Cold Air Outbreaks

CAO Days Change in CAO Days Change in CAO Days (%) Change in CAO Max Duration Change in CAO Mean Duration Change in CAO Magnitude Regions
CAO Days Change in CAO Days Change in CAO Days (%) Change in Max CAO Duration Change in Mean CAO Duration Change in CAO Magnitude Regions


What is a Cold Air Outbreak?

Cold Air Outbreaks (CAOs) are extreme events with potentially large impacts on HUMAN HEALTH, animals, agriculture, energy industry, etc. They are characterized by a large area of extreme cold that persists for multiple days.

Project Overview

This study uses a set of criteria to examine CAOs across the globe from 1979–2018 and to determine how CAOs have changed over the last 40 years. We found that CAOs occur most frequently in the Northern Hemisphere, with as many as eight CAO days per year in North America and Eurasia. CAOs were found to have decreased in size, intensity, frequency, and duration across much of the globe, with the largest decreases in Alaska, Canada, and the North Atlantic, while an increase in CAOs was observed in Eastern Europe, Central Eurasia, and the Southern Ocean. Early and late winter CAOs have also become much less frequent in most regions. For more information, check out the ARTICLE.