Fig. 5: Schematic illustration of the snow–fire teleconnection mechanism.

Schematic diagram illustrating the proposed teleconnection linking reduced western Eurasian snow cover in early winter (November–December) to fire-favorable weather conditions in Southern California during December–January. Reduced snow cover over western Eurasia excites Rossby wave trains that establish large-scale atmospheric teleconnections, favoring the development of a persistent high-pressure system over the western U.S. with a typical wintertime western warming-eastern cooling dipole pattern across the continental U.S. This circulation results in warmer and drier conditions, reduced fuel moisture, and enhanced offshore winds in Southern California, thereby increasing winter wildfire risk.