A new definition for seasons based on a synoptic classification is introduced. It uses the automatically classified daily synoptic systems. For the eastern Mediterranean (EM), the temporal distribution of the synoptic systems over 53 years enables a proper definition of the timing and duration of the cold rainy, warm dry and of the transition seasons. Comparisons with the astronomical, meteorological and the temperature‐based...

Semi‐objective classification of daily 1200 UTC synoptic systems was carried out by a discriminant‐like analysis of the National Center for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data over the eastern Mediterranean (EM) for 1948–2000. An example for a climate change application is given by the analysis of trends in the annual frequencies of the synoptic systems. The frequencies of the most...