Modification of the wintertime Pacific–North American pattern related North American climate anomalies by the Asian–Bering–North American teleconnection

Abstract

The Pacific–North American (PNA) pattern is closely related to North American climate. In this study, we demonstrate that the PNA associated anomalies of North American surface temperatures and temperature extremes are modified by the extratropical Asian–Bering–North American (ABNA) teleconnection. The temperature and temperature extreme anomalies in association with the combination of the PNA and ABNA patterns are most prominent over the Canadian Prairies, and can be approximated by a linear superposition of the circulation and temperature responses to the two patterns. The various temperature responses result from the corresponding atmospheric circulation anomalies, which are associated with sea surface temperature and precipitation anomalies in the tropical eastern-central Pacific and snow cover anomalies in the Siberian region. In particular, pronounced circulation anomalies are apparent over the Great Lakes/Hudson Bay, and around the Aleutian Islands with opposite sign for the in-phase PNA and ABNA combination. This induces anomalous temperature advection and precipitation, as well as the heating associated variations of vertical motion and clouds, leading to prominent surface temperature anomalies over the Canadian Prairies directly through the variation of the surface energy budget. For the out-of-phase PNA and ABNA combination, the anomalous circulation center tends to be situated along the west coast of North America. This induces weak circulation anomalies over north-central North America and brings weak thermal advection and precipitation anomalies there, leading to insignificant temperature anomalies over the Canadian Prairies. Both the ABNA and PNA can be skillfully predicted on the seasonal time scale, as well as their pattern related North American temperature anomalies. Hence it is important to consider both tropical and extratropical sources of predictability in improving North American climate prediction skill on seasonal to interannual time scales.