TORONTO, Ontario, August 23, 2005 -- A new study of who’s tops and who’s not in Canadian weather
has now been completed by Environment Canada’s senior climatologist
David Phillips.
This study analyzes Canada’s 13 provinces and territories using over
30 years of weather data, ranking them in 70 weather categories. “Some
of the results will be sure to surprise you,” said David Phillips, author
of the study.
This analysis is a follow-up to the highly popular Weather Winners study that
compared 100 largest cities in Canada in over 70 similar weather categories,
released in 2003. Likewise, this new study of the provinces and territories
provides a wealth of information, which will not only make for interesting
dinner conversations and provide bragging points for provincial and territorial
governments but will also be useful to industry, the tourism and recreation
sector and for those seeking weather havens for retirement or health purposes.
Hightlights:
Nunavut came in first the most times in the 70 weather categories,
followed by Nova Scotia and then Newfoundland and Labrador.
Alberta is the province with the most comfortable weather overall, while
Nunavut has the toughest weather, followed by Quebec.
Ontario has the most thunderstorm days and is also the province for “all
seasons” where weather-wise, they get a bit of everything!
Nova Scotia is the province with the most foggy days and is the wettest.
Saskatchewan is the sunniest province year round, but New Brunswick has
the sunniest winters.
Quebec has the most snow days where British
Columbia has the fewest snow days annually and the warmest springs.
Ontario does not have the hottest summer, but it’s no mystery that
Nunavut has the coldest winters, followed by the Northwest Territories
and the Yukon
Territory.
Prince Edward Island has the most freezing rain days and the most humid
summers.
Manitoba has the clearest skies year-round.
To find out more regarding which province or territory can lay claim to being
the windiest, the wettest, having the warmest summer or coldest weather year
round, visit the Weather Winners website at: http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/provincial-territorial-home-e.html
The data used for this study comes from Environment Canada’s National
Climate Data and Information Archive website. This website consists of a collection
of over 200 million weather observations from over 7,000 sites, some dating
as far back as 1840: http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/Welcome_e.html
For more information about Environment Canada’s Meteorological Weather
Service and to obtain the latest weather forecasts and severe weather warnings,
please visit: http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html.
For more information, please contact:
David Phillips
Senior Climatologist
Environment Canada
(416) 739-4316
