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Scottish Snow Coverand the

North Atlantic Oscillation

Michael Spencer & Richard Essery

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What is the NAO?

6 h

P a

3 2

h P a

January 2 ! "ean

January 2 !2 "ean

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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"

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Scottish snow cover

Ephe"eral in space and ti"e Snow wet1 s*y cloudy re"ote o servation hard 3"portant #or water resources1 ecolo(y1 land

"ana(e"ent1 snow sports1 etc//

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River 4ee at ,ar*

,ar* (au(in( station Catch"ent !566 *"7 Ma8 alt/ !9 : " ;pstrea" o#

A erdeen 'pop/

22 *)

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River 4ee at ,ar*

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River 4ee at ,ar*

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River 4ee at ,ar*

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Scottish snow data

2 !! Met O##ice snow lyin( at station1 !5>@ on(oin( Met O##ice snow lyin( (rid '; C, :)1 !:=!

2 @ MO43S satellite snow cover1 2 on(oin( Snow Survey o# %reat

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Scottish snow data

2 !! Met O##ice snow lyin( at station1 !5>@ on(oin( Met O##ice snow lyin( (rid '; C, :)1 !:=!

2 @ MO43S satellite snow cover1 2 on(oin( Snow Survey o# %reat

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Spatialcorrelation

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E8plained y elevation?

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E8plained y elevation?

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Snow Survey o#%reat 2 = !6> sites See poster

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Snow Survey o# %reat

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Recent winters

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MO43S satellite snow cover

B U T !

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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 !5 chan(e in snow cover per NAO DunitD

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Many than*s1 any uestions?

E"ail$ "/spencerFed/ac/u*Gwitter$ FMi*eRSpencer

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What ne8t?

4e(ree day "odellin( MO43S cloud MO43S spatial trends Met O##ice station

lyin( data H Write thesisI

http://scottishsnow.wordpress.com/mailto:m.spencer@ed.ac.uk

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low vs NAO