Changes in snow cover extent in the Central Taurus Mountains from 1981 to 2021 in relation to temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric teleconnections

The snow cover over the Taurus Mountains affects water supply, agriculture, and hydropower generation in the region. In this study, we analyzed the monthly Snow Cover Extent(SCE) from November to April in the Central Taurus Mountains(Bolkar, Aladaglar, Tahtali and Binboga Mountains) from 1981 to 2021. Linear trends of snow cover season(November to April) over the last 41 years showed decreases in SCE primarily at lower elevations. The downward trend in SCE was found to be more pronounced and statistically significant for only November and March. SCE in the Central Taurus Mountains has declined about-6.3% per decade for 2500-3000 m in November and about-6.0% per decade for 1000-1500 m and 3000+ m in March over the last 41 years. The loss of SCE has become evident since the 2000s, and the lowest negative anomalies in SCE have been observed in 2014, 2001, and 2007 in the last 41 years, which are consistent with an increase in air temperature and decreased precipitation. SCE was correlated with both mean temperature and precipitation, with temperature having a greater relative importance at all elevated gradients. Results showed that there is a strong linear relationship between SCE and the mean air temperature(r =-0.80) and precipitation(r = 0.44) for all elevated gradients during the snow season. The Arctic Oscillation(AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), and the Mediterranean Oscillation(MO) winter indices were used to explain the year-to-year variability in SCE over the Central Taurus Mountains. The results showed that the inter-annual variability observed in the winter SCE on the Central Taurus Mountains was positively correlated with the phases of the winter AO, NAO and MO, especially below 2000 m elevation.

Different El Niño Flavors and Associated Atmospheric Teleconnections as Simulated in a Hybrid Coupled Model

A previously developed hybrid coupled model(HCM)is composed of an intermediate tropical Pacific Ocean model and a global atmospheric general circulation model(AGCM),denoted as HCMAGCM.In this study,different El Niño flavors,namely the Eastern-Pacific(EP)and Central-Pacific(CP)types,and the associated global atmospheric teleconnections are examined in a 1000-yr control simulation of the HCMAGCM.The HCMAGCM indicates profoundly different characteristics among EP and CP El Niño events in terms of related oceanic and atmospheric variables in the tropical Pacific,including the amplitude and spatial patterns of sea surface temperature(SST),zonal wind stress,and precipitation anomalies.An SST budget analysis indicates that the thermocline feedback and zonal advective feedback dominantly contribute to the growth of EP and CP El Niño events,respectively.Corresponding to the shifts in the tropical rainfall and deep convection during EP and CP El Niño events,the model also reproduces the differences in the extratropical atmospheric responses during the boreal winter.In particular,the EP El Niño tends to be dominant in exciting a poleward wave train pattern to the Northern Hemisphere,while the CP El Niño tends to preferably produce a wave train similar to the Pacific North American(PNA)pattern.As a result,different climatic impacts exist in North American regions,with a warm-north and cold-south pattern during an EP El Niño and a warm-northeast and cold-southwest pattern during a CP El Niño,respectively.This modeling result highlights the importance of internal natural processes within the tropical Pacific as they relate to the genesis of ENSO diversity because the active ocean–atmosphere coupling is allowed only in the tropical Pacific within the framework of the HCMAGCM.

The combined effects of North Atlantic Oscillation and Western Pacific teleconnection on winter temperature in Eastern Asia during 1980−2021

As important atmospheric circulation patterns in Northern Hemisphere(NH),the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO)and the Western Pacific teleconnection(WP)affect the winter climate in Eurasia.In order to explore the combined effects of NAO and WP on East Asian(EA)temperature,the NAO and WP indices are divided into four phases from 1980−2021:the positive NAO and WP phase(NAO+/WP+),the negative NAO and WP phase(NAO−/WP−),the positive NAO and negative WP phase(NAO+/WP−),the negative NAO and positive WP phase(NAO−/WP+).In the phase of NAO+/WP+,the low geopotential height(GH)stays in north of EA at 50°−80°N;the surface air temperature anomaly(SATA)is 0.8−1℃lower than Southern Asian.In the phase of NAO−/WP−,the center of high temperature and GH locate in the northeast of EA;the cold air spreads to Southern Asia,causing the SATA decreases 1−1.5℃.In the phase of NAO+/WP−,the high GH belt is formed at 55°−80°N.Meanwhile,the center of high SATA locates in the north of Asia that increases 0.8−1.1℃.The cold airflow causes temperature dropping 0.5−1℃in the south of EA.The SATA improves 0.5−1.5℃in south of EA in the phase of NAO−/WP+.The belt of high GH is formed at 25°−50°N,and blocks the cold air which from Siberia.The NAO and WP generate two warped plate pressure structures in NH,and affect the temperature by different pressure configurations.NAO and WP form different GH,and GH acts to block and push airflow by affecting the air pressure,then causes the temperature to be different from the north and south of EA.Finally,the multiple linear regression result shows that NAO and WP are weakened by each other such as the phase of NAO+/WP+and NAO−/WP−.

Simple Metrics for Representing East Asian Winter Monsoon Variability:Urals Blocking and Western Pacific Teleconnection Patterns

Instead of conventional East Asian winter monsoon indices （EAWMIs）, we simply use two large-scale teleconnection patterns to represent long-term variations in the EAWM. First, the Urals blocking pattern index （UBI） is closely related to cold air advection from the high latitudes towards western Siberia, such that it shows an implicit linkage with the Siberian high intensity and the surface air temperature （SAT） variations north of 40°N in the EAWM region. Second, the well-known western Pacific teleconnection index （WPI） is connected with the meridional displacement of the East Asian jet stream and the East Asian trough. This is strongly related to the SAT variations in the coastal area south of 40°N in the EAWM region. The temperature variation in the EAWM region is also represented by the two dominant temperature modes, which are called the northern temperature mode （NTM） and the southern temperature mode （STM）. Compared to 19 existing EAWMIs and other well-known teleconnection patterns, the UBI shows the strongest correlation with the NTM, while the WPI shows an equally strong correlation with the STM as four EAWMIs. The UBI-NTM and WPI-STM relationships are robust when the correlation analysis is repeated by （1） the 31-year running correlation and （2） the 8-year high-pass and low-pass filter. Hence, these results are useful for analyzing the large-scale teleconnections of the EAWM and for evaluating this issue in climate models. Int particular, more studies should focus on the teleconnection patterns over extratropical Eurasia.

The Interannual Variability of Summer Rainfall in the Arid and Semiarid Regions of Northern China and Its Association with the Northern Hemisphere Circumglobal Teleconnection

Using the latest daily observational rainfall datasets for the period 1961–2008, the present study investigates the interannual variability of June–September （JJAS） mean rainfall in northern China. The regional characteristics of JJAS mean rainfall are revealed by a rotated empirical orthogonal function （REOF） analysis. The analysis identifies three regions of large interannual variability of JJAS rainfall： North China （NC）, Northeast China （NEC）, and the Taklimakan Desert in Northwest China （TDNWC）. Summer rainfall over NC is shown to have displayed a remarkable dry period from the late 1990s; while over NEC, decadal-scale variation with a significant decreasing trend in the last two decades is found, and over TDNWC, evidence of large interannual variability is revealed. Results also show that the interannual variability of JJAS rainfall in northern China is closely associated with the Northern Hemisphere circumglobal teleconnection （CGT）. Correlation coefficients between the CGT index and regional-averaged JJAS mean rainfall over NC and NEC were calculated, revealing values of up to 0.50 and 0.53, respectively, both of which exceeded the 99% confidence level.

Teleconnection between Sea Ice in the Barents Sea in June and the Silk Road,Pacific–Japan and East Asian Rainfall Patterns in August

In contrast to previous studies that have tended to focus on the influence of the total Arctic sea-ice cover on the East Asian summer tripole rainfall pattern, the present study identifies the Barents Sea as the key region where the June sea-ice variability exerts the most significant impacts on the East Asian August tripole rainfall pattern, and explores the teleconnection mechanisms involved. The results reveal that a reduction in June sea ice excites anomalous upward air motion due to strong near-surface thermal forcing, which further triggers a meridional overturning wave-like pattern extending to midlatitudes.Anomalous downward motion therefore forms over the Caspian Sea, which in turn induces zonally oriented overturning circulation along the subtropical jet stream, exhibiting the east–west Rossby wave train known as the Silk Road pattern. It is suggested that the Bonin high, a subtropical anticyclone predominant near South Korea, shows a significant anomaly due to the eastward extension of the Silk Road pattern to East Asia. As a possible descending branch of the Hadley cell, the Bonin high anomaly ultimately triggers a meridional overturning, establishing the Pacific–Japan pattern. This in turn induces an anomalous anticyclone and cyclone pair over East Asia, and a tripole vertical convection anomaly meridionally oriented over East Asia. Consequently, a tripole rainfall anomaly pattern is observed over East Asia. Results from numerical experiments using version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model support the interpretation of this chain of events.

Teleconnections of Inter-Annual Streamflow Fluctuation in Slovakia with Arctic Oscillation,North Atlantic Oscillation,Southern Oscillation,and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation Phenomena

The aim of the paper is to analyze a possible teleconnection of Quasi-Biennial Oscillation （QBO）, Southern Oscillation （SO）, North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO）, and Arctic Oscillation （AO） phenomena with longterm streamflow fluctuation of the Bela River （1895-2004） and Cierny Hron River （1931-2004） （central Slovakia）. Homogeneity, long-term trends, as well as inter-annual dry and wet cycles were analyzed for the entire 1895-2004 time series of the Bela River and for the 1931-2004 time series of the Cierny Hron River. Inter-annual fluctuation of the wet and dry periods was identified using spectral analysis. The most significant period is that of 3.6 years. Other significant periods are those of 2.35 years, 13.5 years, and 21 years. Since these periods were found in other rivers of the world, as well as in SO, NAO, and AO phenomena, they can be considered as relating to the general regularity of the Earth.

Connections between the Eurasian Teleconnection and Concurrent Variation of Upper-level Jets over East Asia

The variation of the East Asian jet stream （EAJS） associated with the Eurasian （EU） teleconnection pattern is investigated using 60-yr NCEP-NCAR daily reanalysis data over the period 1951-2010.The EAJS consists of three components：the polar front jet （PFJ）; the plateau subtropical jet （PSJ）; and the ocean subtropical jet （OSJ）.Of these three jets over East Asia,the EU pattern exhibits a significant influence on the PFJ and OSJ.There is a simultaneous negative correlation between the EU pattern and the PFJ.A significant positive correlation is found between the EU pattern and the OSJ when the EU pattern leads the OSJ by about 5 days.There is no obvious correlation between the EU pattern and the PSJ.The positive EU phase is accompanied by a weakened and poleward-shifted PFJ,which coincides with an intensified OSJ.A possible mechanism for the variation of the EAJS during different EU phases is explored via analyzing the effects of 10-day high-and low-frequency eddy forcing.The zonal wind tendency due to high-frequency eddy forcing contributes to the simultaneous negative correlation between the EU pattern and the PFJ,as well as the northward/southward shift of the PFJ.High-and low-frequency eddy forcing are both responsible for the positive correlation between the EU pattern and the OSJ,but only high-frequency eddy forcing contributes to the lagged variation of the OSJ relative to the EU pattern.The negative correlation between the EU pattern and winter temperature and precipitation anomalies in China is maintained only when the PFJ and OSJ are out of phase with each other.Thus,the EAJS plays an important role in transmitting the EU signal to winter temperature and precipitation anomalies in China.

Intercomparison of the Impacts of Four Summer Teleconnections over Eurasia on East Asian Rainfall

East Asian summer climate is strongly affected by extratropical circulation disturbances.In this study,impacts of four atmospheric teleconnections over Eurasia on East Asian summer rainfall are investigated using National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP/NCAR） reanalysis data and Climatic Research Unit （CRU） land precipitation data during 1979-2009.The four teleconnections include the Scandinavian （SCA）,the Polar/Eurasian （PEU）,the East Atlantic/Western Russian （EAWR）,and the circumglobal teleconnection （CGT）.Moreover,the related changes of lower-tropospheric circulation are explored,specifically,the low pressure over northern East Asia （NEAL） and the subtropical high over the western North Pacific （WNPSH）.The results presented are in the positive phase.The PEU and SCA induce significant negative anomalies in North China rainfall （NCR）,while the CGT induces significant positive anomalies.In the past three decades,the PEU and SCA explain more than 20％ of the variance in NCR,twice that explained by the CGT,suggesting a more important role of the former two teleconnections in NCR variation than the latter one.Meanwhile,the PEU and SCA reduce rainfall in Northeast China and South Korea,respectively,and the CGT enhances rainfall in Japan.The rainfall responses are attributed to the SCA-induced northward shift of the NEAL,and PEU-induced northward shift and weakening of the NEAL,respectively.For the CGT,the dipole pattern of rainfall anomalies between North China and Japan is affected by both westward extension of the NEAL and northwestward expansion of the WNPSH.In addition,the EAWR leads to an increase of sporadic rainfall in South China as a result of the eastward retreat of the WNPSH.

Studies on the Northern Early Summer Teleconnection Patterns, Their Interannual Variations and Relation to Drought / Flood in China

By using the one-point correlation method, calculations have been made of the northern early summer 500 hPa teleconnection patterns. Seven teleconnection patterns are revealed, namely, the Western Atlantic (WA), the Eastern Atlantic (EA), the Eurasian (EU), the Bengal / Northern Pacific (BNP), the Western Pacific (WP), the East Asian / Pacific (EAP), and the Huanghe / East Asian (HEA) patterns. Their centers are determined and their yearly intensity indices (1951-1990) are calculated. On this basis the relationship between their interannual variations and the drought / flood in China is examined. It is noted that the EU, HEA and EAP wave trains are closely related to the drought / flood in China. The HEA and EAP patterns strongly influence the precipitation in eastern China. For example, the fierce floods experienced in 1991 early summer over China are related to the weak EAP and strong HEA patterns.

Impact of the Pacific–Japan Teleconnection Pattern on July Sea Fog over the Northwestern Pacific: Interannual Variations and Global Warming Effect

The northwestern Pacific （NWP） is a fog-prone area, especially the ocean east of the Kuril Islands. The present study analyzes how the Pacific-Japan （PJ） teleconnection pattern influences July sea fog in the fog-prone area using independent datasets. The covariation between the PJ index and sea fog frequency （SFF） index in July indicates a close correlation, with a coefficient of 0.62 exceeding the 99% confidence level. Composite analysis based on the PJ index, a case study, and model analysis based on GFDL-ESM2M, show that in high PJ index years the convection over the east of the Philippines strengthens and then triggers a Rossby wave, which propagates northward to maintain an anticyclonic anomaly in the midlatitudes, indicating a northeastward shift of the NWP subtropical high. The anticyclonic anomaly facilitates the formation of relatively stable atmospheric stratification or even an inversion layer in the lower level of the troposphere, and strengthens the horizontal southerly moisture transportation from the tropical-subtropical oceans to the fog-prone area. On the other hand, a greater meridional SST gradient over the cold flank of the Kuroshio Extension, due to ocean downwelling, is produced by the anticyclonic wind stress anomaly. Both of these two aspects are favorable for the warm and humid air to cool, condense, and form fog droplets, when air masses cross the SST front. The opposite circumstances occur in low PJ index years, which are not conducive to the formation of sea fog. Finally, a multi-model ensemble mean projection reveals a prominent downward trend of the PJ index after the 2030s, implying a possible decline of the SFF in this period.

The Linkage between the Pacific-North American Teleconnection Pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation

In this study, using the ECMWF reanalysis data, the possible linkage between the Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern （PNA） and the North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） during boreal winter （December- February） is investigated. The PNA and the NAO pattern are obtained by performing Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function （REOF） analysis on an anomalous daily mean 300-hPa geopotential height field. The composite daily NAO indices show that the NAO indices are prone to be negative （positive） when the contemporary PNA indices are extremely positive （negative）. The correlation coefficients between the daily PNA and NAO indices also confirm that, indeed, there is a significant anti-correlation between the PNA and NAO indices. The correlation peaks at a lag of 0 days （meaning contemporary correlation）, and its value is 0.202. Analyses of a newly defined Rossby wave breaking index and diagnostics of the stream function tendency equation indicate that the anti-correlation between PNA and NAO may be caused by the anomalous Rossby wave breaking events associated with the PNA pattern.

Teleconnection Patterns along the Asian Jet Associated with Different Combinations of Convection Oscillations over the Indian Continent and Western North Pacific during Summer

A zonal teleconnection has been found along the Asian jet over the Eurasian continent during summer. In this study, the authors investigated circulation anomalies in the extratropics, in particular for the zonal teleconnection, under different combinations of subtropical convection anomalies over the northern Indian continent （IND） and the westem North Pacific （WNP）. The outof-phase configuration （i.e., stronger （weaker） IND convection and weaker （stronger） WNP convection） was found to be more common than the in-phase configuration （i.e., stronger （weaker） IND convection and stronger （weaker） WNP convection）, which is consistent with previous results. Composite results indicated that circulation anomalies for out-of-phase configurations of 30-60-day convection oscillations are much stronger in the middle latitudes than those for in-phase configurations. In addition, zonal teleconnection patterns are predominant for the out-of-phase configurations, particularly for the configuration of strong IND convection and weak WNP convec- tion; however, they are either weak or obscure for the in-phase configurations. These results suggest that the zonal teleconnection pattem along the Asian jet is dependent on different combinations of the 1ND and WNP subtropical convection anomalies.

An Inter-hemispheric Teleconnection and a Possible Mechanism for Its Formation

Through observational analyses, an inter-hemispheric teleconnection is identified between the subtropical region of the South China Sea to the western Pacific near the Philippines （WP） and the region to the east of Australia （AE）. The teleconnection is significantly correlated with sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTAs） in key sea areas （including the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, and the area to the east of Australia）. Based on the IAP T42L9 model, numerical experiments axe performed to explore a possible mechanism for the formation of the teleconnection. The results show that the positive SST anomalies in the key sea areas may jointly contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of the positive geopotential height anomalies over both the WP and AE and be a critical factor in the teleconnection formation. The large-scale SST anomaly in the Indian Ocean, involving the tropics concurrent atmospheric responses over both the WP and the east of Australia seems to reinforce and maintain the and subtropics of both hemispheres, may lead to AE, while the effect of the local SST anomaly to positive height anomaly over the AE.

INSTABILITY OF THE TELECONNECTION OF SUMMER RAINFALLS BETWEEN NORTH CHINA AND INDIA

Summer rainfall variations in North China closely relate to that in India. It seems that an alternation of signs of“＋, -, ＋” exists in the geographical pattern of the correlation in summer rainfall from North China to India through the Tibetan Plateau. However, it appears that the teleconnection of summer rainfall variations between North China and India is unstable. Over 1945 - 1974, the correlation coefficient （hereafter as CC） is as large as 0.7. In contrast, the CC is about -0.3 over 1827-1856. Further studies, based on observations starting from 1813, showed that the correlation is strong when summer rainfalls in both North China and India are large, and vice versa. In order to find what induce the change of the teleconnection, variations of summer rainfall in both North China and India, mean sea surface temperature （SST） in the eastern equatorial Pacific and the frequency of ENSO events were examined in relation to the change of the teleconnection. The result showed that the teleconnection appears weak when the mean SST is high and the frequency ofLa Nifia events is low; the teleconnection is strong when the mean SST is low and the frequency ofLa Nina events is high. At last, it is notable that La Nifia happens in only 3 years during the recent 30 years from 1976 to 2005 and the teleconnection becomes weak too.

On the Relationship between the Winter Eurasian Teleconnection Pattern and the Following Summer Precipitation over China

The Eurasian teleconnection pattern （EU） is an important low-frequency pattern with well-known impacts on climate anomalies in Eurasia. The difference of low-level v-winds in several regions in the Eurasian mid-high latitudes is defined as the EU index （EUIv）. In this study, the relationship between the winter EUIv and precipitation in the following summer over China is investigated. Results show that there is a significant positive （negative） correlation between the winter EUIv and the following summer precipitation over North China （the Yangtze River-Huaihe River basins）. Meanwhile, an interdecadal variability exists in the interannual relationship, and the correlation has become significantly enhanced since the early 1980s. Thus, the proposed EUIv may have implications for the prediction of summer precipitation anomalies over China. In positive winter EUIv years, three cyclonic circulation anomalies are observed--over the Ural Mountains, the Okhotsk Sea, and the subtropical western North Pacific. That is, the Ural blocking and Okhotsk blocking are inactive, zonal circulation prevails in the mid-high latitudes, and the western Pacific subtropical high tends to be weaker and locates to the north of its normal position in the following summer. This leads to above-normal moisture penetrating into the northern part of East China, and significant positive （negative） precipitation anomalies over North China （the Yangtze River-Huaihe River basins）, and vice versa. Further examination shows that the SST anomalies over the Northwest Pacific and subtropical central North Pacific may both contribute to the formation of EUIv-related circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific.

Interannual and Decadal Variability of the North Pacific Blocking and Its Relationship to SST, Teleconnection and Storm Tracks

Climalological features of mid-latitude blocking occurring over the North Pacific Ocean during 52 winters (December to February) of 1948/1949-1999/2000 are statistically analyzed based on NCEP/ NCAR reanalysis data. Significant interannual variation with a period of about 3-7 years as well as decadal variability is found by wavelet analysis and power spectrum analysis. A decreasing trend of the 2-7 year bandscale-averaged variance occurs throughout the 52 years and an abrupt shift from a higher state to a lower state during the 1970s is also found, which suggests an interdecadal variation of the North Pacific blocking. The possible relationship between the variability of blocking and sea surface temperature (SST), storm tracks and teleconnection are shown using composite analysis. In strong blocking anomaly winter (SBW), the geopotential height anomaly at 500 hPa exhibits a typical PNA (Pacific-North American)-like wave-train pattern in the North Pacific. The storm tracks, representing the activity of transient eddies, extend northeastward to the western coast of North America along the mid latitudes of about 40°-50°N, with the SST anomaly exhibiting a Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) mode at mid-latitude and a La Niña-like pattern along the equator. Contrasting features appear in weak blocking anomaly winter (WBW).

A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF THE TELECONNECTION ASSOCIATEDWITH THE WARM POOL OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND ASIAN MONSOON DURING EL NINO AND NON-EL NINO YEARS

Based on the monthly mean OLR, geopotential height and wind data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalyzed data sets for 1982-1996, the atmospheric teleconnection associated with the warm pool of the tropical western Pacific and Asian monsoon region during E1 Nino and non-El Nino years are studied diagnostically in this paper. It is found that, the teleconnection pattern caused by the activity of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) emanates from the Asian monsoon region to the tropical eastern Pacific via the Aleutians in summer of the El Nino years. In the non-El Nino years, however, the ASM-related teleconnection pattern stretches northward and westward from the Asian monsoon region, exerting its influences mainly on the circulation over middle and high latitude rather than that over the tropical eastern Pacific. Evidences also show that the anomalous convection over the tropical western Pacific warm pool leads to the East Asia/Pacific(EAP) teleconnection pattern during the non-El Nino years. It is interesting to note that the teleconnection in the 500 height field associated with the warm pool convection disappears in the El Nino years. The differences of the teleconnection pattern between the El Nino years and the non-El Nino years suggest that the activities of the ASM and the convection over the warm pool of the tropical western Pacific, the most energetic weather events in boreal summer, are intertwined and interactive with other global-scale circulation in different ways under different climate backgrounds.

Why does the IOD-ENSO teleconnection disappear in some decades?

Lag correlations between sea surface temperature anomalies （SSTA） in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean （STIO） in fall and Nifio 3.4 SSTA in the eastern equatorial Pacific in the following fall are subjected to decadal variation, with positive correlations during some decades and negative correlations during others. Negative correlations are smaller and of shorter duration than positive correlations. Variations in lag correlations suggest that the use of the Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD） as a predictor of the E1 Nifio- Southern Oscillation （ENSO） at a lead time of one year is not effective during some decades. In this study, lag correlations between IOD and ENSO anomalies were analyzed to investigate why the IOD-ENSO teleconnection disappears during decades with negative correlations. Anomalies induced by the IOD in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during decades with negative correlations are still present, but at a greater depth than in decades with positive correlations, resulting in a lack of response to oceanic channel dynamics in the cold tongue SSTA. Lag correlations between oceanic anomalies in the west Pacific warm pool in fall and the equatorial Pacific cold tongue with a one-year time lag are significantly positive during decades with negative correlations. These results suggest that oceanic channel dynamics are overwhelmed by ocean- atmosphere coupling over the equatorial Pacific Ocean during decades with negative correlations. Therefore, the Indonesian throughflow is not effective as a link between IOD signals and the equatorial Pacific ENSO.

Possible connection between anomalous activity of Scandinavian Atmospheric Teleconnection Pattern and winter snowfall in the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin of China

The temporal and spatial characteristics of winter snowfall in the Yangtze–Huaihe River Basin (YHRB) of China and its possible connection with Scandinavian Atmospheric Teleconnection Pattern (SCAND) anomalies are explored based on daily meteorological data contained in the Daily Surface Climate Dataset for China (V3.0) during the period 1960–2012. Results show that winter snowfall in the YHRB exhibits consistent anomalies over the whole region for the interannual variation during 1960–2012. Further analysis suggests that winter snowfall anomalies in the YHRB are closely linked to the anomalous wintertime SCAND activity. When there is more winter snowfall in the YHRB, SCAND is usually in a positive phase, accompanied by a strengthened Urals blocking high and East Asian trough, which is conducive to strengthened cold-air activity, intensified vertical motions, and more water vapor transport in the YHRB. In contrast, less winter snowfall in the YHRB usually happens in the negative phase of SCAND. Our results provide useful information to better understand the relevant mechanism responsible for anomalous winter snowfall in this area.