Climate Normals and Averages are used to summarize or describe the average climatic conditions of a particular location. At the completion of each decade, Environment and Climate Change Canada updates its Climate Normals for as many locations and as many climatic characteristics as possible. The Climate Normals, Averages and Extremes offered here are based on Canadian climate stations with at least 15 years of data between 1981 to 2010.

Multi-model ensembles for a suite of variables based on projections from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) global climate models (GCMs) are available for 1850-2100 on a common 1x1 degree global grid. Climate projections vary across GCMs due to differences in the representation and approximation of earth systems and processes, and natural variability and uncertainty regarding future climate drivers. Thus, there is no single best climate model. Rather, using results from an ensemble of models (e.g., taking the average) is best practice, as an ensemble takes model uncertainty into account and provides more reliable climate projections.Provided on Canadian Climate Data and Scenarios (CCDS) are four types of products based on the CMIP6 multi-model ensembles: time series datasets and plots, maps and associated datasets, tabular datasets, and global gridded datasets. Monthly, seasonal, and annual ensembles are available for up to six Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) (SSP1-1.9, SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP4-6.0, and SSP5-8.5), four future periods (near-term (2021-2040), mid-term (2041-2060 and 2061-2080), end of century (2081-2100)), and up to five percentiles (5th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 95th) of the CMIP6 ensemble distribution. The number of models in each ensemble differs according to model availability for each SSP and variable, see the model list resource for details on the models included in each ensemble. The majority of products show projected changes expressed as anomalies according to a historical reference period of 1995-2014. The products provided include global, national, and provincial/territorial datasets and graphics. For more information on the CMIP6 multi-model ensembles, see the technical documentation resource.

This dataset contains the outputs for Bute Inlet from two simulations shown in the publication "Fjord circulation permits persistent subsurface water mass in a long, deep mid-latitude inlet" by Laura Bianucci et al., DFO Ocean Sciences Division, Pacific Region (published in the journal Ocean Science in 2024). The Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM v4.1) was run with two different sets of initial conditions for the Discovery Islands region of British Columbia, Canada, from May 24 to June 27, 2019. The "Baseline" simulation used observed initial conditions, while the "Sensitivity" simulation removed the observed cold subsurface water mass from the initial profiles. Here in this dataset, we provide 29-day averages of the following variables in a transect along Bute Inlet: potential temperature, density, along-inlet velocity, and Brunt-Väisälä frequency (N^2). The averaging properly removes the tidal effects.

The data shared are spatially explicit projections of wildfire burn probability across Canada’s forested ecozones under multiple future climate scenarios at a 30-m spatial resolution. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). Four future climate scenarios were used to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of burn probability in the 21st century based on climate, vegetation, and topographic conditions ( Mulverhill et al. 2024). Projected burn probability is provided for four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) and four future time periods, including 2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100, along with a baseline period representing average climate conditions and burn probability between 1991 and 2020. Outputs represent the probability that the conditions (climate, vegetation, topography) of a given pixel resemble those of historically burned areas. All non-climate variables were held static; therefore, projections represent burn probability under future climate scenarios given contemporary (2020) forest conditions. When using this dataset, please cite Mulverhill et al. (2025), as below.Mulverhill, C., Coops, N. C., Wulder, M. A., Hermosilla, T., White, J. C., & Bater, C. W. (2025). Projected Future Changes in Burn Probability in Canada’s Forests and Communities Under Different Climate Change Scenarios. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2025.2560347(Mulverhill et al. 2025).For a detailed description of the source data and methods applied to the baseline period to enable the Mulverhill et al. (2025) projections, see:Mulverhill, C., Coops, N.C., Wulder, M.A., White, J.C., Hermosilla, T., and Bater, C.W. 2024. “Multidecadal mapping of status and trends in annual burn probability over Canada’s forested ecosystems.” ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol. 209 pp. 279–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2024.02.006(Mulverhill et al. 2024).

CANGRD is a set of Canadian gridded annual, seasonal, and monthly temperature and precipitation anomalies, which were interpolated from stations in the Adjusted and Homogenized Canadian Climate Data (AHCCD); it is used to produce the Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin (CTVB).

Climate observations are derived from two sources of data. The first are Daily Climate Stations producing one or two observations per day of temperature, precipitation. The second are hourly stations that typically produce more weather elements e.g. wind or snow on ground.

Data describing clean growth and climate change projects that have received federal funding since 2015 that feeds into the Climate Action Map. The data include projects that meet Mitigation, Adaptation and Clean Technology objectives. The data include project names and descriptions, funding information, locations, and recipients.

The HOT2000 software contains monthly and annual climate data for 403 locations in Canada. Boundary lines for HOT2000 climate zones were defined through spatial interpolation of the annual Celsius heating degree-days for each weather station. In a number of instances, the positions of boundary lines may not be representative of the local climate conditions due to lack of appropriate climate data. Each HOT2000 climate zone contains one weather station to be used for all locations within the zone. Climate data represent 20-year averaged data from 1998 to 2017 for locations south of 58° latitude and 13-year averaged data from 2005 to 2017 for locations north of 58° latitude. Note that Whistler, BC uses 13 years of data.The following information is available in the climate map:o Location: the name of the weather station.o Region: the provincial or territorial location of the weather station.o Latitude: measured in degrees north of the equator.o Annual heating degree-days using a base of 18 °C.o Design heating dry bulb temperature (°C): the 2.5% January design temperature used to calculate the design heat loss for the house.o Design cooling dry bulb temperature (°C): the 2.5% July design temperature used to calculate the design cooling load for the house.o Design cooling wet bulb temperature (°C): the 2.5% July design temperature used to calculate the design cooling load for the house.The climate map is intended to be used by all users of the HOT2000 software under the EnerGuide Rating System, including energy advisors, service organizations, regulatory agencies, builders, utilities, and all levels of government.The weather locations and climate data are based on Environment and Climate Change Canada data, specifically the Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Datasets (CWEEDS).

Species distribution models (SDMs) are tools that combine species observations of occurrence, abundance, or biomass with environmental variables to predict the distribution of a species in unsampled locations. To produce accurate predictions of occurrence, abundance or biomass distribution, a wide range of physical and/or biological variables is desirable. Such data is often collected over limited or irregular spatial scales, and require the application of geospatial techniques to produce continuous environmental surfaces that can be used for modelling at all spatial scales. Here we provide a review of 102 environmental data layers that were compiled for the entire spatial extent of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Maritimes Region. Variables were obtained from a broad range of physical and biological data sources and spatially interpolated using geostatistical methods. For each variable we document the underlying data distribution, provide relevant diagnostics of the interpolation models and an assessment of model performance, and present the final standard error and interpolation surfaces. These layers have been archived in a common (raster) format at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography to facilitate future use. Based on the diagnostic summaries in this report, a subset of these variables has subsequently been used in species distribution models to predict the distribution of deep-water corals, sponges, and other significant benthic taxa in the Maritimes Region.Cite this data as: Beazley, Lindsay; Guijarro, Javier, Lirette; Camille; Wang, Zeliang; Kenchington, Ellen (2020). Characteristics of Environmental Data Layers for Use in Species Distribution Modelling in the Maritimes Region. Published July 2023. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/34a917cb-a0e3-403c-91c7-af3dc20628b1

This 4th edition Plant Hardiness Zones map shows updated zones related to perennial plant survival in Canada. The map is based on a formula using seven climate variables that influence plant survival: 1. Monthly mean of the daily minimum temperatures of the coldest month. 2. Mean frost-free period above 0°C in days.3. Amount of rainfall from June to November.4. Monthly mean of the daily maximum temperatures of the warmest month. 5. A winter harshness index related to rainfall in January.6. Mean maximum snow depth.7. Maximum wind gust in 30 year period.The original map was developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the early 1960s based on average climate values from 1930 to 1960. This new map uses 1991 to 2020 averages. The map shown to the left of this map shows an alternative plant hardiness zone approach using just one climate variable: average extreme minimum temperature for the period 1991 to 2020. This was originally developed by scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (see https://www.usna.usda.gov/science/plant-hardiness-zone-map/). The development of these maps was made possible through a collaborative effort by scientists at Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service, Environment Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. A paper describing the research, “Updated plant hardiness zones for Canada and assessment of change over time”, can be found in Scientific Reports, Vol. 15(1), 22774 ( https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00931-5).These maps were produced by the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada.To view an interactive version of this map and for more information on plant hardiness zones in Canada, please go to: https://www.planthardiness.gc.ca.