Synoptic Classification of Snowfall Events in the Great Smoky Mountains, USA

Autor:	Charles E. Konrad, L. Baker Perry, Laurence G. Lee, David Hotz
Rok vydání:	2010
Předmět:	Atmospheric Science Meteorology National park Climatology Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) General Earth and Planetary Sciences Environmental science Spatial variability Classification scheme Wind direction Snow General Environmental Science
Zdroj:	Physical Geography. 31:156-171
ISSN:	1930-0557 0272-3646
Popis:	Mean annual snowfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) exhibits considerable spatial variability, ranging from 30 cm in the valleys to 254 cm at higher elevations. Snowfall can be tied to a variety of synoptic classes (e.g., Miller A or B cyclones, 500 hPa cutoff lows), but the frequency and significance of different synoptic classes have not been fully assessed, particularly at higher elevations. In this paper, we manually classify all snowfall events during the period 1991 to 2004 according to a synoptic classification scheme, calculate mean annual snowfall by 850 hPa wind direction and synoptic class, and develop composite plots of various synoptic fields. Hourly observations from nearby first-order stations and 24 hr snowfall totals from five sites within the GSMNP are used to define snowfall events. NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data are used to develop composite plots of various synoptic fields for cyclones passing south and then east of the area (e.g., Miller A cyclones). Results indicate t...
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::df7804f287a821ad710ba9d75f978dd8 https://doi.org/10.2747/0272-3646.31.2.156 Zobrazit plný text záznamu