Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 boulevard St-Joseph K1A 0H3 Gatineau, QC, Canada

This Saturday, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., turn off your lights during #EarthHour! Join Canadians across the country, and billions of people around the world, in a call for global commitments and efforts to tackle climate change. We can collectively and symbolically reduce our energy consumption by switching off our lights for ONLY ONE HOUR on Saturday evening. More importantly, we can increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature and combatting the cli...mate crisis. This year marks the first-ever Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight. In addition to switching off our lights, we are also invited to raise awareness and create the same unmissable sight online, so that the world sees our planet, the issues we face, and our place within it, in a new light. Starting as a symbolic lights-out event in 2007, Earth Hour is now the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring people to make a statement about helping find new ways to reduce the impact on the environment. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory.

Ever heard of an ice arch? It is a bottleneck of ice that prevents other pieces of ice from entering a strait or other body of water. They are common on the north facing coast of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and between the northern tip of Ellesmere Island and Greenland. This is where we can find the world’s oldest and thickest sea ice, which is critical to the survival of polar bears, seals, and other wildlife. In 2019, Canada designated this area the Tuvaijuittuq Mari...ne Protected Area, also referred to as The Last Ice Area. The name Tuvaijuittuq means the place where the ice never melts in Inuktitut. The rapid and alarming warming of the Arctic and the resulting decline in Arctic ice means that these ice arches are not lasting as long each winter as they have been, thus failing to protect the old and thick ice from escaping into the warmer Atlantic Ocean and melting. 2017 disintegration of ice arch. By April, satellite imagery was showing the breakup the ice pack behind the ice arch. By May, sea ice was flowing freely through Nares Strait. Credit: NASA. Canada’s changing snow and ice: https://changingclimate.ca/CCCR2/chapter/executive-summary/

Today is OUR day! Let’s celebrate with us! We have come a long way since the early days, when railway agents affixed large metal discs (the shape depended on the forecast) to passing trains to warn farmers in fields of approaching weather systems!

When we say, spring is in the air what exactly are we referring to? What does spring smell like? As daytime temperatures rise and melting water flows, the scent of thawing earth and all its associated organic matter hits the air. Dead plants, leaves, insects, worms and other organic compounds that were buried under snow during the winter, start to thaw, decay and release odorous compounds. The damp ground releases these odours and that earthy smell you recognize is, in ...fact, the scent of soil bacteria! The revival of trees following the winter period of dormancy also releases more spring scents. This smell is actually that of tree sap, as it starts to flow through the trunks and bark. These rich, vegetative odours, although at times pungent, are the smell of life and of seasonal change. One of the most welcome springtime scents is the sweet fragrance of blossoming buds and flowers. These perfumes indicate that spring is in full bloom and that summer smells namely fresh cut grass is right around the corner! Go outside and inhale what does it smell like? Can you smell spring in the air? credit: Creative Commons - Larissa Veloso

Today we celebrate #WorldWaterDay! This year’s theme, Valuing water is about what water means to us. For Dr. Ram Yerubandi, who has been working with us for 22 years, it means protecting and conserving of our lakes and watersheds.... Learn more : https://www.canada.ca//people-canada-we/ram-yerubandi.html #WeatherFamily #PeopleOfCanadasWeatherService

Should we expect warmer or colder temperature for April? Well, it depends on where you live! It should be on average - colder than normal throughout much of the western half of Canada, while southern Saskatchewan, much of Manitoba and all areas east should experience average temperatures above normal in April. Note: This is a prediction of the mean daily temperature at 2 metres (i.e. at standard temperature observation height). It is not a forecast of the maximum nor of the minimum daily temperature.

Happy #AprilFoolsDay! Today, let’s look at some clever and amusing weather pranks from around the world! PASTA GROWS ON TREES On April 1, 1957, the BBC TV show "Panorama" reported that, due to a mild winter, Swiss farmers had enjoyed a bumper spaghetti crop. The show proceeded to show long strings of pasta being plucked from orchards of tree branches. Many Brits believed the story and wanted to know how they could grow their very own spaghetti tree! To our British friends’ de...fence, we should note that spaghetti was a relatively unknown commodity in the United Kingdom at the time! THE BRITISH WEATHER MACHINE In 1981, the newspaper, The Guardian reported that scientists at Britain's research labs in Pershore, England, had developed a weather machine. A full page of articles explained that, "Britain will gain the immediate benefit of long summers, with rainfall only at night, and the Continent will have whatever Pershore decides to send it." THE WIND MADE US LOSE A DAY In 2004, the US scientific magazine Nature reported that increasing force of trade winds had slightly accelerated the spin of the Earth! This in turn had created a decreased day length, meaning that our calendars needed adjusting. "Just as February has an extra day in leap years, we conclude that March ought to have 30 days once every 100 years, not 31 If we start the adjustments this year we should be back on track." In other words, "today should be 2 April, not 1 April." THE POLAR VORTEX INSURANCE In 2019, The Alberta Motor Association here in Canada, announced that if the temperature in the province drops below -25C for more than 14 consecutive days, polar vortex policyholders would be sent on a tropical vacation!

Today, after 52 years of working with us, Bill Appleby, one of our longest serving members is retiring. For more than half a century, he has been part of our constantly evolving suite of weather services. THE NEXT FIVE YEARS In the next 5 years, I see our weather service producing geo-referenced (highly localized) forecasts for anywhere in Canada. The long range and seasonal forecasts will continue to improve, giving us the ability to do more precise planning for our time ou...tdoors. Our meteorologists will also become consultants, providing guidance and insight for the more complex and threatening weather, air quality, and ice issues. Finally, I hope my dream of street level Health and Air Quality forecasts will become a reality! Bill, we’ll do our best to make this happen! We all wish you the very best... don’t forget that happiness is a warm front (and a cold behind!). #PeopleOfCanadasWeatherService #WeatherFamily Learn more on Bill Appleby: https://www.canada.ca//people-canada-wea/bill-appleby.html

#DYK that our website is the most visited Government of Canada website with, on average, over HALF A BILLION visits per year? We recently made some improvements to our radar maps, introducing a new composite style map that comes with extra functionalities: Precipitation rates via a single mouse click;... Various colour tables to display different types of precipitation (i.e. rain versus snow); The transparency of the precipitation shown making it easier to see place names beneath or under the precipitation; A wider variety of base maps; and An overlay displaying radar outages and/or areas of no network coverage. Check it out https://weather.gc.ca/map_e.html?layers=radar

A little bit of #science today Most of us use the word heat to mean something that feels warm, but science defines it as THE TRANSFER OF ENERGY from a warm object to a cooler object. The primary heat source for our planet is the Sun. Energy from the Sun travels through space and through the atmosphere to then reach the Earth's surface. ... It is the transfer of heat from the Sun that drives our weather and climate, and also creates winds! Learn more on our climate system: https://www.canada.ca///climate-change/climate-system.html Heat transfer in the atmosphere. Credit: NOAA/National Weather Service

On November 18, 1929 one of the deadliest tsunami in Canada’s history happened after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred near the Grand Banks, triggering a tsunami that struck Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula. In Canada, we distribute alerts issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center: TSUNAMI WATCH: early alert issued to areas at risk of being impacted by a tsunami.... TSUNAMI ADVISORY: a tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves is imminent, expected, or occurring. It is dangerous to those in or very near the water. TSUNAMI WARNING: a tsunami is imminent, expected, or occurring and coastal locations in the warned area should expect widespread flooding. Quick tips on what to do in case of a tsunami alert: https://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/in/tsunami-en.php

Are you curious about the type of climate your grandparents lived in compared to the one you live in now? Do you worry about the impact we’re having on the climate that we’ll leave behind for our children? Join David Phillips, our senior climatologist, on November 17 at 7:00 p.m. EST as he discusses our changing climate and what it all means. Please register in advance for this session: https://cmos.ca/company/roster/companyRosterDetails.html

Most of us are familiar with meteorologists’ traditional task of providing weather forecast and alerts. #DYI that some of our meteorologists do very different work? MEET KAREN KILCUP!... Karen is a meteorologist who works on updating the Intensity Duration Frequency statistics. These statistics provide guidance on the likelihood (or probability) of extreme rainfall amounts at locations across the country. Her work assists the construction industry with the design of buildings, roads and other structures like drainage systems that need to handle heavy rainfall, to help reduce the chance of flooding and related damage. It is also useful after an extreme rainfall event to determine how unusual or rare it was. The Intensity Duration Frequency statistics are updated every few years with the next update scheduled for spring 2021. Karen, working from her office in Dartmouth, NS . Road washout in Oxford, NS in September 2019.

Lest we forget Let’s all take time to honour the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peaceespecially those who did not return. This year commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. ... #DYK that the invasion of France was originally scheduled for June 5, 1944? General Dwight D. Eisenhower had a precise meteorological wish list for the landing: a full moon, to allow soldiers to see, avoid, and disarm the mined obstacles that the Germans had placed in the surf; a low tide, to allow the boats to land as close to the shoreline as possible and to give easier access to the beaches; and a little cloud cover, light winds, and low seas for an easy, quiet voyage across the English Channel. He was told there would be a full moon and low tide on June 5, 6, or 7th. 150,000-allied soldiers started to prepare to storm the five beaches of Normandy, France on June 5, 1944. However, allied teams of meteorologists, led by chief meteorologist Group Captain James Martin Stagg, predicted bad weather on June 5. The operation was put on hold. That night thousands of troops remained on their landing craft in English harbours, or just offshore. Then on the early morning of June 5, the pressure started rising in the mid-Atlantic. A break in the weather was building. Early in the morning of June 6, the invasion began. At the end of the day, under a partly sunny sky, 15 C with a moderate breeze of 10-11 knots, the Allies took a firm hold on the beaches. Learn more on The most important weather forecast of all time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK_8w7q9IkQ #CanadaRemembers : Unidentified Canadian Soldiers landing on Juno Beach in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 1944. Source: Library and Archives Canada

Life on Venus? Scientists have just discovered a gas called phosphine in Venus atmosphere. A phosphine molecule looks like a pyramid: one atom of phosphorus topping a base of three hydrogen atoms. Immense heat and pressure are needed to force the phosphorus and hydrogen atoms together to form the phosphine molecule.... On planets like Earth and Venus, there is not enough naturally occurring atmospheric energy to produce copious amounts of phosphine. It can, however, be created by anaerobic life (i.e. existing in the absence of oxygen), or microbial organisms that don’t require or use oxygen to live. If phosphine really is floating through the Venusian cloud deck, its presence suggests one of two intriguing possibilities: that alien life-forms are deftly linking together phosphorus and hydrogen atoms, or that some completely unanticipated chemistry is crafting phosphine in the absence of life! The image below shows Venus and the phosphine (PH3) detected in the atmosphere. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/L. Calçada & NASA/JPL/Caltech.

WHAT IS THE FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURE? Our feels like temperature takes into account wind speeds and humidity to assess how the human body actually feels temperature. For example when the air temperature drops below 0C, any ambient wind can make conditions feel colder than the measured (or true air) temperature would indicate. In this case, the ‘feels like’ temperature is known as wind chill. ... Conversely, high humidity in the summer can feel uncomfortably hotter than the air temperature would suggest. In this case, the feels like temperature is known as the humidex reading. Our forecasts indicate ‘feels like’ temperatures only when the air temperature is at or below 0C (as wind chill) or at or above 25C (as humidex). TOP 5 CANADIAN CITIES WITH THE MOST HIGH WIND CHILL DAYS (-30 OR LESS): 1. Yellowknife, NT: 101.27 days 2. Thompson, MB: 83.25 days 3. Brandon, MB: 49.73 days 4. Winnipeg, MB: 48.98 days 5. Yorkton, SK: 47.79 days More on wind chill: https://www.canada.ca//wind-chill-c/wind-chill-index.html

We’ve all seen videos of empty streets and quiet cities due to COVID-19 lockdown, but did it have an effect on air pollution? For the first time, using data fro...m satellite instruments (including Canada’s MOPITT), a team led by NASA scientists demonstrated that the lockdown in China reduced the impact of air pollution on human health. They estimated 60,000 fewer cases of respiratory diseases related to air pollution, mainly asthma. Learn more: http://ow.ly/uauh50CmY7G. See more