INFLUENCE ON NORTHERN PACIFIC STORM TRACK OF EQUATO-RIAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN PACIFIC SSTA DURING WINTER

Singular value decomposition (SVD) is conducted of 15 winter tropical Pacific SST with 500 hPa filtered potential height variance over the northern Pacific storm track. It is shown that the first coupled mode obtained depicts the effect on the track of SSTA over equatorial central and eastern Pacific. Further composite analysis indicates that the SSTA over there during winter can give rise to or invigorate PNA teleconnection response pattern in 500 hPa height field which, in turn, exerts crucial influence on the interannual variability in vigor and east-west displacement of the Pacific storm track, especially over its central and eastern part.