Air Temperature Variability of the Northern Mountains in the Czech Republic

Analysis of a long-term temperature variability of mountains has been neglected for a long time. Here we homogenised and reconstructed four temperature series (1961-2020) of selected mountain stations situated above 1000 m representing the area of northern Moravian mountain ridges (the Czech Republic) and their spatiotemporal variability was examined. A statistically significant increase of 10-year linear trends of annual (0.26-0.38), summer/winter half-year and seasonal mean temperatures were found at most stations. Summer (JJA) was detected as the season with the highest mean temperature increase between 1961-1990 and 1991-2020 normal periods (1.5 & DEG;C). From the spatial point of view, the climate conditions were becoming warmer faster in higher elevations compared to the lower ones. At all stations, a statistically significant decrease in ice and frost days was observed (-9.1-19.9 and -9.5-16.3, respectively). Moreover, it was proved that the temperature series of a newly established Vysoka hole station are representative enough and comparable with measurements of other meteorological stations in the studied region. This research provided valuable insight into the temperature variability of mountain ridges and the results completed our sparse knowledge about temperature changes in the mountain regions in Central Europe.

Automated summary

The analysis of long-term temperature variability in mountain regions has been overlooked, but this study aims to fill this gap by homogenizing and reconstructing temperature series from selected mountain stations in the northern Moravian mountain ridges. The results showed a significant increase in annual, half-year, and seasonal mean temperatures, especially in summer. Moreover, higher elevations experienced a faster warming rate compared to lower ones. The research also confirmed the representativeness of the temperature series from a newly established station, Vysoka hole, and provided valuable insights into temperature changes in mountain regions in Central Europe.