An integral part of synoptic climatological research is understanding the ways in which teleconnection patterns influence North American weather and climate, ecosystems, and human infrastructure. This includes the correlation of teleconnection phases to the cyclical nature of other phenomena. For example, relationships have been found between salmon production fluctuations in the North Pacific basin and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). In addition, climate change issues are also contributing to the enthusiastic pursuit of teleconnection pattern research.

Teleconnections are responsible for anomalous weather conditions that not only span great distances but also can persist for several years. It is widely believed that teleconnection patterns influence the wavelength and amplitude of passing ridge-trough systems along with the vertical motion differentials occurring in the atmosphere.

Air mass intrusion is one of the most critical controls of regional weather and organism response. There is a lack of material in the literature geared toward understanding how air mass character and frequency changes within teleconnection patterns.

The goal of this presentation is to examine the impact of teleconnection patterns on air mass character and frequency in North America. In addition, there will be a concentration on the modification of air mass character and frequency due to climate change. Recent winters will be compared to those of 40-50 years ago with similar teleconnection and wave patterns to determine whether notable air mass changes have occurred.

Initial results indicate a strong relationship between the character of air masses and the teleconnection phase. In addition, it appears that, given similar teleconnection patterns through the period of study, there has been a systematic warming of certain air masses over the past 50 years. It is uncertain whether this is a human-induced change, but it is clear that such trends can have profound impacts on the general environment.