A Relation Between Snow Cover, Cirrus Cloud, and Freezing Nuclei in the Atmosphere

Abstract

It is reasonable to suppose that observations like that of cirrus cloud in the upper air and heavy falls of snow in relatively warm latitudes correspond to the presence of a large number of freezing nuclei in the atmosphere. A 300-year record of snow covering the ground at Tokyo and a 10-year record of cirrus cloud in Western Australia are examined and compared with one year's measurement of freezing nucleus concentration. The curves show a high degree of correlation, and all three tend to maximize on certain calendar dates.