Rain-on-Snow Events in the Western United States

2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. McCabe ◽  
Martyn P. Clark ◽  
Lauren E. Hay
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Southwestern United States ◽  
La Nina

Rain-on-snow events pose a significant flood hazard in the western United States. This study provides a description of the spatial and temporal variability of the frequency of rain-on-snow events for 4318 sites in the western United States during water years (October through September) 1949–2003. Rain-on-snow events are found to be most common during the months of October through May; however, at sites in the interior western United States, rain-on-snow events can occur in substantial numbers as late as June and as early as September. An examination of the temporal variability of October through May rain-on-snow events indicates a mixture of increasing and decreasing trends in rain-on-snow events across the western United States. Decreasing trends in rain-on-snow events are most pronounced at lower elevations and are associated with trends toward fewer snowfall days and fewer precipitation days with snow on the ground. Rain-on-snow events are more (less) frequent in the northwestern (southwestern) United States during La Niña (El Niño) conditions. Additionally, increases in temperature in the western United States appear to be contributing to decreases in the number of rain-on-snow events for many sites through effects on the number of days with snowfall and the number of days with snow on the ground.

Climate Assessment for 1998

1999 ◽  
Vol 80 (5s) ◽  
pp. S1-S48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald D. Bell ◽  
Michael S. Halpert ◽  
Chester F. Ropelewski ◽  
Vernon E. Kousky ◽  
Arthur V. Douglas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Extreme Drought ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Hurricane Mitch ◽  
La Nina

The global climate during 1998 was affected by opposite extremes of the ENSO cycle, with one of the strongest Pacific warm episodes (El Niño) in the historical record continuing during January–early May and Pacific cold episode (La Niña) conditions occurring from JulyñDecember. In both periods, regional temperature, rainfall, and atmospheric circulation patterns across the Pacific Ocean and the Americas were generally consistent with those observed during past warm and cold episodes. Some of the most dramatic impacts from both episodes were observed in the Tropics, where anomalous convection was evident across the entire tropical Pacific and in most major monsoon regions of the world. Over the Americas, many of the El Niño– (La Niña–) related rainfall anomalies in the subtropical and extratropical latitudes were linked to an extension (retraction) of the jet streams and their attendant circulation features typically located over the subtropical latitudes of both the North Pacific and South Pacific. The regions most affected by excessive El Niño–related rainfall included 1) the eastern half of the tropical Pacific, including western Ecuador and northwestern Peru, which experienced significant flooding and mudslides; 2) southeastern South America, where substantial flooding was also observed; and 3) California and much of the central and southern United States during January–March, and the central United States during April–June. El Niño–related rainfall deficits during 1998 included 1) Indonesia and portions of northern Australia; 2) the Amazon Basin, in association with a substantially weaker-than-normal South American monsoon circulation; 3) Mexico, which experienced extreme drought throughout the El Niño episode; and 4) the Gulf Coast states of the United States, which experienced extreme drought during April–June 1998. The El Niño also contributed to extreme warmth across North America during January–May. The primary La Niña–related precipitation anomalies included 1) increased rainfall across Indonesia, and a nearly complete disappearance of rainfall across the east-central equatorial Pacific; 2) above-normal rains across northwestern, eastern, and northern Australia; 3) increased monsoon rains across central America and Mexico during October–December; and 4) dryness across equatorial eastern Africa. The active 1998 North Atlantic hurricane season featured 14 named storms (9 of which became hurricanes) and the strongest October hurricane (Mitch) in the historical record. In Honduras and Nicaragua extreme flooding and mudslides associated with Hurricane Mitch claimed more than 11 000 lives. During the peak of activity in August–September, the vertical wind shear across the western Atlantic, along with both the structure and location of the African easterly jet, were typical of other active seasons. Other regional aspects of the short-term climate included 1) record rainfall and massive flooding in the Yangtze River Basin of central China during June–July; 2) a drier and shorter-than-normal 1997/98 rainy season in southern Africa; 3) above-normal rains across the northern section of the African Sahel during June–September 1998; and 4) a continuation of record warmth across Canada during June–November. Global annual mean surface temperatures during 1998 for land and marine areas were 0.56°C above the 1961–90 base period means. This record warmth surpasses the previous highest anomaly of +0.43°C set in 1997. Record warmth was also observed in the global Tropics and Northern Hemisphere extratropics during the year, and is partly linked to the strong El Nino conditions during January–early May.

Impact of Rossby Wave Breaking on U.S. West Coast Winter Precipitation during ENSO Events

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 6360-6382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju-Mee Ryoo ◽  
Yohai Kaspi ◽  
Darryn W. Waugh ◽  
George N. Kiladis ◽  
Duane E. Waliser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
West Coast ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
El Nino ◽  
The United States ◽  
La Niña ◽  
The West ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Subtropical Jet

Abstract This study demonstrates that water vapor transport and precipitation are largely modulated by the intensity of the subtropical jet, transient eddies, and the location of wave breaking events during the different phases of ENSO. Clear differences are found in the potential vorticity (PV), meteorological fields, and trajectory pathways between the two different phases. Rossby wave breaking events have cyclonic and anticyclonic regimes, with associated differences in the frequency of occurrence and the dynamic response. During La Niña, there is a relatively weak subtropical jet allowing PV to intrude into lower latitudes over the western United States. This induces a large amount of moisture transport inland ahead of the PV intrusions, as well as northward transport to the west of a surface anticyclone. During El Niño, the subtropical jet is relatively strong and is associated with an enhanced cyclonic wave breaking. This is accompanied by a time-mean surface cyclone, which brings zonal moisture transport to the western United States. In both (El Niño and La Niña) phases, there is a high correlation (>0.3–0.7) between upper-level PV at 250 hPa and precipitation over the west coast of the United States with a time lag of 0–1 days. Vertically integrated water vapor fluxes during El Niño are up to 70 kg m−1 s−1 larger than those during La Niña along the west coast of the United States. The zonal and meridional moist static energy flux resembles wave vapor transport patterns, suggesting that they are closely controlled by the large-scale flows and location of wave breaking events during the different phase of ENSO.

scholarly journals Visualizing the Large-Scale Patterns of ENSO-Related Climate Anomalies in North America

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline J. Shinker ◽  
Patrick J. Bartlein
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Precipitation Anomaly ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Climate Anomalies ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
La Nina

Abstract The variations of large-scale climatic controls and surface responses through the annual cycle during strong positive (El Niño) and negative (La Niña) phase ENSO events are analyzed to assess the within-year and among-year variations of climate anomalies. Data from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis project are presented as small-multiple maps to illustrate the spatial and temporal variability in North American climate associated with extreme phases of ENSO. Temperature, mean sea level pressure, 500-mb geopotential heights, and 850-mb specific humidity have composite-anomaly patterns that exhibit the greatest degree of spatial and temporal coherence. In general, the composite-anomaly patterns for El Niño and La Niña events are of opposite sign, with stronger, more spatially coherent anomalies occurring during El Niño events than during La Niña events. However, the strength and coherency of the precipitation anomaly patterns are reduced in the interior intermountain west during both positive and negative phase of ENSO. The variations in precipitation anomalies are compared to the 500-mb omega and 850-mb specific humidity composite-anomaly patterns, which provide information on the controls of precipitation by large-scale vertical motions and moisture availability thus providing information on the specific mechanisms associated with precipitation variability during ENSO events.

scholarly journals Seasonal Forecasting in the Pacific Using the Coupled Model POAMA-2

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cottrill ◽  
Harry H. Hendon ◽  
Eun-Pa Lim ◽  
Sally Langford ◽  
Kay Shelton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Seasonal Prediction ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Seasonal Forecasts ◽  
La Nina

Abstract The development of a dynamical model seasonal prediction service for island nations in the tropical South Pacific is described. The forecast model is the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Predictive Ocean–Atmosphere Model for Australia (POAMA), a dynamical seasonal forecast system. Using a hindcast set for the period 1982–2006, POAMA is shown to provide skillful forecasts of El Niño and La Niña many months in advance and, because the model faithfully simulates the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall associated with displacements of the southern Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) and ITCZ during La Niña and El Niño, it also provides good predictions of rainfall throughout the tropical Pacific region. The availability of seasonal forecasts from POAMA should be beneficial to Pacific island countries for the production of regional climate outlooks across the region.

scholarly journals Trends in Twentieth-Century U.S. Extreme Snowfall Seasons

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 6204-6216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. Kunkel ◽  
Michael A. Palecki ◽  
Leslie Ensor ◽  
David Easterling ◽  
Kenneth G. Hubbard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
The United States ◽  
La Niña ◽  
The South ◽  
North Central ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Central United States ◽  
Highly Correlated

Abstract Temporal variability in the occurrence of the most extreme snowfall years, both those with abundant snowfall amounts and those lacking snowfall, was examined using a set of 440 quality-controlled, homogenous U.S. snowfall records. The frequencies with which winter-centered annual snowfall totals exceeded the 90th and 10th percentile thresholds at individual stations were calculated from 1900–01 to 2006–07 for the conterminous United States, and for 9 standard climate regions. The area-weighted conterminous U.S. results do not show a statistically significant trend in the occurrence of either high or low snowfall years for the 107-yr period, but there are regional trends. Large decreases in the frequency of low-extreme snowfall years in the west north-central and east north-central United States are balanced by large increases in the frequency of low-extreme snowfall years in the Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest. During the latter portion of the period, from 1950–51 to 2006–07, trends are much more consistent, with the United States as a whole and the central and northwest U.S. regions in particular showing significant declines in high-extreme snowfall years, and four regions showing significant increases in the frequency of low-extreme snowfall years (i.e., Northeast, Southeast, south, and Northwest). In almost all regions of the United States, temperature during November–March is more highly correlated than precipitation to the occurrence of extreme snowfall years. El Niño events are strongly associated with an increase in low-extreme snowfall years over the United States as a whole, and in the northwest, northeast, and central regions. A reduction in low-extreme snowfall years in the Southwest is also associated with El Niño. The impacts of La Niña events are strongest in the south and Southeast, favoring fewer high-extreme snowfall years, and, in the case of the south, more low-extreme snowfall years occur. The Northwest also has a significant reduction in the chance of a low-extreme snowfall year during La Niña. A combination of trends in temperature in the United States and changes in the frequency of ENSO modes influences the frequency of extreme snowfall years in the United States.

Spatio-temporal variability of lightning and convective activity over South/South-East Asia with an emphasis during El Niño and La Niña

2017 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 150-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upal Saha ◽  
Devendraa Siingh ◽  
S.K. Midya ◽  
R.P. Singh ◽  
A.K. Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
El Nino ◽  
La Niña ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Convective Activity ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Spatio Temporal

scholarly journals Precipitação em Rio Grande – RS (1913 – 2016): Análise descritiva e da variabilidade

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 537
Author(s):  
Tamires Da Rosa Silva ◽  
Ítalo Reis ◽  
Eliana Klering ◽  
Eder Bayer Maier
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Precipitation Variability ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
La Nina

O objetivo desse artigo é analisar a variabilidade temporal da precipitação em Rio Grande – RS, no período entre 1913 e 2016. Para isso foram utilizadas técnicas estatísticas descritivas e inferencial para caracterizar a distribuição da precipitação em diferentes escalas de tempo e para identificar os ciclos temporais da ocorrência de secas e chuvas acima da média e suas relações com os fenômenos remotos. As análises mostram que a precipitação mensal em Rio Grande varia entre 0,3mm e 551,8mm, com uma média de 102,1 mm e desvio padrão de 66,1 mm; o total anual da precipitação variou entre 625 mm e 2.261,9 mm, com uma média de 1.226 mm; a média mensal tem uma amplitude de 71,2 mm e 126,7 mm, sendo as médias de dezembro e setembro, respectivamente; e são os meses do verão e o outono que apresentaram maior e menor variabilidade da precipitação. Os ciclos temporais da ocorrência de secas e chuvas acima da média ocorreram predominantemente na escala interanual e está associado predominantemente aos fenômenos ENOS e ODP, sendo mais comum a ocorrência de chuvas acima da média/secas concomitantes ao El Niño/La Niña. Não sendo raro a ocorrência de secas e chuvas acima da média, visto que foram identificados 219 meses de seca e 210 meses de chuvas excessivas no período entre 1913 e 2016, adotando um limiar de |56,4 mm| da anomalia da precipitação.Palavras-chave: Precipitação, variabilidade, wavelet, Rio Grande.                                                                                                                                 Precipitation in the city of Rio Grande – RS (1913 – 2016): Descriptive and variability analysis A B S T R A C T The aim was to analyze the temporal variability of rainfall in Rio Grande - RS, during the years 1913-2016, in order to understand the temporal distribution, using descriptive statistical techniques to characterize the monthly and annual total, the monthly averages, the anomalies, the occurrence of extreme events and inferential techniques in order to characterize the main remote factors controlling precipitation variability. The results of these descriptive analyzes show that the monthly rainfall in Rio Grande varies between 0.3mm and 551.8mm with an average of 102.1mm and standard deviation of 66.1mm; the total annual precipitation indicated a variation between 625 mm (minimum) and 2,261.9 mm (maximum), with an average annual accumulation of 1,226 mm; the monthly average varies between 71.2 mm and 126.7 mm, referring to the months of December and September, respectively; estimation of standard deviation showed summer and autumn as the months with the highest and lowest variations, respectively. Temporal variability occurred at the interannual and interdecenal scales and are predominantly associated with the ENSO/ODP phenomenon, with more than average rainfall occurrin /droughts concomitant with El Niño/La Niña.  Anomalies above | 56.4 mm | were considered extreme precipitation events and was identified with the technique of quartiles, 219 months of drought and 210 months of excessive rainfall in the period between 1913 and 2016.Keywords: Precipitation, variability, wavelet, Rio Grande.

scholarly journals ENSO Teleconnections and Impacts on U.S. Summertime Temperature during a Multiyear La Niña Life Cycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (14) ◽  
pp. 6009-6024
Author(s):  
Bor-Ting Jong ◽  
Mingfang Ting ◽  
Richard Seager ◽  
Weston B. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
North America ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
The United States ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Enso Teleconnections ◽  
La Nina

AbstractEl Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnections have been recognized as possible negative influences on crop yields in the United States during the summer growing season, especially in a developing La Niña summer. This study examines the physical processes of the ENSO summer teleconnections and remote impacts on the United States during a multiyear La Niña life cycle. Since 1950, a developing La Niña summer is either when an El Niño is transitioning to a La Niña or when a La Niña is persisting. Due to the distinct prior ENSO conditions, the oceanic and atmospheric characteristics in the tropics are dissimilar in these two different La Niña summers, leading to different teleconnection patterns. During the transitioning summer, the decaying El Niño and the developing La Niña induce suppressed deep convection over both the subtropical western Pacific (WP) and the tropical central Pacific (CP). Both of these two suppressed convection regions induce Rossby wave propagation extending toward North America, resulting in a statistically significant anomalous anticyclone over northeastern North America and, therefore, a robust warming signal over the Midwest. In contrast, during the persisting summer, only one suppressed convection region is present over the tropical CP induced by the La Niña SST forcing, resulting in a weak and insignificant extratropical teleconnection. Experiments from a stationary wave model confirm that the suppressed convection over the subtropical WP during the transitioning summer not only contributes substantially to the robust warming over the Midwest but also causes the teleconnections to be different from those in the persisting summer.

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