Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characters of the Snowfall with Various Intensities during 1954-2005 in China

Based on the daily weather phenomena and precipitation data from 674 meteorology stations over China during 1954-2005,the time series of the small snow,medium snow,heavy snow and snowstorm of the whole China has been constructed.The study analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution characters of the snowfall with different snow intensity,the results showed that: ① the areas where the annual mean snowfall days is more than 30 days includes the north of Xinjiang,the east and the north of the northeast of China and the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The only area having the annual mean snowfall days more than 60 days are tableland and the high mountains;② the snowfall in China mainly happens between November and next April.The times of small snow and snowstorm mainly happen in January,and the times of medium snow mainly happen in February.The times of heavy snow and snowstorm mainly happen in March.③ During 1955-1967,the snowfall days is keeping a negative phase.The phase of snowfall days was in the positive side since 1968 and the snowfall days decreased again at the middle of 1990s.