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The relationship between the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and southeastern New England snowfall
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 18:29 authored by Klotzbach, PJ, Oliver, ECJ, Leeper, RD, Schreck III, CJThe winter of 2014/15 brought record snow totals to portions of southeastern New England. Additionally, over 90% of Boston Logan Airport snowfall during the winter fell during phases 7 and 8 of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) index. This motivated the authors to investigate potential connections between intense southeastern New England snowstorms and the MJO in the historical record. It was found that southeastern New England snowfall, measured since the 1930s at several stations in the region, recorded higher than average winter snowfalls when enhanced MJO convection was located over the western Pacific and the Western Hemisphere (phases 7-8). Similarly, snowfall was suppressed when enhanced MJO convection was located over the Maritime Continent (phases 4-5). The MJO also modulates the frequency of nor’easters, which contribute the majority of New England’s snowfall, as measured by reanalysis-derived cyclone tracks. These tracks were more numerous during the same MJO phases that lead to enhanced snowfall, and they were less common during phases with less snowfall.
History
Publication title
Monthly Weather ReviewVolume
144Issue
AprilPagination
1355-1362ISSN
0027-0644Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Amer Meteorological SocPlace of publication
45 Beacon St, Boston, USA, Ma, 02108-3693Rights statement
Copyright 2016 American Meteorological SocietyRepository Status
- Restricted