The influences of climate drivers on the Australian snow season

Abstract

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and Southern Annular Mode (SAM) are all widely recognised as having significant impacts on rainfall and temperatures in southeastern Australia, particularly during winter and spring. However, there has been little analysis of the year-to-year impact of these climate drivers on Australian snow depths. This paper aims to address this gap, identifying a strong decrease in snow cover throughout the winter season during years of El Niño or positive SAM, with significant changes in late winter and spring snow cover related to the state of the Indian Ocean Dipole. Temperatures are identified as the most important factor in determining the seasonal maximum snow depth, with important implications for future snow cover as a result of a strong warming trend.