NEW: Seasonal to Decadal (S2D) Landing Page on ClimateData.ca

What’s New?

ClimateData.ca now features a dedicated landing page for Seasonal to Decadal (S2D) forecast products with useful links and new Learning Zone resources designed to help users access and understand these forecasts. Interactive forecast maps are coming soon and will provide climate outlooks ranging from the next few months to the next decade, bridging the gap between short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate projections.

“Seasonal to decadal forecasts can help decision-makers plan for next month, next season… all the way out to 10 years from now,” said Hayley Dosser, a physical scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS), “If there’s an S2D forecast product you’d like to see on ClimateData.ca, let us know!”

Rollout and Availability

  • New S2D Landing Page: Explore links to existing forecast products, find answers to frequently asked questions, and browse additional forecast resources.
  • Learning Zone articles: Learn about seasonal forecasts, how they are developed, how they differ from climate projections, and how to consider these forecasts in decision-making.
  • Coming later in 2025 – Interactive S2D Forecast Maps: Seasonal to decadal climate forecasts will soon be available on ClimateData.ca’s interactive map page. This feature will provide location-specific forecast information in a user-friendly format.

Have your say!

Are you interested in sharing your feedback on using seasonal to decadal forecasts in your work? We’d love to hear from you!

Click here if you would like to share your input and help us improve our services. We will be in touch.

Why are these forecast products important?

S2D forecasts offer insights into expected climate patterns over timescales longer than weather forecasts but shorter than climate projections, helping to fill a key gap in climate information. These forecasts are (or could be) valuable to different sectors in many ways, such as:

  • Agriculture: Planning crop selection, yield predictions, seeding and harvest timing
  • Water resource management: Optimizing reservoir levels and flood risk mitigation strategies
  • Energy: Anticipating seasonal demand for heating and cooling as well as hydro power generation capacity
  • Disaster preparedness: Helping to assess the risks of droughts, floods, and wildfires

“S2D forecasts are more complex to interpret than weather forecasts. The forecasts coming to ClimateData.ca are designed to be clear and easy to understand,” added Hayley Dosser, “We want to ensure that Canadians can capitalize on the science that Environment and Climate Change Canada produces to inform their decisions.”

The seasonal to decadal forecasts on ClimateData.ca will be probabilistic – they will provide information on the likelihood of a season being hotter or colder and wetter or drier than normal. By considering these different outcomes, decision-makers can use their own judgement and risk tolerance when using these forecasts in planning.

 

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