Seasonal Highlights

1. Climate in China

During winter of 2015/2016, the seasonal surface air temperature averaged over China was -3.1°C, with 0.3°C above normal (-3.4℃). The mean precipitation was 62.3mm in China, which was 52.7% more than normal (40.8mm). During the season, extremes of Daily Minimum Temperature (DMT), Daily Temperature Drop (DTD) and Consecutive Temperature Drop (CTD) were observed in China.

2. General Circulation Features

Northern Hemisphere: During the boreal winter (Dec. 2015-.Feb. 2016), in the field of 500hPa geopotential height anomaly, positive anomalies above 4 dam covered northern Siberia, Arctic, central North Pacific Ocean, central North Atlantic and southern Europe. Meanwhile, negative anomalies below -4 dam covered south of Greenland and northern North Atlantic.

Southern Hemisphere: During the boreal winter, in the field of 500hPa geopotential height anomaly, positive anomalies over 4 dam covered some parts of southeastern South Pacific Ocean, while negative anomalies below -4 dam covered other regions around Antarctica.