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Melting of the Snow Cover in the Polish Tatra Mountains – Long-Term Changes and the Impact of Atmospheric Circulation

Zuzanna Jankowska

Zuzanna Jankowska

Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in KatowicePoland
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Jankowska, Zuzanna
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Małgorzata Falarz

Małgorzata Falarz

Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in KatowicePoland
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Falarz, Małgorzata
  
10 lug 2025
Melting of the Snow Cover in the Polish Tatra Mountains – Long-Term Changes and the Impact of Atmospheric Circulation's Cover Image
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Pubblicato online: 10 lug 2025
Ricevuto: 27 gen 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2025-0022
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© 2025 Zuzanna Jankowska et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Number of days with snow cover (A – left column) and maximum seasonal snow cover depth (cm; B – right column) in Zakopane (1966–2023), Hala Gąsienicowa (1991–2023) and on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB
Number of days with snow cover (A – left column) and maximum seasonal snow cover depth (cm; B – right column) in Zakopane (1966–2023), Hala Gąsienicowa (1991–2023) and on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB

Fig. 2.

Average monthly number of days with snow cover melt for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Average monthly number of days with snow cover melt for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 3.

Long-term variability and trend in the number of melt days: A – in Zakopane and B – on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term variability and trend in the number of melt days: A – in Zakopane and B – on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 4.

Average monthly rate of snow melt rate (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Average monthly rate of snow melt rate (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 5.

Long-term course of average daily snow cover melt rate per season (cm) for the stations: A – in Zakopane and B – on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term course of average daily snow cover melt rate per season (cm) for the stations: A – in Zakopane and B – on Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 6.

Absolute monthly melt maxima (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Absolute monthly melt maxima (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 7.

Long-term course of absolute seasonal maxima of daily snow cover melt (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term course of absolute seasonal maxima of daily snow cover melt (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane and B – Kasprowy Wierch (1966–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 8.

Average monthly number of days with snow melt for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Average monthly number of days with snow melt for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 9.

Long-term course of the number of days with snow melt: A – in Zakopane, B – in Hala Gąsienicowa and C – on Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term course of the number of days with snow melt: A – in Zakopane, B – in Hala Gąsienicowa and C – on Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 10.

Average monthly snow melt rate (cm) at the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Average monthly snow melt rate (cm) at the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 11.

Long-term course of the average snow cover melt per season (cm) at the stations: A – in Zakopane, B – in Hala Gąsienicowa and C – on Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term course of the average snow cover melt per season (cm) at the stations: A – in Zakopane, B – in Hala Gąsienicowa and C – on Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 12.

Absolute monthly maxima of melt rates (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa, C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Absolute monthly maxima of melt rates (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa, C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 13.

Long-term course of absolute seasonal maxima of diurnal snow cover melting (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.
Long-term course of absolute seasonal maxima of diurnal snow cover melting (cm) for the stations: A – Zakopane, B – Hala Gąsienicowa and C – Kasprowy Wierch (1991–2023). Data: IMGW-PIB.

Fig. 14.

Total number of days with rapid snow cover melting recorded by at least one meteorological station over the whole study period (1991–2023). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).
Total number of days with rapid snow cover melting recorded by at least one meteorological station over the whole study period (1991–2023). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).

Fig. 15.

Conditional probability (%) of occurrence of rapid melt recorded by at least one meteorological station with different air masses A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; air: PA – arctic, PPm – polar maritime, PPms – transformed polar maritime, PPk – polar continental, PPmc – warm polar maritime, PZ – tropical, rmp – different air masses). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).
Conditional probability (%) of occurrence of rapid melt recorded by at least one meteorological station with different air masses A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; air: PA – arctic, PPm – polar maritime, PPms – transformed polar maritime, PPk – polar continental, PPmc – warm polar maritime, PZ – tropical, rmp – different air masses). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).

Fig. 16.

Conditional probability of occurrence of rapid melting recorded by at least one meteorological station in the Tatras with the individual types of circulation: A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; anticyclonic conditions: Na – northerly, NEa – north-easterly, Ea – easterly, SEa – south-easterly, Sa – southerly, SWa – south-westerly, Wa – westerly, NWa – north-westerly, Ca – centre of high pressure, Ka – highpressure wedge; cyclonic conditions: Nc – northerly, NEc – north-easterly, Ec – easterly, SEc – south-easterly, Sc – southerly, SWc – south-westerly, Wc – westerly, NWc – north-westerly, Cc – centre of low pressure, Bc – cyclonic trough, X – unclassified situations and a col). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).
Conditional probability of occurrence of rapid melting recorded by at least one meteorological station in the Tatras with the individual types of circulation: A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; anticyclonic conditions: Na – northerly, NEa – north-easterly, Ea – easterly, SEa – south-easterly, Sa – southerly, SWa – south-westerly, Wa – westerly, NWa – north-westerly, Ca – centre of high pressure, Ka – highpressure wedge; cyclonic conditions: Nc – northerly, NEc – north-easterly, Ec – easterly, SEc – south-easterly, Sc – southerly, SWc – south-westerly, Wc – westerly, NWc – north-westerly, Cc – centre of low pressure, Bc – cyclonic trough, X – unclassified situations and a col). Data: The Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).

Fig. 17.

Conditional probability of occurrence of rapid melting recorded by at least one meteorological station with the occurrence of various weather fronts, A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; fronts: c – warm, z – cold, o – occluded, st – stationary, rf – several different fronts and situations without any front). Data: Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).
Conditional probability of occurrence of rapid melting recorded by at least one meteorological station with the occurrence of various weather fronts, A – October–May and B – February–May (1991–2023; fronts: c – warm, z – cold, o – occluded, st – stationary, rf – several different fronts and situations without any front). Data: Calendar of circulation types (Niedźwiedź 2025).

Meteorological stations included in the analysis and their characteristics_

Station latitude longitude Altitude [m a.s.l.] landform Study period(s)
Zakopane 49°17'37"N 19°57'32"E 852 Concave 1966–20231991–2023
Hala Gąsienicowa 49°14'38"N 20°00'20"E 1508 Convex 1991–2023
Kasprowy Wierch 49°13'57"N 19°58'54"E 1987 Peak 1966–20231991–2023
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