Summertime Long-Term Trends in Cloud Phase Over the Tibetan Plateau: Transition From Supercooled to Ice Clouds

Understanding cloud phase changes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial for regional and global climate research. Based on 17 years (2003–2019) of satellite and reanalysis data combined with a multivariate regression model, this study identifies a distinctive transition from supercooled to ice clouds over the TP, in contrast to most Asian regions where atmospheric warming favors a shift from cold to warm clouds. The transition is most pronounced in summer, with supercooled cloud fraction ((Formula presented.)) decreasing by 3.5% per decade and ice (Formula presented.) increasing by 2.7% per decade. Enhanced cloud vertical development primarily drives this transition, accompanied by cloud-top cooling of 6.0°C for supercooled and 10.2°C for ice clouds over the 17-year period. Surface and atmospheric warming, changes in large-scale circulation, and warmer glaciation temperatures contribute to the cooling. These findings underscore the unique cloud-phase changes over the TP and highlight the need for further research on their climate implications.