Snow cover variability in Bulgarian mountainous regions, 1931–2000

Brown, Ross; Petkova, Nadezhda

doi:10.1002/joc.1468

Cited by 57 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Few significant correlations with atmospheric modes and great secular variability were found using station data in the mountainous regions of Bulgaria (Brown and Petkova, 2007). Snow cover changes were found to be associated with atmospheric circulation variations in the work of Falarz (2004) and Bednorz (2004) for Poland and Eastern Europe, respectively.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 86%

European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings

Henderson

Leathers

2010

Intl Journal of Climatology

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Snow cover in Europe represents an important component of the region's climatic system. Variability in snow cover extent can have major implications on factors such as low-level atmospheric temperatures, soil temperatures, soil moisture, stream discharge, and energy allocation involved in the warming and melting of the snowpack. The majority of studies investigating Northern Hemisphere snow cover identify European snow cover extent as a portion of the Eurasian record, possibly masking complexities of this subset. This study explores the variability of European snow cover extent from 1967-2007, with the region in question including the area of Europe extending eastward to the Ural Mountains (60°E). Using the 89 × 89 gridded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northern Hemisphere weekly satellite snow cover product, area estimates of seasonal snow cover were calculated, and their relationship to gridded temperature, precipitation, and sea-level pressure data analysed. The spatial variability of snow cover extent was also explored using geographical information systems (GIS). The combined results from both surface temperature and precipitation analyses point towards snow cover extent in Europe being primarily temperature dependent. Atmospheric variables associated with extremes in snow cover extent were investigated. Large (small) European snow extent is associated with negative (positive) 850 hPa zonal wind anomalies, negative (positive) European 1000-500 hPa thickness anomalies, and generally positive (negative) Northern European precipitation anomalies. Sea-level pressure and 500 hPa results indicate strong associations between large (small) snow cover seasons and the negative (positive) phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation.

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Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 86%

European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings

Henderson

Leathers

2010

Intl Journal of Climatology

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“…Studies on snow cover variability in the Swiss Alps where the mean snow depth, the duration of continuous snow cover and number of snowfall days have also shown a gradual increase from 1931 till early 1980s and significant decrease thereafter, indicating that the winter precipitation to an increasing degree now falls in the form of rain instead of snow (Beniston, 1997;Laternser and Schneebeli, 2003). In Bulgarian mountainous region, although long-term decreasing trend, linked to climatic warming, has been noticed in winter precipitation over a period of 70 years , the snow cover has exhibited significant evidence of decadalscale variability and the period between 1971 and 2000 was marked by significant trend towards a late start of the snowfall season (Petkova et al, 2004;Brown and Petkova, 2007). Temporal variation of Eurasian snow cover area (ESCA) in March (Brown, 1997(Brown, , 2002 and winter mean air temperature in the NWH (Figure 7) demonstrates no significant trend in the variation of ESCA from 1922 till late 1960s.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and the precipitation variations in the northwestern Himalaya: 1866–2006

Bhutiyani¹,

Kale

Pawar

2009

Intl Journal of Climatology

414

193

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Using available instrumental records, this paper examines the variation of precipitation from 1866 to 2006 in the northwestern Himalaya (NWH). The study indicates no trend in the winter precipitation but significant decreasing trend in the monsoon precipitation during the study period. Periodicities on a multi-decadal scale (29-34 years and 58-64 years) obtained in power spectrum analyses point towards epochal behaviour in the precipitation series. Analyses of the temperature data show significant increasing trends in annual temperature in all three stations in the NWH during the data period. Warming effect is particularly noteworthy during the winter season. Negative relationships between mean winter air temperature and snowfall amounts recorded at different meteorological stations in this period reveal strong effect of rising temperatures on the decreasing snowfall component in total winter precipitation, reducing effective duration of winter on the windward side of the Pir Panjal Himalayan Range.The study also shows influence of global teleconnections [North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during winter months and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) during the monsoon months] on precipitation fluctuations in the NWH. The teleconnections that appear to exist between the precipitation and the temperature until the late 1960s seem to have weakened considerably in the last three decades. This may be ascribed to the diminishing effect of the natural factors such as quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO), El Niño Southern Oscillations (ENSO), double sunspot cycles (Hale), etc., in this period. Role of increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere cannot be ruled out.

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“…Studies covering 30-year periods form the basis for determining the climate characteristics of individual areas, and the 1981-2010 multiannual period is currently recommended for analysis purposes by the World Meteorological Organisation and is the so-called standard or reference period (WMO 2011). A similar approach, using data series of different lengths, was applied to snow cover studies in Austria (Hantel et al 2000) and in the mountains of Bulgaria (Brown and Petkova 2007).…”

Section: Source Data and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter severity and snowiness and their multiannual variability in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains

Urban

Richterová

Kliegrová

et al. 2017

Theor Appl Climatol

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This paper analyses winter severity and snow conditions in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains and examines their long-term trends. The analysis used modified comprehensive winter snowiness (WSW) and winter severity (WOW) indices as defined by Paczos (1982). An attempt was also made to determine the relationship between the WSW and WOW indices. Measurement data were obtained from eight stations operated by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management -National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB), from eight stations operated by the Czech Hydrological and Meteorological Institute (CHMI) and also from the Meteorological Observatory of the University of Wrocław (UWr) on Mount Szrenica. Essentially, the study covered the period from 1961 to 2015. In some cases, however, the period analysed was shorter due to the limited availability of data, which was conditioned, inter alia, by the period of operation of the station in question, and its type.Viewed on a macroscale, snow conditions in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains (in similar altitude zones) are clearly more favourable on southern slopes than on northern ones. In the study area, negative trends have been observed with respect to both the WSW and WOW indices-winters have become less snowy and warmer. The correlation between the WOW and WSW indices is positive. At stations with northern macroexposure, WOW and WSW show greater correlation than at ones with southern macroexposure. This relationship is the weakest for stations that are situated in the upper ranges (Mount Śnieżka and Mount Szrenica).

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Snow cover variability in Bulgarian mountainous regions, 1931–2000

Cited by 57 publications

References 43 publications

European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings

European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings

Climate change and the precipitation variations in the northwestern Himalaya: 1866–2006

Winter severity and snowiness and their multiannual variability in the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains

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