Open AccessClimate teleconnections related to El Niño winters in a lake‐effect region of west‐central New York
Author(s) -
Grimaldi Richard
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.166
Subject(s) - teleconnection , snow , climatology , environmental science , winter season , period (music) , climate change , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , el niño southern oscillation , geography , oceanography , geology , physics , acoustics
A 64‐year climatological record for the cold season in Syracuse, New York is analyzed for temperature and snowfall. Evidence suggests that El Niño winters are characterized by warmer temperatures and below normal snowfall during the first month of winter followed by colder temperatures and above normal snowfall for the second month of winter. Major snow events were more than five times more likely to occur for El Niño winters compared to climatology. It is suggested that the greater frequency of heavy snowfalls is related to both favorable dynamics and warmer lake/ocean temperatures which follow the mild early winter period. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society