Vo et al. (2025) Trends in Cloud Covers across CONUS (1980–2020)

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Climate
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-07-30
• Authors: Thuy Trang Vo, Leiqiu Hu, Lulin Xue, Sisi Chen
• DOI: 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0602.1

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study utilizes a high-resolution, 40-year reanalysis dataset to analyze cloud frequency trends over the Continental United States (CONUS), finding an overall decline in cloudiness that is most pronounced during the day and in historically sunny regions.

Objective

• To assess the long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of clouds over CONUS and its subregions to untangle complex cloud–climate feedbacks.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Continental United States (CONUS), 4-km resolution.
• Temporal Scale: 40 years (1980–2020).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: CONUS404 (convection-permitted reanalysis).
• Data sources: MODIS observations (used for validation of the reanalysis).

Main Results

• Overall Trend: Cloud frequency generally declined over the first three decades and slightly increased in the most recent decade, with a 40-year average rate of $-0.06\% \text{ yr}^{-1}$.
• Regional Dynamics: Sunny regions experienced more rapid declines in cloud frequency (suggesting positive feedback), while cloudy regions remained more stable.
• Diurnal Variation: Daytime cloudiness declined more strongly than nighttime cloudiness, except in northern regions where nocturnal cloudiness increased.
• Vertical Distribution: Cloud heights overall decreased, with high- and low-level clouds declining faster than mid-level clouds.
• Drivers: Moisture was identified as a more influential driver of these changes than temperature.

Contributions

• Provides a long-term, high-resolution, and observation-validated analysis of cloud dynamics over CONUS.
• Identifies the specific vulnerability of low-level clouds, which may accelerate surface warming trends.
• Offers new insights into the regional feedback mechanisms and the influence of large-scale drivers on the American climate system.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Vo2025Trends,
  author = {Vo, Thuy Trang and Hu, Leiqiu and Xue, Lulin and Chen, Sisi},
  title = {Trends in Cloud Covers across CONUS (1980–2020)},
  journal = {Journal of Climate},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1175/jcli-d-24-0602.1},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-24-0602.1}
}