Arctic bioclimatic extremes have increased in many areas

What the study found: Extreme weather events in many parts of the terrestrial Arctic have increased sharply, according to a seven-decade atmospheric reanalysis. The study reports pronounced spatial variability over the past 30 years, including more droughts in the high-Arctic and a larger area affected by winter-warming and rain-on-snow events, especially in the European Arctic region.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that the Arctic is entering a novel era of bioclimatic extremes, and they say these changes are likely to have severe consequences for cold ecosystems. The study suggests that the increasing frequency of these events is relevant because they are major ecosystem disturbances.
What the researchers tested: The researchers used a state-of-the-art atmospheric reanalysis covering the past seven decades to examine long-term changes in extreme weather events in the terrestrial Arctic. They focused on bioclimatic extremes, including droughts, winter-warming events, and rain-on-snow events.
What worked and what didn't: The reanalysis showed a sharp rise in the frequency of extreme weather events in many parts of the Arctic. It also showed that across one-third of the Arctic domain, such extreme events have only recently begun to occur. The abstract does not report any results that did not support the main finding.
What to keep in mind: The abstract notes that long-term changes in extreme weather events are not well understood, so the study addresses an area with limited prior clarity. It does not provide detailed limitations beyond the scope of the dataset and the Arctic regions analyzed.

Key points

• Extreme weather events have increased sharply in many parts of the terrestrial Arctic.
• Over the past 30 years, droughts became more common in the high-Arctic.
• Winter-warming and rain-on-snow events affected a larger area, especially in the European Arctic region.
• Across one-third of the Arctic domain, these extreme events have only recently begun to occur.
• The authors describe the Arctic as entering a novel era of bioclimatic extremes.