North Atlantic Oscillation
q The NAO is the dominant mode
of winter climate variability in
the North Atlantic region
ranging from central North
America to Europe and much
into Northern Asia.
q The NAO is a large scale
seesaw in atmospheric mass
between the subtropical high
and the polar low.
q The corresponding index varies
from year to year, but also
exhibits a tendency to remain in
one phase for intervals lasting
several years.