western canada climates

CLIMATES OF WESTERN CANADACLIMATE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN AN AREA IN GENERAL OR OVER A LONG PERIOD.

FACTORS AFFECTING TEMPERATURE:• Latitude – the distance of an area from the

equator determines the amount and intensity of sunlight it receives.

• Northern latitudes have a greater variation of length of day and night. (Alaska, Yukon, NWT etc)

• Altitude - Higher the altitude the colder the temp. for every 150m above sea level the temp drops about 1 degree Celsius.

FACTORS CONTINUED• Distance from the Sea – the surface of land

heats and cools more quickly than water surface. Extreme highs and lows in areas away from the ocean, on the west coast our temps are moderated by the Pacific Ocean

• Wind Direction: Winds blowing from the ocean increase the moderating effect of water. Wind blowing off the land create more extremes in temperature.

PRECIPITATION

FACTORS CONTINUED

• Ocean currents – can be either warm or cold, depending on their origin. Warm currents warm the air blowing over them. Warm air can absorb more water than cold air – resulting in more rain.

• Precipitation (rainfall) – the amount of precipitation in a location is determined by the distance from the sea and prevailing winds.

WATER RESOURCES• High level of precipitation and melting

snowpacks provides a fairly constant flow of water in Western Canada – something we have taken for granted.

• Water quality vs water supply – This summer we had an unprecedented shortage of water, due to lack of rainfall and melting snow pack.

• Other areas of BC suffer from poor water quality (undrinkable) due to sewage & agricultural run off.

CLIMATE CHALLENGES

Climate Change?

CLIMATE CHANGE PROTESTS