Wave packets and Pacific cyclone development

In the Northern Hemisphere winter, one of the major peaks in cyclogenesis lies over the western Pacific. While it is clear that the location of the peak is related to the presence of strong ocean-continent temperature contrasts, the precise conditions under which explosively deepening cyclones develop over the region are not well understood. Previous studies have documented some environmental preconditioning that can significantly impact the rate of cyclone deepening. In this study, stratifying cyclone development statistics based on the configuration of wave packets over Asia prior to cyclogenesis demonstrates that these upstream wave packets exert a significant influence on explosive cyclogenesis over the Pacific.