Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena

Snow cover can significantly alter the energy fluxes that take part on the surface energy balance (SEB), which subsequently affects surface air temperature. However, studies of the influence of snow cover on the SEB are scarce due to limited observational data and usually constrained to high altitud...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernandez Castillo, Pablo, Román Cascón, Carlos, Yagüe Anguis, Carlos
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/129803
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129803
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:551.51
Surface energy balance
Snow
Turbulence
Cold spell
Filomena
Snowstorm
Meteorología (Física)
2509 Meteorología
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spelling Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm FilomenaFernandez Castillo, PabloRomán Cascón, CarlosYagüe Anguis, Carlos551.51Surface energy balanceSnowTurbulenceCold spellFilomenaSnowstormMeteorología (Física)2509 MeteorologíaSnow cover can significantly alter the energy fluxes that take part on the surface energy balance (SEB), which subsequently affects surface air temperature. However, studies of the influence of snow cover on the SEB are scarce due to limited observational data and usually constrained to high altitudes or mountainous areas. In this study, the SEB is analysed under two differentiated land surface conditions: with and without snow cover, for a non-mountainous region in the midlatitudes. This is done in order to analyse the physical processes leading to one of the most extreme and disruptive cold waves of the present century in Spain. The cold wave took place in January 2021 after historical snowstorm Filomena left widespread snowfall amounts of 30–50 cm in the interior of Spain. By means of analysis of in-situ observational data from a micrometeorological tower and synoptic fields, we determine the contribution of synoptic and microscale processes to the extremely cold surface air temperatures recorded. The SEB analysis reveals the decisive role of snow cover in the cold wave. Surface albedo increased from 20 % to 80 %, leading to a 60 % decrease in the surface net radiative flux. Together with weak turbulence conditions due to weak synoptic forcing, this allowed extraordinarily low surface air temperatures. Thus, this event stands out from the typical pattern leading to cold waves in this region, characterised by cold air advection. This study highlights the importance of having observational data of micrometeorological variables, which have proven very insightful into the physical mechanisms contributing to the cold wave.ElsevierUniversidad Complutense de Madrid20252025-02-2620252025-02-26journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129803reponame:Docta Complutenseinstname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)InglésengAgencia Estatal de Investigación http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020 PID2020-115321RB-I00 INTERACCIONES SUPERFICIE-ATMOSFERA EN UN MEDIO CAMBIANTE: ¿COMO IMPACTAN EN PROCESOS DE CAPA LIMITE ATMOSFERICA A ESCALAS MESO, SUBMESO Y LOCAL EN AREAS MONTAÑOSAS Y COSTERAS?open accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/1298032026-06-02T12:44:21Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
title Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
spellingShingle Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
Fernandez Castillo, Pablo
551.51
Surface energy balance
Snow
Turbulence
Cold spell
Filomena
Snowstorm
Meteorología (Física)
2509 Meteorología
title_short Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
title_full Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
title_fullStr Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
title_full_unstemmed Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
title_sort Impact of snow cover on the surface energy balance and its contribution to the extreme cold wave in Spain after snowstorm Filomena
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Fernandez Castillo, Pablo
Román Cascón, Carlos
Yagüe Anguis, Carlos
author Fernandez Castillo, Pablo
author_facet Fernandez Castillo, Pablo
Román Cascón, Carlos
Yagüe Anguis, Carlos
author_role author
author2 Román Cascón, Carlos
Yagüe Anguis, Carlos
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidad Complutense de Madrid
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 551.51
Surface energy balance
Snow
Turbulence
Cold spell
Filomena
Snowstorm
Meteorología (Física)
2509 Meteorología
topic 551.51
Surface energy balance
Snow
Turbulence
Cold spell
Filomena
Snowstorm
Meteorología (Física)
2509 Meteorología
description Snow cover can significantly alter the energy fluxes that take part on the surface energy balance (SEB), which subsequently affects surface air temperature. However, studies of the influence of snow cover on the SEB are scarce due to limited observational data and usually constrained to high altitudes or mountainous areas. In this study, the SEB is analysed under two differentiated land surface conditions: with and without snow cover, for a non-mountainous region in the midlatitudes. This is done in order to analyse the physical processes leading to one of the most extreme and disruptive cold waves of the present century in Spain. The cold wave took place in January 2021 after historical snowstorm Filomena left widespread snowfall amounts of 30–50 cm in the interior of Spain. By means of analysis of in-situ observational data from a micrometeorological tower and synoptic fields, we determine the contribution of synoptic and microscale processes to the extremely cold surface air temperatures recorded. The SEB analysis reveals the decisive role of snow cover in the cold wave. Surface albedo increased from 20 % to 80 %, leading to a 60 % decrease in the surface net radiative flux. Together with weak turbulence conditions due to weak synoptic forcing, this allowed extraordinarily low surface air temperatures. Thus, this event stands out from the typical pattern leading to cold waves in this region, characterised by cold air advection. This study highlights the importance of having observational data of micrometeorological variables, which have proven very insightful into the physical mechanisms contributing to the cold wave.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-02-26
2025
2025-02-26
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129803
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129803
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Agencia Estatal de Investigación http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020 PID2020-115321RB-I00 INTERACCIONES SUPERFICIE-ATMOSFERA EN UN MEDIO CAMBIANTE: ¿COMO IMPACTAN EN PROCESOS DE CAPA LIMITE ATMOSFERICA A ESCALAS MESO, SUBMESO Y LOCAL EN AREAS MONTAÑOSAS Y COSTERAS?
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Docta Complutense
instname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
instname_str Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
reponame_str Docta Complutense
collection Docta Complutense
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,81155

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