Global temperatures in 2016 have reached a peak high of 0.8 degrees Celsius above their level in the period between 1961 and 1990. This is the second year in a row to produce record global temperatures – although there isn’t a significant increase from 2015, according to the study authors. Warmer global temperatures in 2016 […]
Tag: weather
Winter driving must become safer
An editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal calls for improving winter road maintenance and safety to decrease the number of deaths due to winter driving in Canada. The authors recommend: Improving road maintenance standards, and tailoring maintenance to local conditions. Government oversight of road service companies to ensure adherence to regulations. Legislation requiring […]
Cloudy skies are enhancing ice sheet melt
Cloudy night skies are enhancing the ice sheet melt in Greenland by more than 30 per cent each year, according to a new study. Researchers believe this shows the need for including accurate cloud representations in climate modelling. The research team examined the effects of different types of clouds, such as “ice-only” or “liquid-bearing”. They […]
Need your umbrella? The history, and future, of weather prediction
Today’s weather forecasts are able to accurately predict the weather an extra day in advance, compared to a decade ago. The authors write that every decade has provided another day of accurate prediction to the weather forecasts; they believe that today’s 6-day forecast is as accurate as a 5-day forecast 10 years ago. In this […]
Arctic warming linked to cold winters in North America
Warming in certain areas of the Arctic can cause cold winters in North America and Asia according to climate model simulations. Researchers believe the findings may help improve the prediction of winter weather and extreme events in North America and East Asia. The results suggest that atypical warming in the Arctic Barents-Kara Sea precedes severe […]
Polar vortex linked to Arctic sea-ice loss
The loss of Arctic sea-ice may be responsible for the weakened polar vortex and cold Northern Hemisphere winters observed in recent years, a new study shows. The researchers conducted observational analyses and model experiments to reveal a link between Arctic sea-ice loss and polar atmospheric circulation. Researchers showed that decreased sea-ice cover during November and December […]
Overestimation of Antarctic sea ice expansion
A new study says that the measured expansion of sea ice in the Antarctic may be due to an error in the way satellite data is processed as recent observations show the ice is actually retreating. Comparing past and present datasets revealed a difference between the two records. The current data shows much faster sea ice expansion […]
Tree ring data traces eastern Canada’s ‘Little Ice Age’
New data from trees preserved in lakes in the Taiga of northern Quebec show that eastern Canada experienced much colder than usual summers following distant volcanic eruptions in the 13th century, and again in the 19th century. The so-called ‘Little Ice Age’ is well-documented in the historical and tree ring records worldwide, but the strength […]
Should we pay more attention to El Niño?
While farmers already watch El Niño closely, doctors could stand to pay more attention, according to a new analysis. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a periodic warming and cooling of Pacific waters that has a significant impact on year-to-year variation in temperatures, rainfall, etc. In recent decades, it’s become possible to predict the […]
A hurricane by any other name…
Severe hurricanes with feminine-sounding names killed more Americans than similarly severe hurricanes with male names, a new study shows. The authors reached this conclusion after asking independent volunteers to rate the masculinity (e.g. Ivan) or femininity (e.g. Cindy) of 94 hurricanes that made landfall in the US between 1950 and 2012 and matching this with […]
Warblers limited by winds during migration
A new study shows that survival and productivity of the yellow warbler depends most strongly the weather conditions during migration, rather that those in its breeding or wintering grounds. Researchers banded and monitored 380 of the tiny songbirds, which which breed in western Canada and overwinter in Mexico and Central America, over seven breeding seasons. […]
Why climate change is drying out Australia while Antarctica resists the warming trend
By developing a 1,000-year history of wind currents over the Southern Ocean, an Australian-led research has discovered the answers to two climate change-related mysteries. Firstly, why southern Australia is drying out, and secondly, why Antarctica isn’t warming as much as the rest of the planet. Their work shows that the winds encircling Antarctica have sped […]
Iceberg risk greater today than the in the year of the Titanic
A new study has found that the number of icebergs is on the rise in recent years. As the polar ice sheets are shrinking, the number of icebergs is increasing. It is becoming more likely that these icebergs will make it as far south as Newfoundland. The study also claims that the risk of coming […]
Atlantic temperatures could help explain colder winters
The extreme cold weather observed across Europe and the east coast of the US in recent winters could be partly due to a natural, long-term pattern of warming and cooling Atlantic waters, known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Earth scientists have shown a connection between this pattern and changes in atmospheric circulation that allow […]
Canadian comments on WMO data for 2010 | Webinar recording
Canadian Reaction to WMO 2010 Global Climate Data – Thursday, Dec 2, 2010 The SMCC held a briefing on the World Meteorological Organization weather and climate data release held December 2, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.
