Major Cold-Season Precipitation Events at Iqaluit, Nunavut

Bibliographic Data

ID16865147
AuthorsGabrielle Gascon (0000-0003-3553-4160), Ronald E Stewart (0000-0001-9978-7867), William Henson
Year2010
Volume63
Issue3
Publication date2010-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueARCTIC (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0004-0843 • E-ISSN: 1923-1245
PublisherThe Arctic Institute of North America (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.14430/arctic1496
OpenAlexW2044741341
LanguageEN
References cited8

This study focuses on cold-season (October-April) precipitation events at Iqaluit, Nunavut, that exceed the 97th percentile of daily corrected precipitation accumulation. This corresponds to a threshold of 9.5 mm. The characteristics of 194 major precipitation events are described for the 1955 - 96 period. On the basis of NCEP-NCAR and NARR reanalysis data, these events were classified into four storm tracks: south, west, Atlantic, and other. South- and Atlantic-originating systems tended to be associated with the most severe events. The duration and precipitation rate of the events, rather than the speed of motion, were critical factors influencing precipitation accumulation. Snow was the dominant precipitation type. Surface warm frontal passage was a common tropospheric feature, and the topography was important in terms of altering surface wind direction during the events. No significant trend in the occurrence of major precipitation is evident

Atmospheric sciences · Climatology · Geography · Meteorology · Period (music) · Precipitation · Precipitation types · Snow · Storm · Troposphere · Winter storm · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Climate change and permafrost · Cryospheric studies and observations · Environmental Science · Geology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access