Long-term variability of cold surges in Korea

Cold surge statistics have been analyzed from the 52-year (1961-2012) winter temperature data archived at Korea Meteorological Administration. Despite a significant winter warming in South Korea, there is no statistically affirmable sign of the occurrence frequency, duration and total days of cold surges to have changed in the record; there is little abatement in the frequency, duration, and total days of cold surges. Thermal advection anomalies were also derived from the NCEP/NCAR and ERA interim reanalysis datasets. Cold surges defined in terms of thermal advection anomalies do not exhibit any statistically significant change either. The increased mean and the decreased variance of thermal advection both indicate that cold advection from north has, in fact, decreased gradually in South Korea. It appears that cold surges are statistically rare enough to be affected by increased mean and decreased variance of thermal advection. Polar warming is often interpreted as weakening of jet stream and increasing southward flux of cold air. Analysis of thermal advection, on the other hand, does not show increased advection of cold air from north in South Korea.