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Cool-season precipitation patterns associated with teleconnection interactions in the United States
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Cool-season precipitation patterns associated with teleconnection interactions in the United States

Erika K Wise, Melissa L Wrzesien, Matthew P Dannenberg and David L McGinnis
Journal of applied meteorology and climatology, Vol.54(2), pp.494-505
2015
DOI: 10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0040.1
url
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0040.1View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Seasonal climate forecasts are regularly published to provide decision makers with insights on upcoming climate conditions. Precipitation forecasts, in particular, are useful for fields such as agriculture and water resources. Projections frequently cite a single climate oscillation such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) when suggesting whether a region will be wetter or drier than normal. The complex climate system is composed of a multitude of simultaneous oceanic and atmospheric oscillations, however. Through the study of five atmospheric-pressure-based oscillations, their interactions, and associated precipitation values, this research demonstrates the wide variety of precipitation patterns that can arise when different phases of prominent climate modes occur. Results show that incorporating other Northern Hemisphere teleconnections can dampen or shift expected ENSO and NAO impact patterns. These results indicate that seasonal precipitation projections may be improved by incorporating multiple, regionally important teleconnection indices into the forecast.

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