Variability of Winter Snowiness on Sakhalin Island, 1986–2024

Abstract

This study examines the snowiness of winters on Sakhalin Island for the period 1986–2024, based on data from 11 weather stations located primarily in coastal areas. Long-term data on snow cover characteristics (height, period of stable occurrence, dates of its formation and destruction) and their variability in time and space are systematized and analyzed. The snowiness of winters is assessed based on data on the average winter snow depth during the period with snow cover in order to determine the patterns of its variability. Winters in which the average winter snow depth differs from the average long-term values by 30% or more in the smaller and larger directions, respectively, are classified as low-snow and high-snow winters, the remaining winters are classified as medium-snow. Significant differences in the snowiness parameters of winters in the northern and southern parts of Sakhalin are established. The largest number of snowy winters (more than 25% of the total number of winters) is noted in Poronaysk and Uglegorsk, the least – in Moskalvo. In the considered period of time (1986–2024), 5 periods can be distinguished according to winter snowiness on Sakhalin: 1986/87–1992/93 – low/medium snow period, 1993/94–2008/09 – medium snow period, 2009/10–2011/12 – high snow period, 2012/13–2017/18 – medium snow period, 2018/19–2023/24 – low/medium snow period. The average winter snow depth fluctuates at the weather stations in different years from 1 to 103 cm, the highest values of the average long-term average winter snow depth (more than 45 cm) are in Moskalvo, Nogliki, Tymovsky and Pogranichny, the lowest (less than 10 cm) are in Uglegorsk, Ilyinsky.