ABSTRACT: Synoptic climatology of the Canadian High Arctic

CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Abstract

An objective classification of daily weather maps for the Canadian High Arctic was developed with a view to identifying those synoptic situations which greatly affect ablation season temperatures and annual precipitation totals. This classification was used to catalog synoptic types for the period January, 1946 to August, 1974. 22 basic types were recognized, accounting for ~96% of days in the period. ... Using data from Alert, Isachsen and Thule, monthly mean temperature characteristics of the types were obtained, enabling them to be ranked, warmest to coldest. ... Ablation season climatic data were used to identify synoptic types which were "cool and wet", "warm and dry", "cool and dry" or "warm and wet". Cool, wet types have increased in frequency over the last 10-15 years whereas warm, dry types were slightly less frequent. ... Stratification of precipitation data by synoptic type indicates a small numberof types account for most of the annual precipitation at each station, though this is really a function of type frequency. Other, less frequent, types are more efficient precipitation-bearing situations, in terms of precipitation per day of type occurrence. In many of these situations, low pressure close to the station dominates the circulation; these may be North Atlantic depressions regenerated along the Siberian coastline. Even small changes in the frequency of these systems would have important consequences for High Arctic precipitation.

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology