Relationship Between Korean Monthly Temperature During Summer and Eurasian Snow Cover During Spring

Abstract

This study investigates how Eurasian snow cover in spring (March and April) is associated with Korean temperature during summer (June-July-August). Two leading modes of Eurasian snow cover variability in spring for 1979~2015 are obtained by Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The first EOF mode of Eurasian snow cover is characterized by a zonally elongated pattern over the whole Eurasian region and its principal component is more correlated with Korean temperature during June. On the other hand, the second EOF mode of Eurasian snow cover is characterized by an east-west dipole-like pattern, showing positive anomalies over eastern Eurasian region and negative anomalies over western Eurasian region. This dipole-like pattern is related with Korean temperature during August. The first leading mode of Eurasian snow cover is associated with anomalous high (low) pressure over Korea (Sea of Okhotsk) during June, which might be induced by much evaporation of soil moisture in Eurasia during March. On the other hand, the second mode of Eurasian snow cover is associated with a wave train resembling with Eurasian (EU)-like pattern in relation to the Atlantic sea surface temperature forcing, leading to the anomalous high pressure over Korea during August. Understanding these two leading modes of snow cover in Eurasian continent in spring may contribute to predict Korean summer temperature.