Eurasian Snow Conditions and Summer Monsoon Rainfall over South and Southeast Asia: Assessment and Comparison

This study reveals the complex nature of the connection between Eurasian snow and the followingsummer season’s monsoon rainfall by using four different indicators of snow conditions and correlatingeach of them to summer monsoon rainfall. Using 46 years of historical records of mean winter snow depth,maximum snow depth, and snow starting dates, and 27 years of snow area coverage from remote sensingobservations over Eurasia, the authors found diverse correlation patterns between snow conditions andthe following warm season’s rainfall over South and Southeast Asia. Some of the results contradict thewell-known inverse relationships between snow and the summer monsoon. This study provides an easycomparison of results in that it shows the connections between Eurasian snow and monsoon rainfall by usingdifferent Eurasian snow indicators based on the best available historical records without discrimination ofregional variations in snow conditions.