Arctic CyclonesClimatology – Summer
![Number of surface cyclone centers, 1958–2005, per 250km × 250km area for summer (Dec-Feb) based on NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, excluding Greenland](media/graphics/arctic_cyclone_climo_summer01.jpg)
In summer, storms occur most frequently over the central Arctic Ocean. These storms tend to originate either over northern Eurasia, where we see a concentration of storms, or along the Eurasian coast, where there is a strong temperature contrast in the summer months.
![Mean 500-mb Height (gpm) for July, 1958–2005, based on NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis](media/graphics/arctic_500_climo_jul01.jpg)
Winds at 500 mb tend to steer storms parallel to the coast across Eurasia and Alaska. Storms that originate over North America tend to move southeast, away from the Arctic.
![Mean MSLP (mb) for July, 1958–2005, based on NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis](media/graphics/arctic_mslp_climo_jul02.jpg)
In contrast to winter, summer MSLP over the Arctic shows a strong gradient along the Eurasian coast. The rest of the field is fairly flat with a weak low located near the North Pole, reflecting the frequent occurrence of cyclones in this region.