Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms

We investigate the role of the tropics, the stratosphere, and atmosphere‐ocean coupling for seasonal forecasts of strong, potentially damaging, Northern Hemisphere extratropical winter wind storm frequencies. This is done by means of relaxation experiments with the European Centre for Medium‐Range W...

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Main Authors: Hansen, F, Kruschke, T, Greatbatch, RJ, Weisheimer, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union 2018
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author Hansen, F
Kruschke, T
Greatbatch, RJ
Weisheimer, A
author_facet Hansen, F
Kruschke, T
Greatbatch, RJ
Weisheimer, A
author_sort Hansen, F
collection OXFORD
description We investigate the role of the tropics, the stratosphere, and atmosphere‐ocean coupling for seasonal forecasts of strong, potentially damaging, Northern Hemisphere extratropical winter wind storm frequencies. This is done by means of relaxation experiments with the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts model, which allow us to prescribe perfect forecasts for specific parts of the coupled atmosphere‐ocean system. We find that perfect predictions of the Northern Hemisphere stratosphere significantly enhance winter storm predictive skill between eastern Greenland and Northern Europe. Correct seasonal predictions of the occurrence of stratospheric sudden warmings play a decisive role. The importance of correctly predicting the tropics and of two‐way atmosphere‐ocean coupling, both for forecasting stratospheric sudden warming risk and, correspondingly, severe winter storm frequency, is noted.
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spelling oxford-uuid:e71f528f-df2e-4e5a-9eb6-8542705c78df2022-03-27T10:36:09ZFactors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter stormsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e71f528f-df2e-4e5a-9eb6-8542705c78dfEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordAmerican Geophysical Union2018Hansen, FKruschke, TGreatbatch, RJWeisheimer, AWe investigate the role of the tropics, the stratosphere, and atmosphere‐ocean coupling for seasonal forecasts of strong, potentially damaging, Northern Hemisphere extratropical winter wind storm frequencies. This is done by means of relaxation experiments with the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts model, which allow us to prescribe perfect forecasts for specific parts of the coupled atmosphere‐ocean system. We find that perfect predictions of the Northern Hemisphere stratosphere significantly enhance winter storm predictive skill between eastern Greenland and Northern Europe. Correct seasonal predictions of the occurrence of stratospheric sudden warmings play a decisive role. The importance of correctly predicting the tropics and of two‐way atmosphere‐ocean coupling, both for forecasting stratospheric sudden warming risk and, correspondingly, severe winter storm frequency, is noted.
spellingShingle Hansen, F
Kruschke, T
Greatbatch, RJ
Weisheimer, A
Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title_full Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title_fullStr Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title_full_unstemmed Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title_short Factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
title_sort factors influencing the seasonal predictability of northern hemisphere severe winter storms
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