAO spatial structure and associated climatic impacts over Europe are not stationary making it crucial to understanding its past evolution in order to improve the predictability of future scenarios. In this regard, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of studies aimed at reconstructing past NAO variability, but the information related to decadal-scale NAO evolution beyond the last millennium is scarce and inconclusive. We present a new 2,000-year multi-annual, proxy-based reconstruction of local NAO impact, with associated uncertainties, obtained by a Bayesian approach. This new local NAO reconstruction is obtained from a mountain lacustrine sedimentary archive of the Iberian Peninsula. This geographical area is not included in previous NAO reconstructions despite being a widely used region for instrumental-based NAO measurements. We assess the main external forcings (i.e., volcanic eruptions and solar activity) on NAO variability which, on a decadal scale, show that a low number of sunspots correlate to low NAO values. By comparison with other previously published NAO reconstructions in our analyses we can test the stationarity of the solar influence on the NAO signal across a latitudinal gradient based on the position of the employed archives for each NAO reconstruction. Inconclusive results on the volcanic forcing on NAO variability over decadal time-scales indicates the need for further studies. Moreover, we highlight the potential role of other North Atlantic modes of variability (i.e., East Atlantic pattern) on the non-stationary behaviour of the NAO throughout the Common Era, likely via solar forcing.

Nonlinearity in the tropospheric pathway of ENSO to the North Atlantic

Abstract. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can exert a remote impact on North Atlantic and European (NAE) winter climate. This teleconnection is driven by the superposition and interaction of different influences, which are generally grouped into two main pathways, namely the tropospheric and stratospheric pathways. In this study, we focus on the tropospheric pathway through the North Pacific and across the North American continent. Due to the possible nonstationary behavior and the limited time period covered by reanalysis datasets, the potential nonlinearity of this pathway remains unclear. In order to address this question, we use a simplified physics atmospheric model forced with seasonally varying prescribed sea surface temperatures (SST) following the evolution of different ENSO phases with linearly varying strength at a fixed location. To isolate the tropospheric pathway the zonal mean stratospheric winds are nudged towards the model climatology. The model experiments indicate that the tropospheric pathway of ENSO to the North Atlantic exhibits significant nonlinearity with respect to the tropical SST forcing, both in terms of the location and amplitude of the impacts. For example, strong El Niño leads to a significantly stronger impact on the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) than a La Niña forcing of the same amplitude. For La Niña forcings, there is a saturation in the response, with no further increase in the NAO impact even when doubling the SST forcing, while this is not the case for El Niño. These findings may have important consequences for long-range prediction of the North Atlantic and Europe.

Impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on the Snowpack in Iberian Peninsula Mountains

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is considered to be the main atmospheric factor explaining the winter climate and snow evolution over much of the Northern Hemisphere. However, the absence of long-term snow data in mountain regions has prevented full assessment of the impact of the NAO at the regional scales, where data are limited. In this study, we assessed the relationship between the NAO of the winter months (DJFM-NAO) and the snowpack of the Iberian Peninsula. We simulated temperature, precipitation, and snow data for the period 1979–2014 by dynamic downscaling of ERA-Interim reanalysis data, and correlated this with the DJFM-NAO for the five main mountain ranges of the Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian Range, Central Range, Iberian Range, the Pyrenees, and the Sierra Nevada). The results confirmed that negative DJFM-NAO values generally occur during wet and mild conditions over most of the Iberian Peninsula. Due to the direction of the wet air masses, the NAO has a large influence on snow duration and the annual peak snow water equivalent (peak SWE) in most of the mountain ranges in the study, mostly on the slopes south of the main axis of the ranges. In contrast, the impact of NAO variability is limited on north-facing slopes. Negative (positive) DJFM-NAO values were associated with longer (shorter) duration and higher (lower) peak SWEs in all mountains analyzed in the study. We found marked variability in correlations of the DJFM-NAO with snow indices within each mountain range, even when only the south-facing slopes were considered. The correlations were stronger for higher elevations in the mountain ranges, but geographical longitude also explained the intra-range variability in the majority of the studied mountains.

Linear and nonlinear links of winter European precipitation to Northern Hemisphere circulation patterns

The connections between European rainfall variability in winter (from January to March) and Northern Hemisphere circulation patterns, as represented by 500-hPa geopotential height, are investigated in the period 1900–2014. Initially, three statistically significant pairs of linearly-related circulation and precipitation patterns, explaining 45% of the variance in the latter field, are identified. The first two essentially represent the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic (EA) patterns, while the third corresponds to a structure described in recent literature as a blend of the Pacific North America (PNA) pattern and the so-called Asia Bering North America (ABNA) pattern. The residual precipitation field is then examined for patterns that can introduce non-linear modulations into the circulation-precipitation links. It is so found that the NAO impact on European rainfall is modulated by North American and Pacific factors controlling cyclogenesis over Newfoundland. The positive-phase EA rainfall anomalies over Central Europe and the British Isles seem to be markedly affected by the NAO phase. Finally, a possible signature from the Circumglobal Teleconnection Pattern disrupting the NAO influence on East Mediterranean precipitation anomalies is detected.

Model Resolution Sensitivity of the Simulation of North Atlantic Oscillation Teleconnections to Precipitation Extremes

AbstractWe evaluate a high‐resolution (0.25°), four‐member ensemble simulation of the global climate (1979–2005) with the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Exascale Earth System Model v0.3—forced with observed ocean surface temperatures and sea ice extent—for its ability to represent the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) teleconnections to winter precipitation extremes over western Europe. As compared to the low‐resolution model (1°), it simulates a stronger impact of NAO on daily precipitation extremes over the western slopes of mountain ranges over southwestern Norway, northwestern United Kingdom, and the Western Balkan states. Precipitation extremes and their linear relationship with NAO are quantified using the generalized extreme value distribution. NAO‐dependent large‐scale (stratiform) precipitation intensity strengthens in the high‐resolution model on seasonal time scales and plays a dominant role during simulated daily precipitation extremes. Improvements in the high‐resolution model over these varied‐topography regions largely appear to be due to finer resolved scales of motion that amplify NAO‐dependent seasonal vertical moisture fluxes and enhance stable condensation. However, the high‐resolution model simulates a weaker than observed impact of NAO on extratropical cyclone activity and total precipitable water, generally underperforming the low‐resolution model These effects possibly offset the impact of enhanced vertical moisture fluxes on NAO‐dependent precipitation extremes in the high‐resolution model in these regions. Over the southwestern Iberian peninsula, the high‐resolution model underperforms the low‐resolution model simulating weaker than observed impact of NAO on precipitation extremes. This appears to be due to the reduction in total precipitable water despite an increase in NAO‐dependent extratropical activity there.

Inter‐decadal change of the spring North Atlantic Oscillation impact on the summer Pamir–Tienshan snow cover

Known as the “water tower of central Asia” and a crucial component of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Pamir–Tienshan snow cover (PTSC) exerts profound impacts on regional and global climate extremes during summer. However, researches on origins of the summer PTSC variability have not attracted adequate attention. In recent works, the spring North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been shown to “prolong” its influence through the North Atlantic tri‐pole sea surface temperature anomalies (Tri‐SSTAs) and affect remote Asian climate in the subsequent summer. The present study discovers that the spring NAO has a significant positive correlation with the summer PTSC in the period 1967–1981, but such connection weakens after 1981. The North Atlantic Tri‐SSTAs induced by the spring NAO during these two epochs can both persist into ensuing summer but excite significantly different downstream atmospheric teleconnections. The Rossby wave train triggered by positive (or negative) Tri‐SSTAs during the 1967–1981 period exhibits an anomalous cyclonic (or anticyclonic) centre over the Pamir–Tienshan region, favouring an excessive (or reduced) PTSC. By contrast, such atmospheric anomaly centre is not evident during the 1982–2014 period. Numerical experiments suggest that westwards shift of the spring NAO northern centre can modulate the Tri‐SSTA pattern via the wind–evaporation–SST feedback, which could further result in the displacement of the atmospheric anomaly centres in the Rossby wave train in summer. Therefore, such change in the spring NAO itself is responsible for the inter‐decadal change of the spring NAO impact on the summer PTSC.

Decadal Shift of NAO-Linked Interannual Sea Level Variability along the U.S. Northeast Coast

Recent studies have linked interannual sea level variability and extreme events along the U.S. northeast coast (NEC) to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a natural internal climate mode that prevails in the North Atlantic Ocean. The correlation between the NAO index and coastal sea level north of Cape Hatteras was weak from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, but it has markedly increased since around 1987. The causes for the decadal shift remain unknown. Yet understanding the abrupt change is vital for decadal sea level prediction and is essential for risk management. Here we use a robust method, the Bayesian dynamic linear model (DLM), to explore the nonstationary NAO impact on NEC sea level. The results show that a spatial pattern change of NAO-related winds near the NEC is a major cause of the NAO–sea level relationship shift. A new index using regional sea level pressure is developed that is a significantly better predictor of NEC sea level than is the NAO and is strongly linked to the intensity of westerly winds near the NEC. These results point to the vital importance of monitoring regional changes of wind and sea level pressure patterns, rather than the NAO index alone, to achieve more accurate predictions of sea level change along the NEC.

Monthly Prediction of Drought Classes Using Log-Linear Models under the Influence of NAO for Early-Warning of Drought and Water Management

Drought class transitions over a sector of Eastern Europe were modeled using log-linear models. These drought class transitions were computed from time series of two widely used multiscale drought indices, the Standardized Preipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), with temporal scales of 6 and 12 months for 15 points selected from a grid over the Prut basin in Romania over a period of 112 years (1902–2014). The modeling also took into account the impact of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), exploring the potential influence of this large-scale atmospheric driver on the climate of the Prut region. To assess the probability of transition among different drought classes we computed their odds and the corresponding confidence intervals. To evaluate the predictive capabilities of the modeling, skill scores were computed and used for comparison against benchmark models, namely using persistence forecasts or modeling without the influence of the NAO index. The main results indicate that the log-linear modeling performs consistently better than the persistence forecast, and the highest improvements obtained in the skill scores with the introduction of the NAO predictor in the modeling are obtained when modeling the extended winter months of the SPEI6 and SPI12. The improvements are however not impressive, ranging between 4.7 and 6.8 for the SPEI6 and between 4.1 and 10.1 for the SPI12, in terms of the Heidke skill score.

Intensified impact of North Atlantic Oscillation in May on subsequent July Asian inland plateau precipitation since the late 1970s

ABSTRACTThe relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in May and precipitation in the Asian inland plateau (AIP) in following July has experienced a significant enhancement since the late 1970s. This study investigates the factors for this inter‐decadal change of the NAO–AIP precipitation connection. Before the late 1970s, geopotential height anomalies related to the May NAO exhibited a dipole pattern confined to the North Atlantic from May to June and decayed in July. As a result, the impact of the May NAO on the AIP precipitation in July is weak. In contrast, after the late 1970s, geopotential height anomalies associated with the May NAO persisted into July. The analysis in this study finds that the May NAO influences July AIP precipitation via modulating the Polar–Eurasia teleconnection (POL). After (before) the late 1970s, the connection between the May NAO and the POL was strong (weak), explaining the inter‐decadal change in the May NAO–July AIP precipitation relationship. Further analysis suggests that the strengthening of the relationship between the May NAO pattern and the July POL after the late 1970s may be attributed to the inter‐decadal contraction of the Northern Hemisphere circumpolar vortex.

Potential links between the North Atlantic Oscillation and decreasing precipitation and runoff on a Mediterranean area

In the Mediterranean region, the reduction in precipitation and warmer temperatures is generating a desertification process, with dramatic consequences for both agriculture and the sustainability of water resources. On the island of Sardinia (Italy), the decrease in runoff impacts the management of water resources, resulting in water supply restrictions even for domestic consumption. In the 10 Sardinian basins with a longer database (at least 40 complete years of data, including data from the past 10years), runoff decreased drastically over the 1975–2010 period, with mean yearly runoff reduced by more than 40% compared to the previous 1922–1974 period. Trends in yearly runoff are negative, with Mann-Kendall τ values ranging from −0.39 to −0.2. Decreasing winter precipitation over the 1975–2010 period everywhere on Sardinia island has led to these decreases in runoff, as most yearly runoff in the Sardinian basins (70% on average) is produced by winter precipitation due to the seasonality typical of the Mediterranean climate regime. The trend in winter precipitation is not homogenous; the negative trend is higher (around −0.25) on the west Sardinian coast, becoming lower across the island toward the east coast (around −0.14). Winter precipitation is highly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a weather phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean that controls the direction and strength of westerly winds and storm tracks into Europe. High negative correlations (up to −0.45) between winter NAO index and winter precipitation are estimated along the west coast. Meanwhile, these correlations decrease east across the island toward the high mountain in the center of Sardinia, reaching the lowest values along the east coast (about −0.25). The generally decreasing correlation between winter NAO index and winter precipitation in the longitudinal direction (from the North Atlantic dipole to the east) here accelerates due to local-scale orographic effects that overlap the large-scale NAO impact on the winter precipitation regime, thus softening the precipitation reduction due to the NAO. Such local topographic effects that may attenuate large-scale climate change effects must be considered in water resource planning and management alongside such climate change effects related to large-scale circulations, such as NAO.

Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on winter climate of Germany

Correlations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with climate variables in Europe are strong in the north and the south of Europe but there is a zone of statistically not significant correlations in between. This paper presents evidence that the impact of NAO can be ascertained more clearly by decomposing it into its constituent centres of action (COA), the Azores High (AZH) and the Icelandic Low (IL), each of which varies continuously in intensity as well as position. Monthly values of intensity and latitude and longitude positions for each COA are estimated from sea level pressure data. These are used to analyse their impact on interannual variations of winter precipitation and climate of Germany. Correlation of NAO with winter precipitation is weak but statistically significant in north Germany and not significant in south Germany. By separately calculating correlations with the AZH and the IL, it is found that the primary influence on the interannual variations of winter precipitation and surface temperature over both north and south Germany is the zonal migration of the IL. When the IL is situated east of its mean location, there is above normal precipitation and warmer temperatures over Germany and in winters when the IL is situated west of its mean longitudinal position, drier and colder conditions occur over Germany. The impact of this teleconnection is greater in north Germany than in the south, presumably because of the mountainous topography in the south which hinders wind flow.

The influence of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index on hospital admissions through diseases of the circulatory system in Lisbon, Portugal

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), meteorological variables, air pollutants, and hospital admissions due to diseases of circulatory systems in Lisbon (Portugal) during winter months (2003–2012). This paper is one of the few studies analyzing the impact of NAO on health through its influence on thermal stress and air pollution and is the first to be conducted in Lisbon. This study uses meteorological data (synthetized into a thermal comfort index), air pollutant metrics, and the NAO index (all clustered in 10-day cycles to overcome daily variability of the NAO index). The relationship between morbidity, thermal comfort index, NAO index, and air pollutants was explored through several linear models adjusted to seasonality through a periodic function. The possible indirect effect between the NAO index and hospital admissions was tested, assuming that NAO (independent variable) is affecting hospital admissions (outcome variable) through thermal discomfort and/or pollution levels (tested as individual mediators). This test was conducted through causal mediation analysis and adjusted for seasonal variation. The results from this study suggest a possible indirect relationship between NAO index and hospital admissions. Although NAO is not significantly associated with hospital admissions, it is significantly associated with CO, PM2.5, NO, and SO2 levels, which in turn increase the probability of hospitalization. The discomfort index (built with temperature and relative humidity) is significantly associated with hospital admissions, but its variability is not explained by the NAO index. This study highlights the impacts of the atmospheric circulation patterns on health. Furthermore, understanding the influence of the atmospheric circulation patterns can support the improvement of the existing contingency plans.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity: The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a large-scale circulation pattern driving climate variability in north-western Europe. In recent years there has been an increasing deployment of wind-powered generation technology, i.e. wind farms, on electricity networks across Europe. As this deployment increases it is important to understand how climate variability will affect both wind-powered and non-renewable power generation. This study extends the literature by assessing the impact of NAO, via wind-power generation, on carbon dioxide emissions from the wider electricity system. A Monte Carlo approach is used to model NAO phases, generate hourly wind speed time-series data, electricity demand and fuel input data. A unit commitment, least-cost economic dispatch model is used to simulate an entire electricity system, modelled on the all-island Irish electricity system. Our results confirm that the NAO has a significant impact on monthly mean wind speeds, wind power output, and carbon dioxide emissions from the entire electricity system. The impact of NAO on emissions obviously depends on the level of wind penetration within an electricity system but our results indicate that emissions intensity within the Irish electricity system could vary by as much as 10% depending on the NAO phase within the next few years.

Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Southern Europe Water Distribution: Insights from Geodetic Data

Abstract From space gravity and station position data over southern Europe from 2002 to 2010, this study investigates the interannual mass redistributions using principal component analysis. The dominant mode, which appears both in gravity and positioning, results from the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This analysis allows us to isolate and characterize the NAO impact on the mass distribution, which appears centered over the Black Sea and its two main catchment basins, the Danube and Dnieper.

Cool-Season Precipitation Patterns Associated with Teleconnection Interactions in the United States

AbstractSeasonal climate forecasts are regularly published to provide decision makers with insights on upcoming climate conditions. Precipitation forecasts, in particular, are useful for fields such as agriculture and water resources. Projections frequently cite a single climate oscillation such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) when suggesting whether a region will be wetter or drier than normal. The complex climate system is composed of a multitude of simultaneous oceanic and atmospheric oscillations, however. Through the study of five atmospheric-pressure-based oscillations, their interactions, and associated precipitation values, this research demonstrates the wide variety of precipitation patterns that can arise when different phases of prominent climate modes occur. Results show that incorporating other Northern Hemisphere teleconnections can dampen or shift expected ENSO and NAO impact patterns. These results indicate that seasonal precipitation projections may be improved by incorporating multiple, regionally important teleconnection indices into the forecast.

Climatic imprint of the mid-latitude Westerlies in the Central Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan and teleconnections to North Atlantic climate variability during the last 6000 years

In general, a moderate drying trend is observed in mid-latitude arid Central Asia since the Mid-Holocene, attributed to the progressively weakening influence of the mid-latitude Westerlies on regional climate. However, as the spatio-temporal pattern of this development and the underlying climatic mechanisms are yet not fully understood, new high-resolution paleoclimate records from this region are needed. Within this study, a sediment core from Lake Son Kol (Central Kyrgyzstan) was investigated using sedimentological, (bio)geochemical, isotopic, and palynological analyses, aiming at reconstructing regional climate development during the last 6000 years. Biogeochemical data, mainly reflecting summer moisture conditions, indicate predominantly wet conditions until 4950 cal. yr BP, succeeded by a pronounced dry interval between 4950 and 3900 cal. yr BP. In the following, a return to wet conditions and a subsequent moderate drying trend until present times are observed. This is consistent with other regional paleoclimate records and likely reflects the gradual Late Holocene diminishment of the amount of summer moisture provided by the mid-latitude Westerlies. However, climate impact of the Westerlies was apparently not only restricted to the summer season but also significant during winter as indicated by recurrent episodes of enhanced allochthonous input through snowmelt, occurring before 6000 cal. yr BP and at 5100–4350, 3450–2850, and 1900–1500 cal. yr BP. The distinct ~1500-year periodicity of these episodes of increased winter precipitation in Central Kyrgyzstan resembles similar cyclicities observed in paleoclimate records around the North Atlantic, likely indicating a hemispheric-scale climatic teleconnection and an impact of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in Central Asia.