Transcript An East Coast Winter Storm Precipitation Climatology

An East Coast Winter Storm
Precipitation Climatology
Nicholas J. Frankoski
Dr. Arthur T. DeGaetano
Cornell University
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Ithaca, NY
Research Objectives
• Percentage of Snowfall from
East Coast Winter Storms
(ECWS) Throughout the
Eastern United States
• Percentage of Precipitation
from ECWS Throughout the
Eastern United States
• Percentage of Snowfall and
Precipitation from Rapidly
Deepening Storms (“Bombs”)
Throughout the Eastern United
States
• Analysis of Percentages Trends, Variations,
Relationships to El Niño Southern Oscillation
President’s Day Storm of 2003 (NCDC and NOAA)
Climatology of ECWS
An East Coast Winter Storm Climatology (Hirsch, DeGaetano,
Colucci)
Cooperative Observer Stations collecting daily snowfall data
Determining
ECWS Snowfall
and Precipitation:
The Decision
Process
Precipitation (in) 02 Nov 1970
Precipitation Gradient
Line
Pressure Gradient
Line
Average Annual Percentage of Snowfall from ECWS during 1951-1952 to
2005 - 2006
Average Annual Percentage of Precipitation from ECWS during
1951-1952 to 2005 - 2006
Average Annual Snowfall (cm) from ECWS during
1951-1952 to 2005-2006
Average Annual Precipitation (mm) from ECWS during
1951-1952 to 2005-2006
Average Percentage of November Snowfall from ECWS
during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006
Average Percentage of November Precipitation from
ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006
Analysis by Region: Based on Average Annual % of ECWS Snowfall
Appalachians
Transition Zone
Northern New
England
Urban Corridor
Southeast Local
Minimum
Deep South
Maximum
Northern New England: ECWS Snowfall (cm), % of Snowfall from
ECWS, by snow-year
Next Steps…
• Sensitivity Analysis:
– How would the ECWS percentages change if
any COOP station in the study having
precipitation or snowfall during an ECWS
event was included in the climatology?
– How would the ECWS percentages change
around the Great Lakes if Lake Effect snow
was included in the climatology?