Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling Leading to Extended Seasonal Predictability of Summer North Atlantic Oscillation and Boreal Climate

Abstract

The boreal summer climate is of significant societal importance and is trending toward increased risks of extreme climate events such as heatwaves. The summer North Atlantic Oscillation, as the primary mode of atmospheric variability in the northern hemisphere, has been long considered lacking predictability on seasonal time scales. Here we show that the summer North Atlantic Oscillation is predictable with a 2-month lead for the recent decades. The primary predictor is the March North Atlantic jet strength, which is correlated with the summer North Atlantic Oscillation index at a correlation coefficient of 0.66 over 1979–2018. Spring stratosphere-troposphere coupling plays a critical role in this extended predictability from spring to summer, in contrast to the common knowledge that this dynamical coupling is relatively inactive outside the winter season. These results may bring sound prospects for summer seasonal prediction of boreal climate that benefits the energy and public health sectors.