Persistent(5-day or longer)extreme cold events(ECEs)over northeastern China during the boreal winter of 1979–2020 are investigated using daily minimum temperature(Tmin)from the China Meteorological Data Network.The e...Persistent(5-day or longer)extreme cold events(ECEs)over northeastern China during the boreal winter of 1979–2020 are investigated using daily minimum temperature(Tmin)from the China Meteorological Data Network.The extreme cooling area and intensity indices associated with the ECEs exhibit a dominant 10–40-day periodicity,indicating a close link with atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations(ISOs).The ECEs are categorized into W-and N-type.In the former,the low-frequency cooling associated with the ISO first penetrates into the western boundary of the northeastern China domain and later occupies the entire domain at its peak phase.The upper-tropospheric circulation associated with this type is characterized by a northwest–southeast-oriented Rossby wave train,expanding from the Ural Mountains to the western Pacific Ocean.In the latter,the cooling invades the northern boundary first and then penetrates into the entire domain.The upper tropospheric precursory signal associated with this type is a zonally oriented negative geopotential height anomaly,which slowly moves southward.A downward-propagating signal is observed in the stratospheric potential vorticity field prior to the peak cooling,implying a possible stratospheric impact.In addition to the W-and N-types,ECEs can also occur in a localized region near either at the northern or southern boundary of the domain.展开更多
Subseasonal forecasting of extreme events is crucial for early warning systems.However,the forecast skills for extreme events are limited.Taking the extreme cold events in January 2018 as a specific example,and analyz...Subseasonal forecasting of extreme events is crucial for early warning systems.However,the forecast skills for extreme events are limited.Taking the extreme cold events in January 2018 as a specific example,and analyzing the 34 extreme cold events in East Asia from 1998 to 2020,the authors evaluated the forecast skills of the ECMWF model ensemble members on subseasonal time scales.The results show that while the ensemble mean has limited skills for forecasting extreme cold events at the 3-week lead time,some individual members demonstrate high forecast skills.For most extreme cold events,there are>10%of members among the total ensembles that can well predict the rapid temperature transitions at the 14-day lead time.This highlights the untapped potential of the ECMWF model to forecast extreme cold events on subseasonal time scales.High-skill ensemble members rely on accurate predictions of atmospheric circulation patterns(500-hPa geopotential height,mean sea level pressure)and key weather systems,including the Ural Blocking and Siberian High,that influence extreme cold events.展开更多
Three extreme cold events occurred in eastern Asia in January 2016,January 2021,and December 2023.As important factors in atmospheric circulation anomalies,the Blocking High and East Asian Trough(BH-ET)structure playe...Three extreme cold events occurred in eastern Asia in January 2016,January 2021,and December 2023.As important factors in atmospheric circulation anomalies,the Blocking High and East Asian Trough(BH-ET)structure played key roles during these three extreme cold wave events.Among these two dynamic patterns,the BH affected the development of the cold waves in two different ways:(1)before the cold waves in 2016 and 2023,the BH pushed the cold air southward,resulting in a slow and gradual cooling,with a cooling rate(CR)in eastern Asia of 1.34℃d^(-1)and 1.2℃d^(-1),respectively,and(2)in January 2021,the sudden collapse of BH caused the cold air to rapidly attack mid-latitude regions,with a CR of 1.87℃d^(-1).In terms of the spatial CR,the temperature drop in 2021 occurred 38.8%and 55%faster than those in 2016 and 2023,respectively.At the same time,the ET influences the wind direction of cold waves by modulating the pressure gradient.Before the cold waves occurred,the meridional wind field near the ET showed negative values,forming northwesterly or northeasterly winds,which continued to affect the southern part of East Asia.The meridional wind in January 2021 was stronger than those in 2016 and 2023,which is thought to be the reason for the strength of the 2021 cold wave.Finally,results from the temperature Empirical Orthogonal Function(EOF)analysis from 1980-2023 verify an obvious BH-ET structure in the three cold wave events,which suggests that this particular climatological state provides a climatic background for the occurrence of cold waves.展开更多
Long-term regional extreme cold events(ECEs)garner significant attention due to their widespread impact and prolonged duration,posing critical threats to human society and ecosystems.Previous studies have examined ECE...Long-term regional extreme cold events(ECEs)garner significant attention due to their widespread impact and prolonged duration,posing critical threats to human society and ecosystems.Previous studies have examined ECE characteristics at single sites or grid points,however,it is crucial to recognize that such events generally manifest as spatiotemporally continuous regional phenomena.Here,we proposed an objective methodology based on spatiotemporal continuity to identify ECEs in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)during the winters of 1961-2015.This approach successfully reproduced the dynamic evolution of ECEs,encompassing their initiation,development,and dissipation.We further analyzed the changes of ECE intensity,frequency,and duration,and assessed ECE trends within varying return periods by employing the generalized Pareto distribution(GPD).Our findings reveal a decline in the frequency and duration of ECEs in CPEC over the study period,while their intensity has increased by 50%.ECEs predominantly occur in the northern regions of Azad Kashmir and Balochistan’s Quetta in Pakistan,and Kashgar in China.High recurrence levels are associated with an expansion of ECE-prone areas,particularly in the northern Pamir Plateau,which emerges as a regional hotspot.These results highlight the critical need to remain vigilant to potential future surges in ECEs under global warming,underscoring their implications for regional climate resilience.展开更多
From 17 November to 27 December 2022, extremely cold snowstorms frequently swept across North America and Eurasia. Diagnostic analysis reveals that these extreme cold events were closely related to the establishment o...From 17 November to 27 December 2022, extremely cold snowstorms frequently swept across North America and Eurasia. Diagnostic analysis reveals that these extreme cold events were closely related to the establishment of blocking circulations. Alaska Blocking(AB) and subsequent Ural Blocking(UB) episodes are linked to the phase transition of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and represent the main atmospheric regimes in the Northern Hemisphere. The downstream dispersion and propagation of Rossby wave packets from Alaska to East Asia provide a large-scale connection between AB and UB episodes. Based on the nonlinear multi-scale interaction(NMI) model, we found that the meridional potential vorticity gradient(PVy) in November and December of 2022 was anomalously weak in the mid-high latitudes from North America to Eurasia and provided a favorable background for the prolonged maintenance of UB and AB events and the generation of associated severe extreme snowstorms. However, the difference in the UB in terms of its persistence,location, and strength between November and December is related to the positive(negative) NAO in November(December). During the La Ni?a winter of 2022, the UB and AB events are related to the downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies, in addition to contributions by La Ni?a and low Arctic sea ice concentrations as they pertain to reducing PVyin mid-latitudes.展开更多
In the first half of winter 2020/21,China has experienced an extremely cold period across both northern and southern regions,with record-breaking low temperatures set in many stations of China.Meanwhile,a moderate La ...In the first half of winter 2020/21,China has experienced an extremely cold period across both northern and southern regions,with record-breaking low temperatures set in many stations of China.Meanwhile,a moderate La Niña event which exceeded both oceanic and atmospheric thresholds began in August 2020 and in a few months developed into its mature phase,just prior to the 2020/21 winter.In this report,the mid−high-latitude large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere,which were forced by the negative phase of Arctic Oscillation,a strengthened Siberian High,an intensified Ural High and a deepened East Asian Trough,are considered to be the direct reason for the frequent cold surges in winter 2020/21.At the same time,the synergistic effect of the warm Arctic and the cold tropical Pacific(La Niña)provided an indispensable background,at a hemispheric scale,to intensify the atmospheric circulation anomalies in middle-to-high latitudes.In the end,a most recent La Niña prediction is provided and the on-coming evolution of climate is discussed for the remaining part of the 2020/21 winter for the purpose of future decision-making and early warning.展开更多
Several consecutive extreme cold events impacted China during the first half of winter 2020/21,breaking the low-temperature records in many cities.How to make accurate climate predictions of extreme cold events is sti...Several consecutive extreme cold events impacted China during the first half of winter 2020/21,breaking the low-temperature records in many cities.How to make accurate climate predictions of extreme cold events is still an urgent issue.The synergistic effect of the warm Arctic and cold tropical Pacific has been demonstrated to intensify the intrusions of cold air from polar regions into middle-high latitudes,further influencing the cold conditions in China.However,climate models failed to predict these two ocean environments at expected lead times.Most seasonal climate forecasts only predicted the 2020/21 La Niña after the signal had already become apparent and significantly underestimated the observed Arctic sea ice loss in autumn 2020 with a 1-2 month advancement.In this work,the corresponding physical factors that may help improve the accuracy of seasonal climate predictions are further explored.For the 2020/21 La Niña prediction,through sensitivity experiments involving different atmospheric-oceanic initial conditions,the predominant southeasterly wind anomalies over the equatorial Pacific in spring of 2020 are diagnosed to play an irreplaceable role in triggering this cold event.A reasonable inclusion of atmospheric surface winds into the initialization will help the model predict La Niña development from the early spring of 2020.For predicting the Arctic sea ice loss in autumn 2020,an anomalously cyclonic circulation from the central Arctic Ocean predicted by the model,which swept abnormally hot air over Siberia into the Arctic Ocean,is recognized as an important contributor to successfully predicting the minimum Arctic sea ice extent.展开更多
The distinct precursory signals of countrywide extensive and persistent extreme cold events (CECs) were investigated and contrasted with those of countrywide cold wave events (CCWs). It is shown that most CECs were ac...The distinct precursory signals of countrywide extensive and persistent extreme cold events (CECs) were investigated and contrasted with those of countrywide cold wave events (CCWs). It is shown that most CECs were accompanied by a CCW in the initial stages. From the comparison between the CECs and the CCWs that were independent of any CEC, it is found that a south- west-northeast-oriented tilted ridge at 500 hPa was present around the Europe-Barents Sea regions approximately 10 days prior to the start of the CEC. Consistent with this feature, a high sea level pressure and strong cold air accumulation occurred over a broad extent of northern Eurasia one week prior to the start of the CEC. The tilted ridge and the strong cold air accumulation were the precursory signals that were absent for the CCW, and they provide important clues for the early prediction of whether a CCW event might evolve into a CEC.展开更多
Starting in mid-November,China was hit by several cold events during the early winter of 2020/21.The lowest temperature observed at Beijing station on 7 January reached−19.6°C.In this paper,we show that the outbr...Starting in mid-November,China was hit by several cold events during the early winter of 2020/21.The lowest temperature observed at Beijing station on 7 January reached−19.6°C.In this paper,we show that the outbreak of the record-breaking extreme cold event can be attributed to a huge merging Ural blocking(UB)ridge over the Eurasian region.The sea-ice cover in the Kara and East Siberia Seas(KESS)in autumn was at its lowest value since 1979,which could have served as a precursor signal.Further analysis shows that several successive UB episodes occurred from 1 September 2020 to 10 January 2021.The persistent UB that occurred in late September/early October 2020 may have made an important contribution to the October historical minimum of sea ice in the KESS region.Our results also show that,after each UB episode in winter,significant upward propagation of wave activity occurred around 60°E,which resulted in weakening the stratospheric vortex.Meanwhile,each UB episode also caused a significant reduction in sea-ice extent in KESS and a significant weakening of the westerly jet in mid-high-latitude Eurasia.Results suggest that the Arctic vortex,which is supposed to enhance seasonally,became weaker and more unstable than the climatic mean under the seasonal cumulative effects of UB episodes,KESS warming,and long-lasting negative-phase North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO-).Those seasonal cumulative effects,combined with the impact of La Niña winter,led to the frequent occurrence of extreme cold events.展开更多
Three extreme cold events invaded China during the early winter period between December 2020 to mid-January 2021 and caused drastic temperature drops,setting new low-temperature records at many stations during 6−8 Jan...Three extreme cold events invaded China during the early winter period between December 2020 to mid-January 2021 and caused drastic temperature drops,setting new low-temperature records at many stations during 6−8 January 2021.These cold events occurred under background conditions of low Arctic sea ice extent and a La Niña event.This is somewhat expected since the coupled effect of large Arctic sea ice loss in autumn and sea surface temperature cooling in the tropical Pacific usually favors cold event occurrences in Eurasia.Further diagnosis reveals that the first cold event is related to the southward movement of the polar vortex and the second one is related to a continent-wide ridge,while both the southward polar vortex and the Asian blocking are crucial for the third event.Here,we evaluate the forecast skill for these three events utilizing the operational forecasts from the ECMWF model.We find that the third event had the highest predictability since it achieves the best skill in forecasting the East Asian cooling among the three events.Therefore,the predictability of these cold events,as well as their relationships with the atmospheric initial conditions,Arctic sea ice,and La Niña deserve further investigation.展开更多
Three extreme cold events successively occurred across East Asia and North America in the 2020/21 winter.This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of these record-breaking persistent cold events from the isent...Three extreme cold events successively occurred across East Asia and North America in the 2020/21 winter.This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of these record-breaking persistent cold events from the isentropic mass circulation(IMC)perspective.Results show that the midlatitude cold surface temperature anomalies always co-occurred with the high-latitude warm anomalies,and this was closely related to the strengthening of the low-level equatorward cold air branch of the IMC,particularly along the climatological cold air routes over East Asia and North America.Specifically,the two cold surges over East Asia in early winter were results of intensification of cold air transport there,influenced by the Arctic sea ice loss in autumn.The weakened cold air transport over North America associated with warmer northeastern Pacific sea surface temperatures(SSTs)explained the concurrent anomalous warmth there.This enhanced a wavenumber-1 pattern and upward wave propagation,inducing a simultaneous and long-lasting stronger poleward warm air branch(WB)of the IMC in the stratosphere and hence a displacement-type Stratospheric Sudden Warming(SSW)event on 4 January.The WB-induced increase in the air mass transported into the polar stratosphere was followed by intensification of the equatorward cold branch,hence promoting the occurrence of two extreme cold events respectively over East Asia in the beginning of January and over North America in February.Results do not yield a robust direct linkage from La Niña to the SSW event,IMC changes,and cold events,though the extratropical warm SSTs are found to contribute to the February cold surge in North America.展开更多
Arctic sea ice loss and the associated enhanced warming has been related to midlatitude weather and climate changes through modulate meridional temperature gradients linked to circulation. However, contrasting lines o...Arctic sea ice loss and the associated enhanced warming has been related to midlatitude weather and climate changes through modulate meridional temperature gradients linked to circulation. However, contrasting lines of evidence result in low confidence in the influence of Arctic warming on midlatitude climate. This study examines the additional perspectives that palaeoclimate evidence provides on the decadal relationship between autumn sea ice extent (SIE) in the Barents-Kara (B-K) Seas and extreme cold wave events (ECWEs) in southern China. Reconstruction of the winter Cold Index and SIE in the B-K Seas from 1289 to 2017 shows that a significant anti-phase relationship occurred during most periods of decreasing SIE, indicating that cold winters are more likely in low SIE years due to the “bridge” role of the North Atlantic Oscillation and Siberian High. It is confirmed that the recent increase in ECWEs in southern China is closely related to the sea ice decline in the B-K Seas. However, our results show that the linkage is unstable, especially in high SIE periods, and it is probably modulated by atmospheric internal variability.展开更多
Extreme cold temperatures were observed in July and August 2023,coinciding with the WINFLY(winter fly-in)period of mid to late August into September 2023,meaning aircraft operations into McMurdo Station and Phoenix Ai...Extreme cold temperatures were observed in July and August 2023,coinciding with the WINFLY(winter fly-in)period of mid to late August into September 2023,meaning aircraft operations into McMurdo Station and Phoenix Airfield were adversely impacted.Specifically,with temperatures below−50℃,safe flight operation was not possible because of the risk of failing hydraulics and fuel turning to gel onboard the aircraft.The cold temperatures were measured across a broad area of the Antarctic,from East Antarctica toward the Ross Ice Shelf,and stretching across West Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula.A review of automatic weather station measurements and staffed station observations revealed a series of sites recording new record low temperatures.Four separate cold phases were identified,each a few days in duration and occurring from mid-July to the end of August 2023.A brief analysis of 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies shows how the mid-tropospheric atmospheric environment evolves in relation to these extreme cold temperatures.The monthly 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies show strong negative anomalies in August.Examination of composite geopotential height anomalies during each of the four cold phases suggests various factors leading to cold temperatures,including both southerly off-content flow and calm atmospheric conditions.Understanding the atmospheric environment that leads to such extreme cold temperatures can improve prediction of such events and benefit Antarctic operations and the study of Antarctic meteorology and climatology.展开更多
This study investigates whether and how the Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO)influences persistent extreme cold events(PECEs),a major type of natural disaster in boreal winter,over Northeast China.Significantly increased...This study investigates whether and how the Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO)influences persistent extreme cold events(PECEs),a major type of natural disaster in boreal winter,over Northeast China.Significantly increased occurrence probabilities of PECEs over Northeast China are observed in phases 3 and 5 of the MJO,when MJOrelated convection is located over the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific,respectively.Using the temperature tendency equation,it is found that the physical processes resulting in the cooling effects required for the occurrence of PECEs are distinct in the two phases of the MJO when MJO-related convection is consistently located over the warm pool area.The PECEs in phase 3 of the MJO mainly occur as a result of adiabatic cooling associated with ascending motion of the low-pressure anomaly over Northeast Asia.The cooling effect associated with phase 5 is stronger and longer than that in phase 3.The PECEs associated with phase 5 of the MJO are linked with the northwesterly cold advection of a cyclonic anomaly,which is part of the subtropical Rossby wave train induced by MJO-related convection in the tropical western Pacific.展开更多
Under recent Arctic warming,boreal winters have witnessed severe cold surges over both Eurasia and North America,bringing about serious social and economic impacts.Here,we investigated the changes in daily surface air...Under recent Arctic warming,boreal winters have witnessed severe cold surges over both Eurasia and North America,bringing about serious social and economic impacts.Here,we investigated the changes in daily surface air temperature(SAT)variability during the rapid Arctic warming period of 1988/89–2015/16,and found the daily SAT variance,mainly contributed by the sub-seasonal component,shows an increasing and decreasing trend over eastern Eurasia and North America,respectively.Increasing cold extremes(defined as days with daily SAT anomalies below 1.5 standard deviations)dominated the increase of the daily SAT variability over eastern Eurasia,while decreasing cold extremes dominated the decrease of the daily SAT variability over North America.The circulation regime of cold extremes over eastern Eurasia(North America)is characterized by an enhanced high-pressure ridge over the Urals(Alaska)and surface Siberian(Canadian)high.The data analyses and model simulations show the recent strengthening of the high-pressure ridge over the Urals was associated with warming of the Barents–Kara seas in the Arctic region,while the high-pressure ridge over Alaska was influenced by the offset effect of Arctic warming over the East Siberian–Chukchi seas and the Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO)–like sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies over the North Pacific.The transition of the PDO-like SST anomalies from a positive to negative phase cancelled the impact of Arctic warming,reduced the occurrence of extreme cold days,and possibly resulted in the decreasing trend of daily SAT variability in North America.The multi-ensemble simulations of climate models confirmed the regional Arctic warming as the driver of the increasing SAT variance over eastern Eurasia and North America and the overwhelming effect of SST forcing on the decreasing SAT variance over North America.Therefore,the regional response of winter cold extremes at midlatitudes to the Arctic warming could be different due to the distinct impact of decadal SST anomalies.展开更多
The investigation of the mechanisms of plant adaptation to stressor action is one of the leading directions of current biological studies. To understand the mechanism of salt tolerance of seabuckthom (Hippophae rhamn...The investigation of the mechanisms of plant adaptation to stressor action is one of the leading directions of current biological studies. To understand the mechanism of salt tolerance of seabuckthom (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) and identify its ability to cope with the salinity effect in the saline and extremely cold region of Qinghai, China, a test was conducted with two-year-old seedlings subjected to 0, 200, 400 and 600 mmol·L^-1 NaClsolutions for 30 d. The results show that with an increase in salinity, the biomass of H. rhamnoides seedlings clearly decreased. Leaf water potential (ψw) and relative water content (RWC) were significantly reduced under salinity, with severe water shortages appearing in leaves. At the same time, the total chlorophyll content declined markedly. When salinity increased and stress time prolonged, the net CO2 assimilation rate (A) significantly declined. Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) declined at first and was then followed by an increase over the stress time. We conclude that H. rhamnoides grown in the extremely cold and saline region of Qinghai has a certain resistance to salt, which can be planted at appropriate salinity levels.展开更多
[Objective] The aim was to explore climatic characteristics of cold and frost disaster and the effects on flowers and trees in mountain city in 2010. [Method] Extremism of cold and frost disaster in temperature and la...[Objective] The aim was to explore climatic characteristics of cold and frost disaster and the effects on flowers and trees in mountain city in 2010. [Method] Extremism of cold and frost disaster in temperature and lasting period, and the effects on flowers and trees in 2010 were researched based on information of average ten-day temperatures and extreme lowest temperature in 1951-2010 and Michelia alba DC. growth in a Hou in 2008-2010, as per statistical analysis technique. [Result] Cold and frost disaster in winter of 2010 proved the longest in lasting period, lowest in average temperature, and most serious for flowers and trees, resulting in serious loss of flowers and trees in Beibei area. [Conclusion] Countermeasures in the research would reduce owners’ loss in flowers and trees.展开更多
The snow-cover days over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in the winter of 1670 were extracted from Chinese historical documents. By these records, the winter temperature anomalies (compare...The snow-cover days over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in the winter of 1670 were extracted from Chinese historical documents. By these records, the winter temperature anomalies (compared to the mean of 1961-1990) recorded at seven meteorological stations and the regional mean winter temperature were estimated. The results show that: (1) There was an average of about 30 snow-cover days over the MLRYR region in 1670, ranging from 11-20 days in Shanghai and eastern Zhejiang to 5140 days in eastern Hunan Province. The snow-cover days averaged about 40 days in Anqing and Nan- cheng, and ranged from 30 to 40 days in Quzhou, Jingdezhen, and Nanchang; and (2) the regional mean winter temperature in 1670 was estimated to be approximately 4.0 ℃ lower than that of 1961-1990. The maximum negative anomaly of 5.6℃ occurred in Nanchang and the minimum anomaly of-2.8 ℃ was detected in Quzhou. Both of these were lower than that of the coldest winter during the instrumental observation period of 1951-2010. This research could not only provide a method to es- timate historical climate extremes, but also provide a background to understand the recent instrumentally climate extremes.展开更多
The region of south China is sometimes subject to major climatic catastrophes in winter. To have a clear understanding, the time in which extremely severe cold months occur in the south China wintertime over the past ...The region of south China is sometimes subject to major climatic catastrophes in winter. To have a clear understanding, the time in which extremely severe cold months occur in the south China wintertime over the past 45 years are determined and characteristics of the 500-hPa geopotential fields and SST fields are studied for the simultaneous and preceding 6-month periods. Similarity exists in the 500-hPa geopotential fields between each current severely cold month, with the geopotential pattern of being high in the north, but low in the south, of Asian-Pacific region and meridional circulation developing. The work presents anomalies of the months with significant differences in the 500-hPa geopotential field of the previous periods. The SSTA is continuous in the distribution from each extremely severe cold winter month back to the 6 months leading up to it for the region of south China while the SST pattern is of El Ni?o in January and the preceding 1 ~ 6 months for equatorial eastern Pacific but of La Ni?a in February and December. It is concluded that the prediction of severely cold winter months are possible with the use of the geopotential field at 500 hPa and the SST fields for the months ahead of the target time.展开更多
The work has made a statistic study of the variations of extremely severe cold winter months in the south of China and general circulation and external forcing factors in preceding periods. The result shows that from ...The work has made a statistic study of the variations of extremely severe cold winter months in the south of China and general circulation and external forcing factors in preceding periods. The result shows that from the current month to the preceding March the subtropical high in the west Pacific is persistently weak or located more to the east and south. When the summer monsoon is weak in East Asia in the year before, the winter monsoon will be strong in the current year in which the extremely severe cold month occurs. The Asian polar vortex expands in the preceding July, August and September and the current winter. The Tibetan Plateau has fewer days of snow cover in the November and December before the cold month occurs. There is less snow in the Tibetan Plateau in the preceding winter / spring of each extremely severe cold month. There are more polar ice in the polar Region Ⅳ for the 11 months before the current February, especially the previous March through August, and in Region Ⅱin January ~ November before the current cold month of December but less ice in Region Ⅲ in March ~ August.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42088101 and 42075032).
文摘Persistent(5-day or longer)extreme cold events(ECEs)over northeastern China during the boreal winter of 1979–2020 are investigated using daily minimum temperature(Tmin)from the China Meteorological Data Network.The extreme cooling area and intensity indices associated with the ECEs exhibit a dominant 10–40-day periodicity,indicating a close link with atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations(ISOs).The ECEs are categorized into W-and N-type.In the former,the low-frequency cooling associated with the ISO first penetrates into the western boundary of the northeastern China domain and later occupies the entire domain at its peak phase.The upper-tropospheric circulation associated with this type is characterized by a northwest–southeast-oriented Rossby wave train,expanding from the Ural Mountains to the western Pacific Ocean.In the latter,the cooling invades the northern boundary first and then penetrates into the entire domain.The upper tropospheric precursory signal associated with this type is a zonally oriented negative geopotential height anomaly,which slowly moves southward.A downward-propagating signal is observed in the stratospheric potential vorticity field prior to the peak cooling,implying a possible stratospheric impact.In addition to the W-and N-types,ECEs can also occur in a localized region near either at the northern or southern boundary of the domain.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program[grant number 2022YFC3004203]the S&T Development Fund of CAMS(Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences)[grant numbers 2023KJ040 and 2024KJ013].
文摘Subseasonal forecasting of extreme events is crucial for early warning systems.However,the forecast skills for extreme events are limited.Taking the extreme cold events in January 2018 as a specific example,and analyzing the 34 extreme cold events in East Asia from 1998 to 2020,the authors evaluated the forecast skills of the ECMWF model ensemble members on subseasonal time scales.The results show that while the ensemble mean has limited skills for forecasting extreme cold events at the 3-week lead time,some individual members demonstrate high forecast skills.For most extreme cold events,there are>10%of members among the total ensembles that can well predict the rapid temperature transitions at the 14-day lead time.This highlights the untapped potential of the ECMWF model to forecast extreme cold events on subseasonal time scales.High-skill ensemble members rely on accurate predictions of atmospheric circulation patterns(500-hPa geopotential height,mean sea level pressure)and key weather systems,including the Ural Blocking and Siberian High,that influence extreme cold events.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.41821004,the National Key Research and Development Program of China under contract No.2022YFE0140500the National Key R&D Program of China under contract No.2022YFA1004403+2 种基金the Laoshan Laboratory Science and Technology Innovation Project No.LSKJ202202104the National Nature Science Foundation of China No.42130406the Project of Doctoral Found of Qingdao University of Science and Technology under contract No.210010022746.
文摘Three extreme cold events occurred in eastern Asia in January 2016,January 2021,and December 2023.As important factors in atmospheric circulation anomalies,the Blocking High and East Asian Trough(BH-ET)structure played key roles during these three extreme cold wave events.Among these two dynamic patterns,the BH affected the development of the cold waves in two different ways:(1)before the cold waves in 2016 and 2023,the BH pushed the cold air southward,resulting in a slow and gradual cooling,with a cooling rate(CR)in eastern Asia of 1.34℃d^(-1)and 1.2℃d^(-1),respectively,and(2)in January 2021,the sudden collapse of BH caused the cold air to rapidly attack mid-latitude regions,with a CR of 1.87℃d^(-1).In terms of the spatial CR,the temperature drop in 2021 occurred 38.8%and 55%faster than those in 2016 and 2023,respectively.At the same time,the ET influences the wind direction of cold waves by modulating the pressure gradient.Before the cold waves occurred,the meridional wind field near the ET showed negative values,forming northwesterly or northeasterly winds,which continued to affect the southern part of East Asia.The meridional wind in January 2021 was stronger than those in 2016 and 2023,which is thought to be the reason for the strength of the 2021 cold wave.Finally,results from the temperature Empirical Orthogonal Function(EOF)analysis from 1980-2023 verify an obvious BH-ET structure in the three cold wave events,which suggests that this particular climatological state provides a climatic background for the occurrence of cold waves.
基金Under the auspices of the Key R&D Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(No.2022B03021)Tianshan Talent Training Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(No.2022TSYCLJ0011)+2 种基金Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements from the Qinghai Province(No.2020-SF-145)the 2020 Qinghai Kunlun Talents-leading Scientists Project(No.2020-LCJ-02)Key Program of International Cooperation,Bureau of International Cooperation,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.131551KYSB20210030)。
文摘Long-term regional extreme cold events(ECEs)garner significant attention due to their widespread impact and prolonged duration,posing critical threats to human society and ecosystems.Previous studies have examined ECE characteristics at single sites or grid points,however,it is crucial to recognize that such events generally manifest as spatiotemporally continuous regional phenomena.Here,we proposed an objective methodology based on spatiotemporal continuity to identify ECEs in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)during the winters of 1961-2015.This approach successfully reproduced the dynamic evolution of ECEs,encompassing their initiation,development,and dissipation.We further analyzed the changes of ECE intensity,frequency,and duration,and assessed ECE trends within varying return periods by employing the generalized Pareto distribution(GPD).Our findings reveal a decline in the frequency and duration of ECEs in CPEC over the study period,while their intensity has increased by 50%.ECEs predominantly occur in the northern regions of Azad Kashmir and Balochistan’s Quetta in Pakistan,and Kashgar in China.High recurrence levels are associated with an expansion of ECE-prone areas,particularly in the northern Pamir Plateau,which emerges as a regional hotspot.These results highlight the critical need to remain vigilant to potential future surges in ECEs under global warming,underscoring their implications for regional climate resilience.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41975068, 42150204, 42288101, 42075024, and 41830969)。
文摘From 17 November to 27 December 2022, extremely cold snowstorms frequently swept across North America and Eurasia. Diagnostic analysis reveals that these extreme cold events were closely related to the establishment of blocking circulations. Alaska Blocking(AB) and subsequent Ural Blocking(UB) episodes are linked to the phase transition of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and represent the main atmospheric regimes in the Northern Hemisphere. The downstream dispersion and propagation of Rossby wave packets from Alaska to East Asia provide a large-scale connection between AB and UB episodes. Based on the nonlinear multi-scale interaction(NMI) model, we found that the meridional potential vorticity gradient(PVy) in November and December of 2022 was anomalously weak in the mid-high latitudes from North America to Eurasia and provided a favorable background for the prolonged maintenance of UB and AB events and the generation of associated severe extreme snowstorms. However, the difference in the UB in terms of its persistence,location, and strength between November and December is related to the positive(negative) NAO in November(December). During the La Ni?a winter of 2022, the UB and AB events are related to the downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies, in addition to contributions by La Ni?a and low Arctic sea ice concentrations as they pertain to reducing PVyin mid-latitudes.
基金supported by the national key R&D Program of China(Grant No 2018YFC1505603)the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences,CAS(Grant No.ZDBS-LY-DQC010)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41876012,41861144015).
文摘In the first half of winter 2020/21,China has experienced an extremely cold period across both northern and southern regions,with record-breaking low temperatures set in many stations of China.Meanwhile,a moderate La Niña event which exceeded both oceanic and atmospheric thresholds began in August 2020 and in a few months developed into its mature phase,just prior to the 2020/21 winter.In this report,the mid−high-latitude large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere,which were forced by the negative phase of Arctic Oscillation,a strengthened Siberian High,an intensified Ural High and a deepened East Asian Trough,are considered to be the direct reason for the frequent cold surges in winter 2020/21.At the same time,the synergistic effect of the warm Arctic and the cold tropical Pacific(La Niña)provided an indispensable background,at a hemispheric scale,to intensify the atmospheric circulation anomalies in middle-to-high latitudes.In the end,a most recent La Niña prediction is provided and the on-coming evolution of climate is discussed for the remaining part of the 2020/21 winter for the purpose of future decision-making and early warning.
基金supported by the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences,CAS (Grant No. ZDBS-LY-DQC010)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41876012 and 41861144015,42175045)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.XDB42000000).
文摘Several consecutive extreme cold events impacted China during the first half of winter 2020/21,breaking the low-temperature records in many cities.How to make accurate climate predictions of extreme cold events is still an urgent issue.The synergistic effect of the warm Arctic and cold tropical Pacific has been demonstrated to intensify the intrusions of cold air from polar regions into middle-high latitudes,further influencing the cold conditions in China.However,climate models failed to predict these two ocean environments at expected lead times.Most seasonal climate forecasts only predicted the 2020/21 La Niña after the signal had already become apparent and significantly underestimated the observed Arctic sea ice loss in autumn 2020 with a 1-2 month advancement.In this work,the corresponding physical factors that may help improve the accuracy of seasonal climate predictions are further explored.For the 2020/21 La Niña prediction,through sensitivity experiments involving different atmospheric-oceanic initial conditions,the predominant southeasterly wind anomalies over the equatorial Pacific in spring of 2020 are diagnosed to play an irreplaceable role in triggering this cold event.A reasonable inclusion of atmospheric surface winds into the initialization will help the model predict La Niña development from the early spring of 2020.For predicting the Arctic sea ice loss in autumn 2020,an anomalously cyclonic circulation from the central Arctic Ocean predicted by the model,which swept abnormally hot air over Siberia into the Arctic Ocean,is recognized as an important contributor to successfully predicting the minimum Arctic sea ice extent.
基金supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2009BAC51B02)
文摘The distinct precursory signals of countrywide extensive and persistent extreme cold events (CECs) were investigated and contrasted with those of countrywide cold wave events (CCWs). It is shown that most CECs were accompanied by a CCW in the initial stages. From the comparison between the CECs and the CCWs that were independent of any CEC, it is found that a south- west-northeast-oriented tilted ridge at 500 hPa was present around the Europe-Barents Sea regions approximately 10 days prior to the start of the CEC. Consistent with this feature, a high sea level pressure and strong cold air accumulation occurred over a broad extent of northern Eurasia one week prior to the start of the CEC. The tilted ridge and the strong cold air accumulation were the precursory signals that were absent for the CCW, and they provide important clues for the early prediction of whether a CCW event might evolve into a CEC.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants Nos. 41975068, 41790473, and 41975099)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant No. XDA19070403).
文摘Starting in mid-November,China was hit by several cold events during the early winter of 2020/21.The lowest temperature observed at Beijing station on 7 January reached−19.6°C.In this paper,we show that the outbreak of the record-breaking extreme cold event can be attributed to a huge merging Ural blocking(UB)ridge over the Eurasian region.The sea-ice cover in the Kara and East Siberia Seas(KESS)in autumn was at its lowest value since 1979,which could have served as a precursor signal.Further analysis shows that several successive UB episodes occurred from 1 September 2020 to 10 January 2021.The persistent UB that occurred in late September/early October 2020 may have made an important contribution to the October historical minimum of sea ice in the KESS region.Our results also show that,after each UB episode in winter,significant upward propagation of wave activity occurred around 60°E,which resulted in weakening the stratospheric vortex.Meanwhile,each UB episode also caused a significant reduction in sea-ice extent in KESS and a significant weakening of the westerly jet in mid-high-latitude Eurasia.Results suggest that the Arctic vortex,which is supposed to enhance seasonally,became weaker and more unstable than the climatic mean under the seasonal cumulative effects of UB episodes,KESS warming,and long-lasting negative-phase North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO-).Those seasonal cumulative effects,combined with the impact of La Niña winter,led to the frequent occurrence of extreme cold events.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos:41790475,42005046,and 41790473)。
文摘Three extreme cold events invaded China during the early winter period between December 2020 to mid-January 2021 and caused drastic temperature drops,setting new low-temperature records at many stations during 6−8 January 2021.These cold events occurred under background conditions of low Arctic sea ice extent and a La Niña event.This is somewhat expected since the coupled effect of large Arctic sea ice loss in autumn and sea surface temperature cooling in the tropical Pacific usually favors cold event occurrences in Eurasia.Further diagnosis reveals that the first cold event is related to the southward movement of the polar vortex and the second one is related to a continent-wide ridge,while both the southward polar vortex and the Asian blocking are crucial for the third event.Here,we evaluate the forecast skill for these three events utilizing the operational forecasts from the ECMWF model.We find that the third event had the highest predictability since it achieves the best skill in forecasting the East Asian cooling among the three events.Therefore,the predictability of these cold events,as well as their relationships with the atmospheric initial conditions,Arctic sea ice,and La Niña deserve further investigation.
基金supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2019YFC1510201)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42075052 and 42088101)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grants No.BK20211288).
文摘Three extreme cold events successively occurred across East Asia and North America in the 2020/21 winter.This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of these record-breaking persistent cold events from the isentropic mass circulation(IMC)perspective.Results show that the midlatitude cold surface temperature anomalies always co-occurred with the high-latitude warm anomalies,and this was closely related to the strengthening of the low-level equatorward cold air branch of the IMC,particularly along the climatological cold air routes over East Asia and North America.Specifically,the two cold surges over East Asia in early winter were results of intensification of cold air transport there,influenced by the Arctic sea ice loss in autumn.The weakened cold air transport over North America associated with warmer northeastern Pacific sea surface temperatures(SSTs)explained the concurrent anomalous warmth there.This enhanced a wavenumber-1 pattern and upward wave propagation,inducing a simultaneous and long-lasting stronger poleward warm air branch(WB)of the IMC in the stratosphere and hence a displacement-type Stratospheric Sudden Warming(SSW)event on 4 January.The WB-induced increase in the air mass transported into the polar stratosphere was followed by intensification of the equatorward cold branch,hence promoting the occurrence of two extreme cold events respectively over East Asia in the beginning of January and over North America in February.Results do not yield a robust direct linkage from La Niña to the SSW event,IMC changes,and cold events,though the extratropical warm SSTs are found to contribute to the February cold surge in North America.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42101142)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA19070103)the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(Grant No.2022QNRC001).
文摘Arctic sea ice loss and the associated enhanced warming has been related to midlatitude weather and climate changes through modulate meridional temperature gradients linked to circulation. However, contrasting lines of evidence result in low confidence in the influence of Arctic warming on midlatitude climate. This study examines the additional perspectives that palaeoclimate evidence provides on the decadal relationship between autumn sea ice extent (SIE) in the Barents-Kara (B-K) Seas and extreme cold wave events (ECWEs) in southern China. Reconstruction of the winter Cold Index and SIE in the B-K Seas from 1289 to 2017 shows that a significant anti-phase relationship occurred during most periods of decreasing SIE, indicating that cold winters are more likely in low SIE years due to the “bridge” role of the North Atlantic Oscillation and Siberian High. It is confirmed that the recent increase in ECWEs in southern China is closely related to the sea ice decline in the B-K Seas. However, our results show that the linkage is unstable, especially in high SIE periods, and it is probably modulated by atmospheric internal variability.
基金support from the US National Science Foundation(Grant Nos.1924730,2301362,and 2205398).
文摘Extreme cold temperatures were observed in July and August 2023,coinciding with the WINFLY(winter fly-in)period of mid to late August into September 2023,meaning aircraft operations into McMurdo Station and Phoenix Airfield were adversely impacted.Specifically,with temperatures below−50℃,safe flight operation was not possible because of the risk of failing hydraulics and fuel turning to gel onboard the aircraft.The cold temperatures were measured across a broad area of the Antarctic,from East Antarctica toward the Ross Ice Shelf,and stretching across West Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula.A review of automatic weather station measurements and staffed station observations revealed a series of sites recording new record low temperatures.Four separate cold phases were identified,each a few days in duration and occurring from mid-July to the end of August 2023.A brief analysis of 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies shows how the mid-tropospheric atmospheric environment evolves in relation to these extreme cold temperatures.The monthly 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies show strong negative anomalies in August.Examination of composite geopotential height anomalies during each of the four cold phases suggests various factors leading to cold temperatures,including both southerly off-content flow and calm atmospheric conditions.Understanding the atmospheric environment that leads to such extreme cold temperatures can improve prediction of such events and benefit Antarctic operations and the study of Antarctic meteorology and climatology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant number 42088101]the National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talent of China[grant number BX2021133]the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation of No.70 General Fund[grant number 2021M701753]。
文摘This study investigates whether and how the Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO)influences persistent extreme cold events(PECEs),a major type of natural disaster in boreal winter,over Northeast China.Significantly increased occurrence probabilities of PECEs over Northeast China are observed in phases 3 and 5 of the MJO,when MJOrelated convection is located over the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific,respectively.Using the temperature tendency equation,it is found that the physical processes resulting in the cooling effects required for the occurrence of PECEs are distinct in the two phases of the MJO when MJO-related convection is consistently located over the warm pool area.The PECEs in phase 3 of the MJO mainly occur as a result of adiabatic cooling associated with ascending motion of the low-pressure anomaly over Northeast Asia.The cooling effect associated with phase 5 is stronger and longer than that in phase 3.The PECEs associated with phase 5 of the MJO are linked with the northwesterly cold advection of a cyclonic anomaly,which is part of the subtropical Rossby wave train induced by MJO-related convection in the tropical western Pacific.
基金This study was jointly supported by the National Key R&D Program(Grant No.2018YFC1505904)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41830969 and 41705052)the Basic Scientific Research and Operation Foundation of CAMS(Grant No.2018Z006).
文摘Under recent Arctic warming,boreal winters have witnessed severe cold surges over both Eurasia and North America,bringing about serious social and economic impacts.Here,we investigated the changes in daily surface air temperature(SAT)variability during the rapid Arctic warming period of 1988/89–2015/16,and found the daily SAT variance,mainly contributed by the sub-seasonal component,shows an increasing and decreasing trend over eastern Eurasia and North America,respectively.Increasing cold extremes(defined as days with daily SAT anomalies below 1.5 standard deviations)dominated the increase of the daily SAT variability over eastern Eurasia,while decreasing cold extremes dominated the decrease of the daily SAT variability over North America.The circulation regime of cold extremes over eastern Eurasia(North America)is characterized by an enhanced high-pressure ridge over the Urals(Alaska)and surface Siberian(Canadian)high.The data analyses and model simulations show the recent strengthening of the high-pressure ridge over the Urals was associated with warming of the Barents–Kara seas in the Arctic region,while the high-pressure ridge over Alaska was influenced by the offset effect of Arctic warming over the East Siberian–Chukchi seas and the Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO)–like sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies over the North Pacific.The transition of the PDO-like SST anomalies from a positive to negative phase cancelled the impact of Arctic warming,reduced the occurrence of extreme cold days,and possibly resulted in the decreasing trend of daily SAT variability in North America.The multi-ensemble simulations of climate models confirmed the regional Arctic warming as the driver of the increasing SAT variance over eastern Eurasia and North America and the overwhelming effect of SST forcing on the decreasing SAT variance over North America.Therefore,the regional response of winter cold extremes at midlatitudes to the Arctic warming could be different due to the distinct impact of decadal SST anomalies.
基金supported by the Doctoral Program Foundation of Institutions of Higher Education of China (20070022028)the 11th Five Scientific & Technological Sustaining Research Program of China (2006BAD03A1203)
文摘The investigation of the mechanisms of plant adaptation to stressor action is one of the leading directions of current biological studies. To understand the mechanism of salt tolerance of seabuckthom (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) and identify its ability to cope with the salinity effect in the saline and extremely cold region of Qinghai, China, a test was conducted with two-year-old seedlings subjected to 0, 200, 400 and 600 mmol·L^-1 NaClsolutions for 30 d. The results show that with an increase in salinity, the biomass of H. rhamnoides seedlings clearly decreased. Leaf water potential (ψw) and relative water content (RWC) were significantly reduced under salinity, with severe water shortages appearing in leaves. At the same time, the total chlorophyll content declined markedly. When salinity increased and stress time prolonged, the net CO2 assimilation rate (A) significantly declined. Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) declined at first and was then followed by an increase over the stress time. We conclude that H. rhamnoides grown in the extremely cold and saline region of Qinghai has a certain resistance to salt, which can be planted at appropriate salinity levels.
文摘[Objective] The aim was to explore climatic characteristics of cold and frost disaster and the effects on flowers and trees in mountain city in 2010. [Method] Extremism of cold and frost disaster in temperature and lasting period, and the effects on flowers and trees in 2010 were researched based on information of average ten-day temperatures and extreme lowest temperature in 1951-2010 and Michelia alba DC. growth in a Hou in 2008-2010, as per statistical analysis technique. [Result] Cold and frost disaster in winter of 2010 proved the longest in lasting period, lowest in average temperature, and most serious for flowers and trees, resulting in serious loss of flowers and trees in Beibei area. [Conclusion] Countermeasures in the research would reduce owners’ loss in flowers and trees.
基金supported by grants to the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDA05080100)the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2010CB950101)+1 种基金the Basic Research Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2011FY120300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41271124, 41071029)
文摘The snow-cover days over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in the winter of 1670 were extracted from Chinese historical documents. By these records, the winter temperature anomalies (compared to the mean of 1961-1990) recorded at seven meteorological stations and the regional mean winter temperature were estimated. The results show that: (1) There was an average of about 30 snow-cover days over the MLRYR region in 1670, ranging from 11-20 days in Shanghai and eastern Zhejiang to 5140 days in eastern Hunan Province. The snow-cover days averaged about 40 days in Anqing and Nan- cheng, and ranged from 30 to 40 days in Quzhou, Jingdezhen, and Nanchang; and (2) the regional mean winter temperature in 1670 was estimated to be approximately 4.0 ℃ lower than that of 1961-1990. The maximum negative anomaly of 5.6℃ occurred in Nanchang and the minimum anomaly of-2.8 ℃ was detected in Quzhou. Both of these were lower than that of the coldest winter during the instrumental observation period of 1951-2010. This research could not only provide a method to es- timate historical climate extremes, but also provide a background to understand the recent instrumentally climate extremes.
基金Research on short-term climatic prediction systems in China" - a key scientific and technological project in the national 9th
文摘The region of south China is sometimes subject to major climatic catastrophes in winter. To have a clear understanding, the time in which extremely severe cold months occur in the south China wintertime over the past 45 years are determined and characteristics of the 500-hPa geopotential fields and SST fields are studied for the simultaneous and preceding 6-month periods. Similarity exists in the 500-hPa geopotential fields between each current severely cold month, with the geopotential pattern of being high in the north, but low in the south, of Asian-Pacific region and meridional circulation developing. The work presents anomalies of the months with significant differences in the 500-hPa geopotential field of the previous periods. The SSTA is continuous in the distribution from each extremely severe cold winter month back to the 6 months leading up to it for the region of south China while the SST pattern is of El Ni?o in January and the preceding 1 ~ 6 months for equatorial eastern Pacific but of La Ni?a in February and December. It is concluded that the prediction of severely cold winter months are possible with the use of the geopotential field at 500 hPa and the SST fields for the months ahead of the target time.
基金Research on short-term climatic prediction systems in China" - a key scientific and technological project in the national 9th f
文摘The work has made a statistic study of the variations of extremely severe cold winter months in the south of China and general circulation and external forcing factors in preceding periods. The result shows that from the current month to the preceding March the subtropical high in the west Pacific is persistently weak or located more to the east and south. When the summer monsoon is weak in East Asia in the year before, the winter monsoon will be strong in the current year in which the extremely severe cold month occurs. The Asian polar vortex expands in the preceding July, August and September and the current winter. The Tibetan Plateau has fewer days of snow cover in the November and December before the cold month occurs. There is less snow in the Tibetan Plateau in the preceding winter / spring of each extremely severe cold month. There are more polar ice in the polar Region Ⅳ for the 11 months before the current February, especially the previous March through August, and in Region Ⅱin January ~ November before the current cold month of December but less ice in Region Ⅲ in March ~ August.