Composite Analysis of North Atlantic Extratropical Cyclones in NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis Data

Composite analysis of North Atlantic midlatitudinal winter cyclones is performed using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data for the 60-yr period from 1948 to 2007. The composites were developed using an advanced methodology involving the coordinate transform of cyclones into a nondimensional azimuthal coordinate system and the further collocation of fields. Composite analysis is performed for air–sea turbulent fluxes, heat content, precipitable water, and precipitation for 576 oceanic cyclones generated in the Gulf Stream area in winter (January–March) from 1948 to 2007. For the region of cyclone generation over the Gulf Stream, composites were analyzed for different cyclone intensities. Over the whole North Atlantic, composites were developed throughout the life cycle and for different cyclone types classified by the regions of their migration. These classifications allow the case-to-case variability to be minimized and the robustness of the composite to be boosted. In the region of cyclone generation over the Gulf Stream, characteristics of the composites strongly depend on the cyclone intensity quantified through the radial sea level pressure difference between the cyclone’s edge and its center. Stronger cyclone intensity implies larger turbulent fluxes in the rear of a cyclone and stronger precipitation in the forward part. Cyclones gradually dry with the water content and precipitation rate decreasing by about 40% and 50%–70%, respectively, during the lifetime. Although composites of air–sea turbulent fluxes show locally very strong positive fluxes in the rear part of the cyclone, the total air–sea turbulent fluxes provided by cyclones are not significantly different from the averaged background fluxes. This shows that the formation of extreme air–sea fluxes by cyclones is connected to the larger-scale circulation conditions, particularly to the cyclone–anticyclone transition zones.