Ottawa, December 18, 2007 - The autumn of 2007 in Canada was neither the warmest nor wettest on record but was still warmer and wetter than normal. Information on the autumn weather-that-was is from Environment Canada's Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin. The Bulletin provides a cross-country look at temperatures and precipitation for the September to November, 2007 period and compares it to climate data from the past 60 years. A 30-year average is used for a reference period, and is referred to as a "normal". Highlights from The Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin for Canada include:Autumn 2007 in Canada was the 19th warmest on record, since nationwide records began in 1948, with temperatures 0.7° C above normal (based on preliminary data). Most of the country experienced temperatures within one degree below and above normal, with only the high Arctic and Great Lakes areas having temperatures more than 1° C above normal. The warmest autumn in Canada was recorded in 1998, with temperatures at 2.3° C above normal. The coolest autumn was recorded in 1986, with temperatures 1.8° C below normal.The climate region in Canada with the highest ranked above-normal temperature this autumn was recorded in the region covering southern Ontario and Quebec (+1.4° C, 5th warmest). Nationally averaged seasonal temperatures have been at or above normal for more than 10 years.Overall, this autumn was the 12th wettest on record in Canada, with precipitation at 9.7% above normal. There was considerable variation in regional amounts, both wetter and drier than the national average. The wettest autumn was in 1981, with precipitation 24.1% above normal. The driest autumn was in 1976 with precipitation 20.3% below average. The climate region covering most of the Northwest Territories (29.1% above normal) and the region covering northern Ontario and Quebec (22.4% above normal) both experienced their 4th wettest autumns. Because weather conditions can vary greatly from one year to the next due to natural variability, it is difficult to attribute this past season's weather to a specific cause. However, the warmer and wetter than normal conditions are consistent with the types of changes that are expected to occur in the Canadian Climate as a result of global human-induced climate change.Related Document: The Climate Trends and Variations BulletinFor more information, please contact:Environment CanadaMedia Relations(819) 934-80081-888-908-8008Robert WhitewoodClimatologistClimate Data and Analysis(416) 739-4378
