Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (2): 359-368.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.02.07

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Snowstorm characteristics and its relationship with atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperature in Tacheng Region, Xinjiang

GAO Jing1,2(),JING Lihong1,3(),QIN Rong4,MAO Rong2,JING Lijun2   

  1. 1. Center of Central Asia Atmospheric Sciences Research, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
    2. Shawan Meteorological Bureau, Shawan 832100, Xinjiang, China
    3. Tacheng Meteorological Bureau, Tacheng 834700, Xinjiang, China
    4. Xinjiang Meteorological Information Center, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2020-03-27 Revised:2020-06-11 Online:2021-03-15 Published:2021-04-25
  • Contact: Lihong JING E-mail:1575035865@qq.com;2271339700@qq.com

Abstract:

Based on the daily observation data of seven national meteorological stations in the Tacheng Region, sea surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric circulation indices during 1961-2018, and using some mathematical statistical methods, such as the least-squares method, wavelet and correlation analyses, the temporal and spatial distribution of snowstorm and its relationship with atmospheric circulation and SST were analyzed. The results showed obvious dispersive and local characteristics on spatial distribution of snowstorm events. There was high frequency area in the Tacheng-Emin Basin, and the least area was in northern mountain area. The mean snowstorm was frequency 1.44 times per year, the annual average snowfall of snowstorm was 17.9 mm, and the processes snowfall was 12.5 mm per time. The snowstorm frequency was insignificantly increasing at the rate of 0.16 times per ten years and snowfall wasinsignificantly increasing at the rate of 2.35 mm per 10 years, and 42.9% of the stations were significantly increasing. Snowstorms mainly occurred in November, December and March, accounting for 65.2%. The snowstorm’s annual frequency negatively correlated with North Atlantic Oscillation or Arctic Oscillation index, their correlation coefficient was -0.35 or -0.46. The snowstorm events responded to SST indices, such as Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, North Tropical Atlantic SST index, Tropical Southern Atlantic index, Tropical Northern Atlantic index, East Central Tropical Pacific SST, and Central Tropical Pacific SST, their correlation coefficients were from 0.27 to 0.45. But it was obviously different that monthly SST from different regions affected on monthly frequency of snowstorm. The abnormal signal of SST in the early stage can predict the change monthly snowstorm’s frequency. For the past 58 years, SST of the Atlantic Ocean were a significant warming, the Northern hemisphere and Asia Polar vortex area (intensity) indices were decreasing (weakening) significantly, the North Atlantic-European circulation W pattern index was increasing insignificantly. Owing to the Atlantic SST significant increasing, moisture content was increasing in the upper ocean, which traveled into the westerlies. Simultaneously, the atmospheric circulation was changed in the middle and high latitudes, and the abnormal SST might cause the abnormal change of the atmospheric circulation, which might influence to the snowstorm events in Teacheng Region.

Key words: snowstorm events, temporal and spatial distribution characteristics, sea surface temperature, atmospheric circulation indices, Tacheng Region