A Climatology of Northwest Missouri Snowfall Events: Long-Term Trends and Interannual Variability

Abstract

The goal of this study was to develop a 50-year statistical climatology of snowfall occurrences using data from a dense network of cooperative station observations covering northwest and central Missouri, and these records were provided by the Missouri Climate Center.This included a study of the long term trends and interannual variability in snowfall occurrence as related to sea surface temperature variations in the Pacific Ocean basin associated with the El Nin o and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO). These trends and variations were then related to four synoptic-scale flow regimes that produce these snowfalls in the Midwest. The results demonstrate that during the snowfall season (Oct -April) the northwest Missouri region can expect about eight snowfall events which produce three or more inches of accumulation. While no significant long-term trend in overall snowfall occurrence was found, a decrease in the number of extreme events (10 or more inches) was noted. Also, fewer snowfall events were found during El Nin o years, while more heavy snowfall events occurred during "neutral" years, and these results could be related to synoptic-scale variability. A closer examination of the results demonstrated that El Nin o/La Nin a related variability in snowfall occurrence was superimposed on longer-term NPO-related variability. [Interannual Variability, snowfalls, climatology, El Nin o]

An Analysis of the Spring-to-Summer Transition in the West Central Plains for Application to Long Range Forecasting

“…Table 9 shows the mean seasonal temperature for each case in Table 7 using the larger data set. Similar to [56] or [57], −PDO springs and summers show slight ENSO variation for spring and summer temperatures following El Niño onset averaging slightly warmer than summers following La Niña onset. This result matches the studies of [56] and similar studies from this group that there is weak ENSO variability in −PDO years.…”

“…All of these show statistically significant interannual variability, but there is little indication of interdecadal variability, as was found for regional precipitation events (e.g., [56] [57]), except for the blocking time series which shows significant variability beyond ten years. The interannual variability in Figure 8(a) for example can be inferred from the diagram which shows a significant peak at wave number 18, which in the 68 year data set represents variability with a period of three to four years.…”

The Interannual and Interdecadal Variability in Hurricane Activity

“…In general, the ENSO related variability was smaller during the cool phase of the PDO. This type of behavior was noted in studies of other phenomena as well (e.g., Berger et al 2003;Lupo et al 2005). In contrast, during PDO1 years, ENSO variability was enhanced.…”

Snowfall Events as a Factor of Snow Cover Stratigraphy Formation

“…The number of the layers with the defined water equivalent value (which was determined on the base of intensity of corresponding snowfalls) and thickness of these layers in this generalized regional stratigraphy were calculated on base of information on the number of snowfalls of determined intensity for the winter season and mean value of snow density in this region. For example, mean snow density value of the snow cover for the considered time period in Moscow region is 0.24 g/cm 2 and 0.17 g/cm 2 in Yakutsk region according to [7].…”

“…Previous works [1][2][3] have demonstrated interannual variability in the intensity and occurrence of snowfalls in different regions of the USA and Europe, although some long-term trends in these characteristics were revealed as well. In our previous work [4] snowfall-events are considered as a factor of formation of snow-cover distribution (inhomogeneity of snow cover thickness) on the territory of Russia, its snow water equivalent and its stratigraphy.…”