Numerical Simulation of a Severe Blowing Snow Event over the Prydz Bay Region

Abstract. Blowing snow in Antarctica is a critical process regulating ice sheet mass balance. Using the CRYOWRF real-time atmosphere-snow surface coupling model, this study simulates a severe wind and blowing snow event that occurred near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica, from 15 to 17 July 2022. Triggered by a mid-latitude cyclone, the event was characterized by distinct local atmospheric dynamics influenced by terrain forcing and katabatic winds. Specifically, enhanced katabatic winds induced an atmospheric hydraulic jump at the ice shelf edge before the cyclone’s warm front arrival, resulting in subsidence adiabatic warming that formed a local warm pool along the eastern coast of Prydz Bay. The cyclone driven strong winds not only exacerbated blowing snow but also triggered intense snowfall on windward slopes, where the snowfall mixed with blowing snow to form snowstorms. As the cyclone entered its terminal phase, the model-simulated wind speed decrease aligned with observations, which should have led to a reduction in blowing snow. However, field observations revealed that blowing snow persisted. Snowfall from the cyclone’ s shallow cold front made a significant contribution to maintaining this persistent blowing snow. These results highlight the complex interactions between synoptic-scale systems and local topography, emphasizing the importance of more accurate simulations in elucidating the intricate dynamics of Antarctic local weather processes.