The Stratospheric Sudden Warming Event in February 2018 and its Prediction by a Climate System Model

Abstract A major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) event was observed in February 2018 after a 4‐year absence since the winter of 2013/2014. Based on the reanalysis data, the polar night jet changed from a very strong state to a moderate state during 12–19 January, and the moderate westerlies directly reversed to easterlies during 5–15 February. The intensified East Asian trough, Alaskan blocking, and East U.S. trough amplified the extratropical climatological wave 2, which propagated upward into the stratosphere, leading to a vortex‐splitting SSW event. Predictions of the February 2018 SSW event are explored in hindcasts initialized 0–4 weeks in advance by the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model. Less than 20% of the 28 ensemble members predict the reversal of…