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In spring 2022, strong temperature whiplash events occurred in eastern China (EC), characterized by enhanced subseasonal variability in surface air temperature (SAT). Our results show that extreme temperature fluctuations are dominated by the amplified Eurasian wave train on a biweekly timescale as a possible response to increased sea ice concentrations (SICs) over the Barents‐Kara Seas (BK) in previous winter. Increased winter SICs weaken the upward planetary waves and enhance the stratospheric polar vortex. In spring, the downward propagation of enhanced polar vortex intensifies the polar front jet, increasing kinetic energy gain of the North Atlantic wave train and guiding it to travel farther eastward. The Eurasian wave train strengthens through an upstream development and enhanced local baroclinicity and enhances subseasonal SAT variability over EC. Therefore, the state of BK SICs in previous winter could be a useful signal for the enhanced likelihood of spring extreme temperature whiplash events. Plain Language Summary: In spring 2022, extremely cold and warm spells alternately affected eastern China (EC) and caused drastic temperature whiplash events, featured by the enhanced subseasonal variability of surface air temperature (SAT). We find the subseasonal SAT variability is directly associated with the Eurasian wave train, and its intensity is correlated with sea ice concentrations (SICs) over the Barents‐Kara Seas (BK) in previous winter. Increased SICs reduce the heat transfer from ocean to atmosphere, induce a cyclone anomaly aloft, and diminish the climatological planetary wavenumber‐1 component. The weakened upward wave activity flux strengthens the stratospheric polar vortex, which spreads downward until spring. Hence, the polar front jet in the North Atlantic is enhanced, and the meridional temperature gradient in northern Europe increases, providing a favorable background for atmospheric disturbance development. The North Atlantic wave train propagates farther eastward after gaining more kinetic energy from the accelerated jet and intensifies the following Eurasian wave train. Due to stronger local baroclinic energy conversion, the Eurasian wave train further strengthens, resulting in enhanced subseasonal SAT variability over EC. Therefore, the extremely increased winter BK SICs could be a useful initial signal for the probability of temperature whiplash events over EC in the following spring. Key Points: Record‐breaking subseasonal variability of surface air temperature (SAT) prevails in eastern China in spring 2022Sea ice concentrations over the Barents‐Kara Seas in previous winter strengthen mean state of North Atlantic circulation via the delayed role of the stratosphereThe upstream interaction between mean state and eddies reinforces the Eurasian wave train and enhances subseasonal SAT variability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar radiation‐topography interaction plays an important role in surface energy balance over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, the impacts of such interaction over the TP on climate locally and in the Asian regions remain unclear. This study uses the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) to evaluate the regional and teleconnected impacts of solar radiation‐topography interaction over the TP. Land‐atmosphere coupled experiments show that topography regulates the surface energy balance, snow processes, and surface climate over the TP across seasons. Accounting for solar radiation‐topography interaction improves E3SM simulation of surface climate. The winter cold bias in air temperature decreases from −4.57 to −3.79 K, and the wet bias in summer precipitation is mitigated in southern TP. The TP's solar radiation‐topography interaction further reduces the South and East Asian summer precipitation biases. Our results demonstrate the topographic roles in regional climate over the TP and highlight its teleconnected climate impacts. Plain Language Summary: The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is characterized by high elevation and complex topography. Interaction between solar radiation and the undulating topography has important impacts on the regional surface energy balance and hydrologic cycle. Here we use Earth System Model simulations to show the local and remote impacts of the TP's solar radiation‐topography interaction on the surface climate of the Asian regions. Such interaction overall increases the air temperature especially in winter over the TP and reduces the summer precipitation in southern TP. Teleconnectedly, the interaction further alters the precipitation patterns in South and East Asia, by altering the atmospheric circulation that influences moisture transport and clouds. Accounting for such interaction generally improves the model performance when benchmarked against observations. These findings underscore the important roles of the TP's solar radiation‐topography interaction in modulating the climate of the local and remote Asian regions. Key Points: Solar radiation‐topography interaction over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) increases annual average regional near‐surface air temperature by 0.26 KSolar radiation‐topography interaction over the TP also affects the precipitation patterns in South and East AsiaIncluding solar radiation‐topography interaction improves the simulation of surface climate over the TP and Asian regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has a significant impact on surrounding winter weather and climate. However, the causes of its occasional reversal between early and late winter remain unclear. This study proposes a mechanism for the mid‐winter reversal of NAO from the perspective of local midlatitude air‐sea interaction. Strong sea surface temperature (SST) tripole events, which are defined by empirical orthogonal function of winter‐mean interannual North Atlantic SST anomalies, are primarily induced by NAO in early winter and peak in January. In late winter, the persistent SST tripole exerts active feedback on atmosphere through diabatic heat and transient eddy forcing. The resulting atmospheric circulation anomalies exhibit an almost reversed NAO pattern in February, which forms a wavetrain originating above the Gulf Stream and propagating to the Middle East and weakens the former SST tripole. Consequently, significant reversals of air temperature anomalies occur in Europe and the Caspian Sea area between February and December. Plain Language Summary: The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a crucial atmospheric system that significantly impacts the weather and climate of the surrounding regions during winter. However, it often reverses between early and late winter, and the reasons for its mid‐winter reversal remain unclear. The NAO behavior can be influenced by multiple factors, such as atmospheric internal processes, underlying surface, and remote climate system, which makes the issue more complex. This study highlights the role of underlying sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the mid‐winter reversal of NAO. The North Atlantic SSTAs are closely associated with the NAO and exhibit a tripole pattern. For strong sea surface temperature (SST) tripole events, the NAO primarily induces the early winter North Atlantic SST tripole. The SSTAs develop in early winter, peak in January, and feedback on the atmospheric circulation in late winter. The atmospheric circulation anomalies exhibit an almost reversed NAO pattern in February, forming a wavetrain that propagates above the Gulf Stream to the Middle East. As a result, during the warm phase of the SST tripole, Europe experiences colder temperatures, and the Caspian Sea experiences warmer temperatures in February than usual, as opposed to the positive NAO's control over warm Europe and cold Caspian Sea in December. Key Points: In early winter, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) forces a North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) tripole, which persists and tends to induce a nearly reversed NAO pattern in FebruarySST tripole induces a wavetrain over the Gulf Stream to the Middle East via diabatic heating and transient eddy forcing in FebruaryAs a result, there are remarkable reversals of air temperature anomalies in Europe and Caspian Sea area between February and December [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, the Baltic Sea has been among the fastest warming seas in the world. The warming is mainly driven by increasing air temperatures but deeper water layers can also be warmed by lateral advection of heat. By analyzing a 159 years long (1850–2008) hindcast simulation of the Baltic Sea, we link the exceptionally strong bottom water warming in the western Baltic Sea to a shift in the seasonality of saltwater inflows from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. Over the model period, warm summer and early autumn inflows have increased while cold winter inflows have decreased. Sensitivity experiments reveal that these changes were partly driven by a shift in river runoff seasonality. The strong warming could lead to faster oxygen depletion in the affected layers and thus have ecological consequences. Plain Language Summary: The Baltic Sea is home to various marine and freshwater species and an important economic factor for the surrounding countries. Like other seas, the Baltic Sea is getting warmer due to climate change. The water at the surface warms especially fast because it takes up heat from the warming atmosphere. After some time, temperatures also increase in deeper layers. However, some deep parts in the western Baltic Sea are warming even faster than the sea surface. In our study, we investigate if the exceptional warming can be explained by an increase in warm saltwater inflows from the North Sea. Hence, we use a model simulation of the Baltic Sea for over 150 years to compare long time series of warm inflows and the temperatures in the deep layers of the western Baltic Sea. We find a strong correlation. Thus, we can link the exceptional warming in the deep layers of the western Baltic Sea during the last decades to an increase in warm inflows. The warming has ecological consequences since in warmer water, the oxygen is consumed faster and the deep water layers of the Baltic Sea are suffering from low oxygen concentrations. Key Points: Summer and early autumn salt import into the Baltic Sea increased significantly since 1851 compared to the annual salt importSalt import between June and October is highly correlated with the annual sub‐thermocline temperature maximum in the western Baltic SeaThe shift in inflow seasonality was partly caused by seasonal changes in river runoff [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of snow on Arctic sea ice impacts the ice mass budget. Wind redistribution of snow into open water in leads is hypothesized to cause significant wintertime snow loss. However, there are no direct measurements of snow loss into Arctic leads. We measured the snow lost in four leads in the Central Arctic in winter 2020. We find, contrary to expectations, that under typical winter conditions, minimal snow was lost into leads. However, during a cyclone that delivered warm air temperatures, high winds, and snowfall, 35.0 ± 1.1 cm snow water equivalent (SWE) was lost into a lead (per unit lead area). This corresponded to a removal of 0.7–1.1 cm SWE from the entire surface—∼6%–10% of this site's annual snow precipitation. Warm air temperatures, which increase the length of time that wintertime leads remain unfrozen, may be an underappreciated factor in snow loss into leads. Plain Language Summary: The amount of snow on Arctic sea ice impacts how quickly the ice grows in the winter and melts in the summer. Cracks in the ice, known as leads, expose ocean water that snow can be blown into, reducing the amount of snow on the ice and thus impacting ice growth and melt. We found that in typical wintertime conditions, very little snow is blown into leads. However, if there is fresh snowfall, it is uncommonly warm and it is very windy at the same time when leads are forming, a large amount of snow can be blown into the ocean. Accounting for the impacts of air temperature on this process will enable scientists to better understand how much snow is on Arctic sea ice, and hence how quickly the ice grows in the winter and melts in the summer, and how this might change in a future, warmer, Arctic. Key Points: Minimal snow was lost into leads in observations of three cases in typical wintertime, cold, moderately windy conditions on Arctic sea iceIn an atmospheric advection event with air temperature above −10°C, high wind, and fresh snowfall, most recent snowfall was lost into leadsWarm air temperatures increase the duration of unfrozen water in leads, which may be an underappreciated factor in snow loss into leads [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian winter weather has altered dramatically in response to progressing climate change. However, analysis of time‐averaged atmospheric fields might obscure climate change signals that could relate to specific types of events. This study aimed to detect climate change signals for various background atmospheric fields by applying classification to daily surface pressure patterns. We found a pronounced trend of increase in surface air temperature over Japan since the 1980s, stronger than the seasonal mean trend, when dominating cold air advection from the Sea of Okhotsk. This cold air was warmed and humidified by the retreat of sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. In contrast, the warming trend was mitigated when warm air advection was dominant. These results highlight the importance of daily background atmospheric conditions in amplifying and localizing the impact of regional climate change. Plain Language Summary: Winter weather in East Asia varies greatly depending on the daily surface pressure pattern. Hence, the impact of climate change could appear in different forms according to specific weather conditions. This study aimed to detect long‐term changes in atmospheric fields under various weather conditions. Focusing on the daily surface pressure patterns, analysis of East Asian winters showed substantial historical increase in surface air temperature when northerly cold air outbreaks brought colder air toward Japan, and the warming rate was stronger than the trend of the winter average. The retreat of sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk, located upwind of Japan, caused this local warming and humidification. In contrast, the warming trend was weaker for days when the pressure pattern brought warmer air toward Japan. This finding indicates that winter days with cold air flowing around Japan have been warming more strongly than warm winter days. Our analysis enables assessment of the impact of global warming on specific weather conditions of interest. Key Points: Historical changes in winter climate in Japan were decomposed based on pressure pattern classificationNortherly winter monsoon has been substantially warmed and humidified around Japan due to sea ice retreat in the upwind seaPressure patterns that cause stronger regional response to climate change were identified [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relative contributions of internal variability and external forcing to multidecadal variations in the winter (December–February) East Asian averaged surface air temperature (EASAT) since 1880 by analyzing three observational datasets and large ensemble simulations from 12 coupled models. The results indicate that the internal variability plays a dominant role in the EASAT multidecadal variations. Specifically, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) affects the EASAT via an atmospheric teleconnection across the Eurasian continent, and the correlation coefficient between internally generated EASAT variation and the AMO index is −0.49. In comparison, the external forcings only modulate the observed EASAT variations due to offsetting effects of the external forcing agents. That is, the multidecadal variations in the greenhouse gas concentrations and anthropogenic/volcanic aerosols make positive and negative contributions, respectively. Our new finding is conducive to EASAT predictions in the following decades due to the predictability of AMO and anthropogenic forcings. Plain Language Summary: Internal variability is one of the most important sources of uncertainty in predicting the East Asian winter temperature in future decades. It is thus essential to address associated reasons for the internally generated East Asian temperature variability. This study tries to separate internal variability from the externally forced climate response for the winter East Asian averaged surface air temperature (EASAT) based on three observational datasets and large ensemble simulations from 12 latest coupled models. We find that the internal variability explains 59% of the total EASAT multidecadal variations, in which the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) plays a vital role. The external forcings play the secondary role. This means that accurate prediction of the AMO would be helpful for predicting internally generated EASAT variations at the multidecadal scale. Key Points: Internal variability has played a dominant role in the multidecadal variations of winter temperature averaged over East Asia since 1880The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation plays a vital role in internally generated East Asian winter temperature variationsChanges in greenhouse gas concentrations and anthropogenic/volcanic aerosols make positive and negative contributions, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) drives wintertime temperature anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere. Dynamical seasonal prediction systems can skilfully predict the winter NAO. However, prediction of the NAO‐dependent air temperature anomalies remains elusive, partially due to the low variability of predicted NAO. Here, we demonstrate a hidden potential of a multi‐model ensemble of operational seasonal prediction systems for predicting wintertime temperature by increasing the variability of predicted NAO. We identify and subsample those ensemble members which are close to NAO index statistically estimated from initial autumn conditions. In our novel multi‐model approach, the correlation prediction skill for wintertime Central Europe temperature is improved from 0.25 to 0.66, accompanied by an increased winter NAO prediction skill of 0.9. Thereby, temperature anomalies can be skilfully predicted for the upcoming winter over a large part of the Northern Hemisphere through increased variability and skill of predicted NAO. Plain Language Summary: Wintertime temperature in the Northern Hemisphere is regulated by the variations of atmospheric pressure, represented by the so‐called North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO's phase—negative or positive—is associated with the pathways of cold and warm air masses leading to cold or warm winters in Europe. While the NAO phase can be predicted well, predictions of the NAO‐dependent air temperature remain elusive. Specifically, it is challenging to predict the strength of the NAO, the most important requirement for the accurate prediction of wintertime temperature. Here, we improve wintertime temperature prediction by increasing the strength of the predicted NAO. We use observation based autumn Northern Hemisphere ocean and air temperature, as well as ice and snow cover for statistical estimation of the first guess NAO for the upcoming winter. Then, we sub‐select only those simulations from the multi‐model ensemble, which are consistent with our first guess NAO. As a result, based on these selected members, the wintertime temperature prediction is substantially improved over a large part of the Northern Hemisphere. Key Points: Amplitude and skill of predicted North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) improve significantly by subsampling of ensemble of existing seasonal prediction systemsAmplified NAO variability leads to significant improvement in predicting the upcoming winter temperature anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on statistical analysis using observations and idealized model simulations, previous studies have revealed the potential response of early‐winter atmospheric circulation and temperature anomalies to November Ural blocking (UB) anomalies. Using a large number of coupled simulations, this study found that the response is sensitive to the intensity of November mid‐latitude westerly jet over Eurasia. Stronger‐than‐normal November UB without a significantly weakened westerly jet could not cause significant atmospheric response in early‐winter. By contrast, stronger‐than‐normal November UB with a significantly weakened jet would be followed by a warmer Arctic‐colder Eurasia (WACE) pattern in December. The significantly weakened westerly jet favors stronger upward propagation of planetary waves, which causes stronger weakening and longer persistence of the stratospheric polar vortex. This stratospheric response persists into December and propagates downward into the troposphere interfering with planetary waves (especially wavenumber‐1). The lead‐lag UB‐WACE linkage modulated by mid‐latitude jet may have implications for sub‐seasonal predictability. Plain Language Summary: Observations and idealized model simulations have shown that strong Ural blocking (UB) anomalies in November can induce the "warmer Arctic, colder Eurasia" anomaly in the following December. In this study, a large number of coupled simulations are employed. The results show that the impact of November UB on early‐winter Arctic‐Eurasian temperature is sensitive to the intensity of November mid‐latitude (around 60°N) westerly jet over Eurasia. When November UB anomalies are accompanied by a significantly weakened mid‐latitude westerly jet, early‐winter would experience a warmer Arctic‐colder Eurasia pattern. The significantly weakened westerly wind waveguide is favorable for stronger upward propagation of planetary waves caused by UB anomalies, which leads to persistent atmospheric response in the following December. Key Points: Early‐winter atmospheric response to November Ural blocking (UB) anomalies is sensitive to the background state of westerly jetStrong UB with sufficiently weakened westerly jet in November can induce a warmer Arctic‐colder Eurasia pattern in DecemberThe weakened westerly wind waveguide promotes stronger upward propagation of planetary waves forced by UB anomalies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although some outcomes have been reported, our knowledge of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) climate and its prediction remains unclear due to land surface complexity and observational uncertainty. Here, long‐term observations and reanalysis data revealed a significant positive relationship between winter and the subsequent summer surface air temperatures (SATs) over the TP, in which we highlighted the role of the persistence of soil enthalpy (SE) process. The winter SE can memorize the winter SAT anomaly, and the signal decays with depth gradually, but the consistency with spring SE increases substantially. This persistence of the SE process facilitates the winter SAT signals to be preserved for months until summer, resulting in homogeneous SAT anomalies in summer. The atmospheric response to the SAT anomaly further demonstrates the significant effect of winter thermal conditions on the subsequent summer climate over the TP. Hence, this work brings a new perspective for understanding the TP climate. Plain Language Summary: As the powerful summertime heat source, TP has a significant impact on the climate both locally and in the surrounding areas. In this study, based on long‐term observation and reanalysis data sets, we found that the SAT anomaly during winter is positively related to the subsequent summer SAT variability over the TP. Importantly, we also demonstrate that the persistence of soil enthalpy can act as a bridge that links the winter and following summer SATs, and so retain the preceding winter SAT signal for months, and then release it during the following summer. Additionally, the atmospheric response to the TP SAT anomaly further indicates the winter heating effect on the subsequent summer climate. Consequently, this discovery provides a new perspective to understand the land‐atmosphere interaction in TP summer climate change. Key Points: This study observed a significant positive relationship between winter and the subsequent summer surface air temperature (SAT) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP)The persistence of soil enthalpy plays an important role as a bridge linking winter and the subsequent summer SATThe atmospheric response to SAT further validates the heating effect of winter on the subsequent summer climate over the TP [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modulates winter cold anomalies over central Eurasia (CE) using reanalysis data during 1950–2019. It is found that ENSO can significantly influence winter air temperature over CE mainly through modulating the strength and location of the cyclonic anomaly of Ural blocking (UB) or long‐lived UB events. A strong (weak) cyclonic anomaly of UB on the southeastern (eastern) side of the Ural Mountains tends to occur over midlatitude (high‐latitude) Eurasia during La Niña (El Niño) winters. Such anomalous circulation leads to a strong (weak) cold anomaly over CE, especially over East Asia, due to enhanced (weakened) cold air advection toward the CE during La Niña (El Niño). The UB‐related cyclonic anomaly in the midlatitude (high latitude) side of Eurasia is shown to be related to weakened (enhanced) eastward extension of strong westerly winds over midlatitude Eurasia during La Niña (El Niño) winters. Plain Language Summary: Observations show that in recent decades a strong cold anomaly appears over Eurasia, especially over central Eurasia (CE). This cold anomaly shows notable variations on interannual, decadal and interdecadal timescales. However, what factors lead to its interannual variations is not well understood. Here we show that El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events can influence Eurasian winter air temperature by modulating the strength and location of the cyclonic anomaly of Ural blocking (UB) or the frequency of long‐lived UB events. A La Niña (El Niño) favors a strong (weak) cyclonic anomaly circulation located in the southeastern (eastern) side of the Ural Mountains in the midlatitudes (high latitudes), which leads to a strong (weak) cold anomaly over CE especially in the low latitude Eurasia (i.e., East Asia) through enhanced (weakened) cold air advection. These new results help us understand the physical cause of the interannual variability of the Eurasian cold anomaly modulated by ENSO. Key Points: This paper examines the causal relationship between the Ural blocking (UB) and Eurasian cold anomaly during the La Niña phase in winterEl Niño‐Southern Oscillation plays an important role in the interannual variability of winter cold anomaly over the EurasiaThe UB leads to stronger cold anomaly over the Eurasian during the La Niña than El Niño [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter warming is fast than summer warming on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP). However, no assessment of winter warming effects on permafrost has been attempted. Here we conducted hypothetical control experiments and used the Noah land surface model to evaluate the impacts of winter warming on the QTP permafrost. The results show that air temperature in winter (November–April) was increasing at a rate of 0.66 °C/decade during 1980s−2000s, over double that in summer (May–October). The mean annual ground temperature of permafrost increased by 0.13 °C/decade. The summer warming dominated the variations in thermal regime of permafrost before 2000. After that, the influence of winter warming on permafrost thermal regime has gradually grown and exceeded that of summer warming. Winter warming has amplified the thermal degradation of permafrost. Our findings reveal that alpine continuous permafrost on the northern QTP has experienced a prominent regional warming due to rapid winter warming since 2000. Plain Language Summary: As the highest and largest permafrost region in mid‐latitudes, Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) has experienced prominent winter warming in the past three decades. To date, no study has been made to assess the impacts of winter warming on the QTP permafrost. We used the Noah land surface model to investigate this effect, based on controlled experiments including a baseline representing historical climate conditions and two intentionally constituted hypothetical experiments that remove the winter (November–April) or summer (May–October) warming from the historical records. We analyzed the seasonal changes in air temperature, evaluated the effects of winter and summer warming on the changes of frozen ground in terms of several key indicators (including active layer thickness, permafrost area, mean annual ground temperature of permafrost, and maximum freezing depth of seasonally frozen ground) and investigated the possible underlying mechanism of winter warming on permafrost. The results indicate that winter warming accelerates permafrost thermal degradation. Especially since 2000, alpine continuous permafrost on the Qiangtang High Plain, Northern QTP, has undergone an obvious regional warming induced by rapid winter warming. Key Points: Winter warming in past decades is over twice than summer warming over the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP)The influence of winter warming on permafrost thermal regime exceeded summer warming over the QTP after 2000Alpine continuous permafrost on the northern QTP has experienced an obvious regional warming due to rapid winter warming since 2000 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the wintertime time‐mean surface wind convergence patterns over the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream show significant imprints of the underlying oceanic fronts. Previous studies have suggested that this collocation results from a time‐mean response to sea level pressure forcing from sea surface temperature gradients. However, more recent work has illustrated this phenomenon is heavily influenced by extratropical cyclones, although exact mechanisms are still debated. The purpose of this study is to introduce a new framework that explicitly distinguishes between two separate components in their contribution to the time‐mean surface wind convergence, that associated with and without atmospheric fronts. It is then argued that this distinction can help better explain the mechanisms driving the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream influence on the atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: This paper presents a new framework for understanding the mean wintertime atmospheric state over the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream regions, in the context of advancing our understanding of how these strong ocean currents can impact on the seasonal atmosphere. In recent years, many studies have attributed the oceanic imprint on the atmosphere in these regions to mechanisms based upon the time‐mean response. However, observational analysis here illustrates that the regional wintertime atmosphere is, in fact, dominated by continuous extratropical storm systems. It is suggested this contribution to the mean atmospheric state can be further decomposed into situations when atmospheric fronts embedded within these storms are and are not present. By studying each of these distinct atmospheric scenarios, it is then argued that the oceanic imprint on the mean wintertime atmospheric state should instead be considered as an accumulation of processes driven by mechanisms acting on a synoptic timescale, not on the timescale of the time‐mean. This framework presents a new paradigm for understanding extratropical frontal‐scale air‐sea interactions and is expected to have an immediate impact on atmospheric, oceanic, and climate communities. Key Points: Average wintertime near‐surface wind convergence over Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream is a direct accumulation of a baroclinic waveguideBaroclinic waveguide contribution to time‐mean convergence decomposed into atmospheric frontal and non-frontal scenariosDistinction suggests a new paradigm for understanding mechanisms of ocean‐atmosphere forcing in western boundary current regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]