Explore this section to learn more about the science behind climate data, choose and access Canadian climate data, and download pre-made materials for your own training sessions.
Introduction to emissions scenarios, climate models and how outputs can inform decision-making.
Learn about historical datasets and how to choose which one to use.
Learn about future climate change data, including uncertainty and how it is managed on ClimateData.ca.
Global warming levels (GWLs) are a relatively new way of presenting and communicating climate change projections. This approach links regional climate changes to specific levels of global warming and can be used to explore future regional climates associated with global climate policy goals, such as those of the Paris Agreement. …
Global warming levels (GWLs) offer a relatively new way of presenting and communicating climate change projections. This approach links regional climate changes to specific levels of global warming and can be used to explore future regional climates associated with global climate policy goals, such as those of the Paris Agreement. …
Canadian wildfire activity is increasing in part because human-caused climate change is causing more hot and dry weather conditions conducive to wildfires, also referred to as “fire weather”. Future patterns of fire weather will look different from the past – conditions have already changed and will continue to do …
In this section, learn what climate change is, the interconnected nature of weather and climate, what causes the climate to fluctuate, and how to account for natural variability when using climate data.
New here? Explore these videos on how to access and download climate data from this portal.
IDF data describe the intensity of short-duration rainfall events. In this section, learn how to read and interpret IDF curves, as well as how to account for extreme precipitation in a changing climate, and where to find climate change-scaled IDF data.
It is not appropriate to use IDF data based on historical information alone for long-term planning. ECCC recommends the use of a scaling methodology for short-duration rainfall IDF data. Read this article for information about integrating climate change into IDF data, including a practical example.
The design of buildings in Canada relies on climate data, typically derived from historical records. Because the climate is changing, relying on historical data is no longer adequate and information about future climate is required. In this section, learn about different kinds of future climate data specifically tailored to the planning and design of Canadian buildings.
The Future Building Design Value Summaries on ClimateData.ca provide climatic design data and guidance for building design to complement the building code. The Design Value Explorer (DVE) tool offers access to the full suite of future climatic data from the Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure report to update …
A building’s thermal performance requirements are determined by the climate in which the building is situated. This climate can be described by Climate Zones. The projected shifts in Building Climate Zones due to climate change provide a high-level understanding of changing energy consumption patterns in buildings, highlighting that reliance on …
Many designers rely on the output of building performance simulations to inform design decisions. These simulations use climatic data contained in weather files, which are normally based on historical climate from observations. To be future-ready, simulations using only historical climate data are no longer adequate and designers will need to …
This article provides a high-level perspective on existing weather files for Canada developed from historical data, and on future weather files that offer information about building design conditions in a changing climate. The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) have each developed a …
Download training materials in PowerPoint presentation format to use in your own training sessions. This presentation introduces the concept of climate information and its importance in decision-making. The slides provide the basic framework for a presentation and include detailed speaker notes.
This presentation is intended:
After viewing the presentation, the audience should:
Produced by the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS), Ouranos and the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC).