Earth’s Cryosphere, 2025, Vol. XXIX, No. 2, p. 47-53.

SNOW COVER AND GLACIERS

MODERN TRENDS IN VARIABILITY OF AVERAGE AND EXTREME SNOW DEPTHS ON THE EAST EUROPEAN PLAIN

L.M. Kitaev*, T.B. Titkova, M.A. Aleshina

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, Moscow, 119017 Russia
*Corresponding author; e-mail: lkitaev@mail.ru

The variability of average and extreme seasonal snow depth values across the East European Plains has been assessed taking into account regional characteristics of meteorological regime. The regional distribution of average and extreme (5th and 95th percentiles, minimum and maximum extremes) snow depth values has been clarified. A tendency for a long-term decrease in average and extreme snow depths along with an increase in air temperature and precipitation has been revealed. According to the results of regression analysis, the dependence of long-term dynamics of snow depth on meteorological characteristics is more pronounced for maximum extremes. The most significant contribution to changes in snow cover depths belongs to variability in precipitation. Difference integral curves indicate the presence of two negative phases of snow depth characteristics in 1985–1995 and 2005–2015, which corresponds to long-term features of atmospheric circulation. Based on data from reference meteorological stations, the accuracy of snow depth calculations using ERA 5-Land reanalysis has been estimated: the relative error reaches 45–50%, and linear trend coefficients differ by 1.5–3 times, which should be taken into account when using the calculated values.

Keywords: snow depth, air temperature, precipitation, percentiles, minimum and maximum extremes, regression analysis, seasonal and long-term variability.

Recommended citation: Kitaev L.M., Titkova T.B., Aleshina M.A., 2025. Modern trends in variability of average and extreme snow depths on the East European Plain. Earth’s Cryosphere, XXIX (2), 47–53.

Received July 23, 2024
Revised November 12, 2024
Accepted February 21, 2025
Translated by Yu.A. Dvornikov