Wintertime Cooling of the Arctic TOA by Low‐Level Clouds

Abstract

Abstract Globally, clouds are known to warm the climate system in the thermal infrared because they typically emit thermal radiation to space at effective temperatures lower than the combined cloud‐free atmosphere and surface. However, here we show that ∼40% of low‐level clouds over sea ice tend to cool the Arctic system at TOA and contribute to a radiative cooling of the Arctic winter climate by −2.3 Wm−2, or a ∼16% reduction over the infrared warming effect of all clouds during winter. Based on satellite observations, low‐level clouds residing in surface‐based temperature inversions emit more longwave radiation to space than would occur in cloudless skies. While these clouds are known to significantly warm the surface, they cool the Arctic climate system overall. Our results imply that accurately representing the cloud radiative effects unique to the Arctic could help to constrain the regional energy budget.