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<p>In this study, the persistent winter haze that occurred over Beijing during 1980 to 2016 is examined using reanalysis and station data. On both interannual and daily-to-weekly timescales, the winter haze weather in Beijing is found to be associated with a pronounced atmospheric teleconnection pattern from the North Atlantic to Eurasia (Beijing). A positive western-type North Atlantic Oscillation (WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span>) phase and a positive East Atlantic/West Russia (EA/WR<span class="inline-formula">+</span>) phase are observed as part of this teleconnection pattern (an arched wave train). This study focuses on the role of the WNAO pattern, because the WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span> pattern acts as the origin of the atmospheric transmission, 8–10 <span class="inline-formula">d</span> before the persistent haze events. Further analyses reveal that the WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span> pattern can increase the number of haze days and persistent haze events on interannual and daily-to-weekly timescales. Specifically, strong WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span> winters (above the 95th percentile) can increase the number of haze days and persistent haze events by 26.0 % and 42.3 %, respectively. In addition, a high WNAO index for the 5 d average (above the 95th percentile) predicts a 16.9 % increase in the probability of haze days on Day 8 and a higher proportion of persistent haze days compared with an unknown WNAO state. Thus, the WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span> pattern is as a necessary prior background condition for the formation of the wave train and is a skillful predictor for persistent hazy weather. Corresponding to the WNAO<span class="inline-formula">+</span> pattern, intensified zonal wind and a north–south sea surface temperature tripolar mode over the North Atlantic also appear before persistent haze events on the daily-to-weekly timescale. On the interannual timescale, winters with a greater number of persistent haze days are also associated with a tripolar sea surface temperature (SST) mode over the North Atlantic that is situated farther northward.</p>