Earth`s Cryosphere, 2018, Vol. XXII, № 4, p. 58-67

CHANGES IN THE SNOW DEPTH CHARACTERISTICS IN THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIA IN 1950–2013: THE REGIONAL FEATURES AND CONNECTION WITH THE GLOBAL WARMING

V.V. Popova, A.V. Shiryaeva, P.A. Morozova

Institute of Geography, RAS, 29, Staromonetny per., Moscow, 119017, Russia; valeria_popova@mail.ru

Essential differences in the changes of the snow cover characteristics have been revealed for the territory of Russia. Although the snow cover depth has increased in the entire territory, in certain regions it is influenced both by the increase of the number of thaws and by the changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In 1979–1995, the maximum March snow cover depth decreased in the western regions of European Russia, increasing in the northeastern parts of European Russia and in the north of Siberia. In the mid-1990s, the trends of the snow depth change in these regions reversed. The shortening of the snow cover offset dates in the spring, as well as the reduction in the snow cover area in the middle of spring agrees with the general trend of warming of this season observed since the beginning of the 1950s. Essential reduction in the snow cover area in the middle of autumn, as well as the delayed snow cover onset, have been observed only over the recent 10–15 years. These phenomena correlate with the total rise of the surface air temperature in northern Eurasia and the weakening of the zonal transport of air masses observed since the mid-1990s.

Snow cover depth, snow cover onset and offset dates, surface air temperature

DOI: 10.21782/EC2541-9994-2018-4(58-67)