Dynamics of Spring Snow Cover Variability over Northeast China

Abstract

Spring snow cover variability over Northeast China (NEC) has a profound influence on the local grain yield and even the food security of the country, but its drivers remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the spatiotemporal features and the underlying mechanisms of spring snow cover variability over NEC during 1983–2018 based on the satellite-derived snow cover data and atmospheric reanalysis products. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis showed that the first EOF mode (EOF1) explains about 50% of the total variances and characterizes a coherent snow cover variability pattern over NEC. Further analyses suggested that the formation of the EOF1 mode is jointly affected by the atmospheric internal variability and the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly at the interannual timescale. Specifically, following a negative phase of the atmospheric teleconnection of the Polar–Eurasian pattern, a prominent cyclonic circulation appears over NEC, which increases the snowfall over the east of NEC by enhancing the water vapor transport and decreases the air temperature through reducing the solar radiation and intensifying the cold advection. As a result, the snow cover has increased over NEC. Additionally, the tripole structure of the North Atlantic spring SST anomaly could excite a wave-train-type anomalous circulation propagating to NEC that further regulates the snow cover variability by altering the atmospheric dynamic and thermodynamic conditions and the resultant air temperature and snowfall. Our results have important implications on the understanding of the spring snow cover anomaly over NEC and the formulation of the local agricultural production plan.