Sensitivity of the Number of Snow Cover Days to Surface Air Temperature over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Based on the number of snow cover days (NSCDs) and homogenized surface air temperature data for the period 1951–2004, this study performs the quantitative analysis on the sensitivity of NSCDs to surface air temperature over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Results show that both the extreme sensitivity and sensitivity under current climate are higher in the edge than in the central area of the QTP. There exists a strong negative correlation between station’s elevation and critical temperature, at which the sensitivity reaches extremum. The negative correlation between the elevation and the extreme sensitivity is not as strong as the former one. Currently, the climatological temperatures in quite a few stations do not reach the critical stage. The sensitivity at these stations will become greater under the current background of climate warming, which means NSCDs will be more sensitive to surface air temperature. Ma, L., D. Qin, L. Bian, et al., 2010: Sensitivity of the number of snow cover days to surface air temperature over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Adv. Clim. Change Res., 1, doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2010.00076