Abstract: Using daily snowfall of five meteorological stations in eastern Hexi corridor during 1960—2018, spatial and temporal variation characteristics of snowfall and its relationship with atmospheric circulation were analyzed in this region with linear regression, mean square deviation and correlation coefficient method. The results showed that snowfall of eastern Hexi corridor had obvious regional characteristics, average and extreme value of snowfall was more in mountain area than in oasis plain, and that was more in oasis plain than in desert area. Snowfall of year and age also assume increasing trend except Gulang county, increasing trend of Tianzhu county was the most obvious. Snowfall was mainly in spring, autumn and winter, snowfall was increasing in spring and winter, while was decreasing in autumn. Anomaly of year snowfall was more consistent, normal years was the most, occurrence probabilities were in 62.7%~72.9%, and in turn to both ends of decline. Influences of Indian subtropical high area, western Pacific subtropical high area and east Asian trough intensity on snow in same spring, autumn and winter were the most obvious, respectively. Influences of Asia meridional circulation, northern hemisphere polar vortex intensity and east Asia trough intensity on snow in next spring and winter were the most obvious, respectively.

Key words: snowfall, variation characteristic, atmospheric circulation, correlation, eastern Hexi corridor