Connection of Autumn North Asian Snow With Mid‐Winter Tibetan Plateau Snow

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow variability is attracting growing interest, while its causes are not yet fully clear. In this study, the potential link of Eurasian snow with TP snow is detected. Excessive October–November (ON) north Asian snow cover can boost the upward wave activity and thus heat the...

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Published in:Geophysical research letters Vol. 52; no. 20
Main Authors: Han, Shuangze, Ren, Hong‐Li, Sun, Jianqi, Su, Baohuang, Zhang, Mengqi
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 28.10.2025
Subjects:
Anticyclones
Autumn
CMIP6
Hydrology
Middle troposphere
north Asian snow cover
Polar vortex
Precipitation
Predation
Snow
Snow accumulation
Snow cover
Snow depth
Snowfall
Stratosphere
Stratospheric polar vortexes
Stratospheric vortices
Tibetan Plateau snow depth
Troposphere
wave activity
Wave packets
Wave trains
Winter
Asia
Eurasia
Arctic region
ISSN:0094-8276, 1944-8007
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow variability is attracting growing interest, while its causes are not yet fully clear. In this study, the potential link of Eurasian snow with TP snow is detected. Excessive October–November (ON) north Asian snow cover can boost the upward wave activity and thus heat the stratospheric polar atmosphere, which subsequently gives rise to an attenuated stratospheric polar vortex (SPV). Meantime, the downward propagation of this SPV anomaly in boreal winter when the troposphere–stratosphere interaction is active induces an anomalous horizontal wave train in the middle troposphere. Such a wave train generates an anomalous anticyclone around the TP, facilitating the decreased local snowfall and snow depth in January. These processes indicate a connection of the mid‐latitude Asia–Arctic–TP via the vertical and horizontal wave activity and effectively supply a predictive indicator for the mid‐winter TP snow depth. Plain Language Summary As a key factor of climatic anomalies over East Asia, even the world, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow variability has recently been brought into focus. In spite of the sources from atmosphere and ocean widely probed into, the underlying causes remain incompletely understood. Through the analysis, our study reveals a delayed relation of Eurasian snow with TP snow. More October‐November north Asian snow cover dampens the subsequent stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) by triggering the strengthened vertical wave activity, which thereby constructs the mid‐latitude Asia–Arctic connection. Then on account of the active troposphere–stratosphere coupling in boreal winter, the abnormal SPV propagates downward and meanwhile, brings about a tropospheric wave train connecting the Arctic and TP, notably affecting the TP snowfall and snow depth in January. Hence, the “north Asian snow–TP snow” delayed relation suggests a potential predictor for the mid‐winter TP snow depth, a critical component of regional terrestrial water storage and water source for Asia. Furthermore, given the climatic effects of the TP snow, especially on the East Asian summer monsoon, our present study also provides valuable insights for advancing subseasonal‐to‐seasonal regional climate forecasting. Key Points North Asian October‐November snow cover shows the notable impact on Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow depth in the ensuing January Such a delayed impact is exerted by the troposphere‐stratosphere interaction via the snow cover‐induced anomalous wave activity Resultant high pressure anomaly around the TP through above processes decreases the local snowfall and thereby snow depth during January
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ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2025GL118606