Below is a library of all variables available within ClimateData.ca. Use the filter to limit your search to specific types of data.
Version 3.30 (2022-10-31) – this data is updated annually.
Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) curves relate short-duration rainfall intensity with its frequency of occurrence and are often used for flood forecasting and urban drainage design.
Intense precipitation events can deliver large amounts of rain over short periods of time. This rain, as well as related flooding, can overwhelm storm drains, flood basements, wash out bridges and roads, and trigger landslides. To reduce the risk of these impacts, engineers, hydrologists, planners and decision makers need accurate information about extreme rainfall events. IDF curves are one important source of this information.
Climate change is expected to increase extreme rainfall in Canada. Because of this, IDF curves based on historical observations alone are inappropriate for long-term decision-making. To account for climate change impacts to extreme rainfall and IDF curves, Environment and Climate Change Canada recommends use of a scaling methodology. ClimateData.ca provides historical and climate change-scaled IDF data for all ECCC IDF stations in Canada.
Additional guidance about integrating climate change into IDF curves can be found on the Learning Zone. For further technical information on how IDF Curves are produced, please refer to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Engineering Climate Datasets page or contact the Engineering Climate Services Unit at [email protected].
Climate Normals describe the average climate conditions of a particular location over a 30-year period.
At the end of each decade, Environment and Climate Change Canada calculates a new set of climate normals using observations from that decade. All member countries of the World Meteorological Organisation calculate climate normals. As they describe the most recent average climate conditions for a location, they are often used to put extreme events into context.
The climate normals offered here are based on Canadian climate stations with at least 15 years of data available during the current 30-year normal period.
The Future Building Design Value Summaries are location-based summaries of the building design values developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada as part of the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure (CRBCPI) project.
The values are obtained from the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC)’s Design Value Explorer and are summarized into a table alongside relevant supporting guidance and information for every location in the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC, 2015).
Historical values are from the NBCC 2015, Table C-2* while the future values are derived from regional climate model simulations (CanESM2-CanRCM4) and are presented for two levels of global warming 1.5°C and 3°C above the 1986-2016 baseline period.
These summaries are tailored to users who would consult the NBCC as part of their work, for climate-related design and planning needs.
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This future-looking information comes with an associated uncertainty, as fully described for each design value element in the CRBCPI.
In brief, Tier 1 variables are those for which there is generally high or very high confidence in the future projections for a given level of global warming. These variables reflect the well-understood thermal response of the climate to external radiative forcing of the Earth system.
Tier 2 variables are those for which there is generally medium confidence in the future projections for a given level of global warming.
Tier 3 variables are those for which there is low or very low confidence in the future projections for a given level of global warming.
Additional guidance on use of the Design Value Explorer and the associated data can be found in the Learning Zone and under the ‘About’ tab in the tool on PCIC’s website
*Historical values are derived from records prior to 2008 for most variables. At two locations (Pine Falls, MB and Boiestown, NB), historical values were provided by PCIC as these locations had problematic or missing data.