Decadal Change of the Spring Snow Depth over the Tibetan Plateau: The Associated Circulation and Influence on the East Asian Summer Monsoon*

The decadal change in the spring snow depth over the Tibetan Plateau and impact on the East Asian summer monsoon are investigated using station observations of snow depth data and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis for 1962-93. During spring (March-April), both the domain-averaged snow depth index (SDI) and the first principal component of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis exhibit a sharp increase in snow depth after the late 1970s, which is accompanied by excessive precipitation and land surface cooling. The correlation between SDI and precipitation shows a coherent remote teleconnection from the Tibetan Plateau-northern India to western Asia.