This text presents a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of air temperature and atmospheric precipitation variability over a period of instrumental observation in the Arctic, using data from stations, updated to the year 2000. A summary is also provided of the current stage of knowledge concerning climatic change in the Arctic, including a comprehensive review of literature, updated to 2001. The climatology of the studied elements with seasonal resolution is presented for the period 1951-1990. In contrast to the majority of publications in the field, the analysis presented here is for the "real" Arctic, the boundary of which has been delimited using a range of climatic criteria. For the first time, extreme temperatures are also included in the analysis. The book is intended for all those with a general interest in fields of meteorology, climatology, and with a knowledge of the application of statistics in these areas.
