The characteristics and impacts of extreme Atlantic windstorms on Arctic warming

Abstract

Over the past decades, the Arctic temperature has been increased at almost twice the global mean which is referred to as the Arctic amplification. The Arctic warming is most pronounced during fall and winter. Windstorms often occur during boreal winter seasons, and are of concern as they are associated with anomalous warming events. These windstorms lead to an enhanced poleward energy transport by moisture intrusion from mid-latitude to the Arctic. Since most extreme windstorms occur over the North Atlantic sector, we classify the North Atlantic windstorms according to the storm intensities (minimum central pressures) during winter for the last 36 years (December-January-February 1981-2016), and explore their relationship with Arctic, particularly the Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean, temperature and atmospheric circulation changes.