An analysis of long-term changes in the depth (maximum, average), the dates of onset and destruction, and the duration of stable snow cover in the Baikal region is carried out according to data of observations at weather stations in 1959–2019, which makes it possible to reveal the differences of these characteristics on the eastern and western coasts of Lake Baikal. A maximum long-term snow cover depth of 39 -175 cm is recorded at weather stations in the eastern Baikal region with an average long-term depth of 9.1 -80.8 cm. At weather stations in the western Baikal region, the maximum long-term snow cover depth is 21-67 cm with average long-term values of 4.5-30.3 cm. A close dependence of the duration of snow cover on the dates of its onset and destruction has been found. At the end of the study period, a shift in the dates of onset and destruction of snow cover to earlier dates is observed in the absence of statistically significant trends. As a result of these changes, snow cover melts earlier and the duration of its occurrence is significantly reduced. The average long-term duration of stable snow cover on the territory of the Baikal region is 182 days: 186 days in the east, and 173 days in the west.
Variation of the snow cover extent and the dates of the beginning and end of its formation in Western Siberia (WS) for the fall-winter season was analyzed. We used the NOAA satellite data on the snow cover extent in Northern Hemisphere and data from meteorological stations from the RIHMI-WDC dataset. An increase of the interannual variation of the dates of the beginning and end of the snow cover formation was obtained. For the northern WS territories and territories located on significant heights, a later onset of snow cover is shown in the NOAA data compared to stations observations. Using the ERAInterim reanalysis and NOAA data, we also analyzed the features of the atmospheric modes of variability and wave activity, which are manifested for the anomalously rapid snow cover formation in the WS. The results obtained indicate the insignificance of the influence of the anomalies in the rate of the WS snow cover extent increase. We also suggest that the snow cover formation anomalies are a consequence of the atmospheric state anomalies on a hemispheric scale.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.