The Climates of Canada

1. The Climates of Canada Climate: Weather patterns seen in an area from year to year.

2. Climates of Canada • Most of Canada lies above 49 degrees latitude. • Inland areas experience a continental climate, with extreme temperature changes and low precipitation • Coastal areas are moderated by a maritime climate, with mild temperatures and high precipitation.

3. Temperature • Latitude: higher latitude  lower intensity of the sun’s rays. • Altitude: the higher the altitude, the colder the temperature. • Distance from the sea: the surface of land heats and cools more quickly than water. Temperatures near the coast are moderated by the ocean. • Wind Direction: In Canada, prevailing winds are from the west or north. West Coast communities are warmer as a result of warm winds off of the ocean. • Ocean Currents: Warm or cold, depending on where they come from. Ocean currents warm the air, which is blown onto land.

4. Precipitation • Canada’s precipitation varies by region • The amount is largely determined by distance from the sea, and by the prevailing winds • It is also affected by temperatures, topography, and the masses of cool and warm air.

5. Climate Change • Over the past 200 years, the world became more industrialized, and burned massive amounts of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas. • The CO2 released traps the heat of the Earth in the atmosphere • This “greenhouse effect” is seen as the cause of the overall warming of the Earth’s climate.

6. Climate change affects the world’s temperature and precipitation patterns. • The northern regions are more greatly affected than other regions. • Canada’s Arctic has seen melting permafrost, melting of the Arctic Ocean sea ice, and other changes.

7. Other Climate Change Threats • Changes in the Arctic • Drier summers on the Prairies • Flooding and storms in eastern Canada • Plunging survival rates for spawning Salmon in BC • Unusual weather conditions, and an increase in pests such as the mountain pine beetle