Temperature Extremes and Topographic Complexity: Validation, Correction, and Spatial Trends of Temperature Indices in Northen Carpathian (1980–2024)

While global climate change is fundamentally reshaping thermal regimes, capturing these shifts in topographically diverse regions remains a significant hurdle for standard gridded datasets. This study provides a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of 16 extreme temperature indices across Northern Carpathian from 1980 to 2024 using the E-OBS dataset. The QDM framework proved highly effective in neutralizing elevation-induced temperature biases, which reached up to 5.1 °C in raw E-OBS data. Beyond simple bias removal, the correction significantly improved the daily accuracy of the dataset, with RMSE values at high-altitude stations, such as the Chopok summit (1995 m), decreasing from 5.1 °C to 2.3 °C. Both Warm Days (TX90p) and Summer Days (SU) show near-perfect Field Coherence (Cf = 100% and 98%, respectively). A prominent feature of this temporal national average trend is its inherent asymmetry; the Annual Minimum (TNn) is climbing nearly twice as fast (+1.1 °C/decade) as the Annual Maximum (TXx) (+0.6 °C/decade), though the warming of these coldest nights is more localized (74.5% coherence). We also identified a clear signal of Elevation-Dependent Warming (EDW), with absolute maximums surging most aggressively in the Northern Carpathians at +1.6 °C/decade. Conversely, cold-tail indices like Ice Days are in a concurrent nationwide retreat (Cf = 97%), a shift that significantly reduces the physical window for winter tourism and alters the climatic envelope for fragile mountain ecosystems. Ultimately, these results position Slovakia as a high-sensitivity climate region where observed trends often outpace broader Central European averages, highlighting the urgent need for localized, nature-based adaptation strategies.