The Definition and Classification of Extensive and Persistent Extreme Cold Events in China

Using the observed daily temperatures from 756 stations in China during the period from 1951 to 2009, extensive and persistent extreme cold events (EPECEs) were defined according to the following three steps: 1) a station was defined as an extreme cold station (ECS) if the observed temperature was lower than its 10th percentile threshold; 2) an extensive extreme cold event was determined to be present if the approximated area occupied by the ECSs was more than 10% of the total area of China (83rd percentile) on its starting day and the maximum area occupied by the ECSs was at least 20% of the total area of China (96th percentile); and 3) an EPECE was determined to be present if the extensive extreme cold event lasted for at least for eight days. 52 EPECEs were identified in this manner, and these identification results were also verified using other reliable data. On the basis of cluster analysis, five types of EPECEs were classified according to the spatial distribution of ECSs at their most extensive time over the course of the EPECE.