Snow cover and its variability in the Polish Sudetes Mts. and the Sudetic Foreland

Abstract

The paper presents the snow cover characteristics in the vertical profile of the Polish Sudetes Mountains and their foreland during the period of 1965/66-2007/08. The analysis was based on the number of days with snow cover ≥ 1 cm and its depth in a month, winter season (December-February) and entire year (season). Data was collected at 20 weather stations operated by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. The maximum depth of snow cover in the foreland and lower parts of the Sudetes Mountains was recorded in January, in higher parts of the mountains in mid-February or in March. On the average, the maximum depth of the snow cover varied from ca. 15÷25 cm in the foreland zone and lower slopes up to 120÷150 cm in the upper slopes and mountain tops. During the multi-annual period of 1951/52-2007/08, the maximum depth of snow cover showed a small decreasing trend, statistically insignificant at the 0.05 level, in 4 representative stations in the vertical profile of the Sudetes Mountains.