Scottish Snow Cover

and the
North Atlantic Oscillation
Michael Spencer & Richard Essery

What is the NAO?
6

h
P
a
3
2

h
P
a
January 2! "ean
January 2!2 "ean

What is the NAO?

Nor"alised sea level pressure di##erence

Stations$ %i&raltar 'hi(h) and Rey*+avi* 'low)

,ositive NAO - war" wet winters

Ne(ative NAO - cold dry winters

http$..www/cru/uea/ac/u*.0ti"o.datapa(es.naoi/ht"

Scottish snow cover

Ephe"eral in space and ti"e

Snow wet1 s*y cloudy 2 re"ote o&servation hard

3"portant #or water resources1 ecolo(y1 land

"ana(e"ent1 snow sports1 etc//

River 4ee at ,ar*

,ar* (au(in( station

Catch"ent !566 *"7

Ma8 alt/ !9: "

;pstrea" o#
A&erdeen 'pop/
22*)

River 4ee at ,ar*

River 4ee at ,ar*

River 4ee at ,ar*

Scottish snow data

<onacina snow catalo(ue1 !5=>?2!!

Met O##ice snow lyin( at station1 !5>@?on(oin(

Met O##ice snow lyin( (rid ';AC,:)1 !:=!?

2@

MO43S satellite snow cover1 2?on(oin(

Snow Survey o# %reat <ritain 'SS%<)1 !:6>?

2=

Scottish snow data

<onacina snow catalo(ue1 !5=>?2!!

Met O##ice snow lyin( at station1 !5>@?on(oin(

Met O##ice snow lyin( (rid ';AC,:)1 !:=!?

2@

MO43S satellite snow cover1 2?on(oin(

Snow Survey o# %reat <ritain 'SS%<)1 !:6>?

2=

<onacina snowiness inde8

Spatial
correlation

<etter at coasts

East is &etter

,ossi&ly &etter
#urther South

E8plained &y elevation?

E8plained &y elevation?

Snow Survey o#
%reat <ritain

Bolunteer
collected

!:6>?2=

!6> sites

See poster

Snow Survey o# %reat <ritain

Recent winters

MO43S satellite snow cover

MO43S satellite snow cover
B
U
T
!

Conclusions

Ne(ative NAO - More snow1 (enerally

Cloud causes o&servation pro&le"s

NAO pro&a&ly has lar(er in#luence at lower

elevations

5 2 !5C chan(e in snow cover per NAO DunitD

Many than*s1 any Euestions?
E"ail$ "/spencerFed/ac/u*
Gwitter$ FMi*eRSpencer
<lo($ http$..scottishsnow/wordpress/co".

What ne8t?

4e(ree day "odellin(

MO43S cloud

MO43S spatial trends

Met O##ice station

lyin( data

Write thesisI

Jlow vs NAO