Climate of the Past www.clim-past.net 1814-9324 1814-9332 3 1 2007 10.5194/cp-3-65-2007 http://www.clim-past.net/3/65/2007/ http://www.clim-past.net/3/65/2007/cp-3-65-2007.html http://www.clim-past.net/3/65/2007/cp-3-65-2007.pdf 65 76 2007-02-06 On the variability of return periods of European winter precipitation extremes over the last three centuries A. Pauling andreas.pauling@meteoswiss.ch H. Paeth Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland Geographical Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany We investigate the changes of extreme European winter (December-February) precipitation back to 1700 and show for various European regions that return periods of extremely wet and dry winters are subject to significant changes both before and after the onset of anthropogenic influences. Generally, winter precipitation has become more extreme. 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