RT Journal Article T1 Future Arctic sea ice loss reduces severity of cold air outbreaks in midlatitudes A1 Ayarzagüena Porras, Blanca A1 Screen, James A. AB The effects of Arctic sea ice loss on cold air outbreaks (CAOs) in midlatitudes remain unclear. Previous studies have defined CAOs relative to the present‐day climate, but changes in CAOs, defined in such a way, may reflect changes in mean climate and not in weather variability, and society is more sensitive to the latter. Here we revisit this topic but applying changing temperature thresholds relating to climate conditions of the time. CAOs do not change in frequency or duration in response to projected sea ice loss. However, they become less severe, mainly due to advection of warmed polar air, since the dynamics associated with the occurrence of CAOs are largely not affected. CAOs weaken even in midlatitude regions where the winter mean temperature decreases in response to Arctic sea ice loss. These results are robustly simulated by two atmospheric models prescribed with differing future sea ice states and in transient runs where external forcings are included. PB American Geophysical Union SN 0094-8276 SN 1944-8007 YR 2016 FD 2016-03-18 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93508 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93508 LA eng NO Ayarzagüena, B., and J. A. Screen (2016), Future Arctic sea ice loss reduces severity of cold air outbreaks in midlatitudes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 2801–2809, doi:10.1002/2016GL068092. NO Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, UK) DS Docta Complutense RD 1 sept 2024