Library of climate resources

This is a collection of links to climate datasets, tools, guidance and related resources. The sources include the federal government, provincial and territorial governments, national professional organizations, climate consortia and established international organizations. It can be useful for impact, vulnerability and risk assessments, and for adaptation planning.

Refine your search using the search filters. You can also type up to 5 keywords in the search bar.

Explanation of the different resource types
  • data product - downloadable climate dataset
  • tool - builds on a dataset with further analyses and/or visualization
  • guidance - provides direction on the use of climate information or on conducting climate-related assessments
  • codes and standards - guidance and best practice documents for climate resilient design
  • additional resources include educational and awareness-raising material, impact assessments and scientific syntheses

Showing 1 - 10 of 22 results
  • An inventory of historical climate data and climate projections for the Canadian North (Opens in a new Window)

    This collaborative report presents the work done by the Northern Climate Data Working Group Phase I, which was created in December 2020 by the Canadian Centre for Climate Services with researchers and scientists from a wide range of universities and organizations. The report constitutes a large inventory of datasets that can be useful for future development of climate products to support climate-change adaptation decision-making in the Canadian North. Datasets for meteorological, snow, hydrology, sea ice, and permafrost variables were analyzed for the historical period and for future projections. The main information is presented in the form of tables with links to websites and descriptive documents, many of which are attached as annexes. The Phase II of the Working Group has transformed the inventory presented in this report into an online searchable database (https://nordata.physics.utoronto.ca/en/) A PDF copy of this report is available upon request. Please contact Emilia.Diaconescu@ec.gc.ca if interested.
    Organization:
    Government of Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, CSA Group, Government of Northwest Territories, Ouranos, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, Yukon University Research Centre
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Scientific synthesis
    • Tool

    Arctic Portal (Opens in a new Window)

    The Arctic Portal is a comprehensive gateway to Arctic information and data on the internet, increasing information sharing and co-operation among Arctic stakeholders and granting exposure to Arctic related information and data. The interactive map allows user to select and view specific layers of climate variables, including boreholes, permafrost classification, permafrost extent, details on the active layer, sea ice extent, and historical climate. Additionally, static maps of sea ice, flora and fauna are available for download.
    Organization:
    Arctic Council
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Mapped
    • Tool

    Canadian Cryospheric Information Network (Opens in a new Window)

    Canadian Cryospheric Information Network (CCIN) provides information on measuring, modeling, and understanding the relationships between the cryosphere and the Earth's climate system. It contains data visualizations of current and historical snow water equivalent, sea ice thickness, and current and historical lake ice cover. Historical and future data are available as point and gridded data.
    Organization:
    Canadian Cryosphere Information Network, University of Waterloo
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Impact assessment
    • Scientific synthesis
    • Graphical
    • Mapped
    • Tool

    Climate Atlas of Canada (Opens in a new Window)

    The Climate Atlas of Canada is an interactive tool developed for users to learn about climate change in Canada. It combines climate science, mapping and storytelling. The primary source of climate model data presented in maps, charts and tables is the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. Statistically downscaled data was derived from 12 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models for two emissions scenarios: Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. For comparative purposes, observed data are included in all time-series graphs for the period 1950-2005. The source of the observed data used in the Atlas is Natural Resources Canada.
    Organization:
    Prairie Climate Centre
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Graphical
    • Mapped
    • Tool
    • Educational and awareness-raising material

    Climate Indices (Opens in a new Window)

    Climate Indices includes time series, seasonal, and annual data for a number of variables including sea & air temperature, salinity, runoff, flow, ice coverage, iceberg count, and North Atlantic Oscillation Index. Data are observed or observation-based, and are available in a variety of temporal resolutions and historical periods, depending on the variable of interest. Data are available in tabular and graphical formats.
    Organization:
    Government of Canada: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Graphical

    ClimateNA_Map (Opens in a new Window)

    ClimateNA extracts and downscales PRISM 1971-2000 monthly climate normal data and monthly solar radiation normal data (4km x 4km) to scale-free point locations in North America, and calculates seasonal and annual climate variables for specific locations based on latitude, longitude and elevation (optional). Climate projections are available for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 under climate models for the 2025, 2055, and 2085 time periods. Data are spatially projected onto a map, and could be appended onto a CSV file for download.
    Organization:
    University of British Columbia
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Mapped
    • Tool

    Current and projected climate data for North America (CMIP6 scenarios) (Opens in a new Window)

    AdaptWest provides modelled climate projections generated using the ClimateNA software, downscaled from the Coupled Climate Model Comparison Phase 6 (CMIP6) database. Variables include mean and extreme estimates of temperature and precipitation, growing and cooling degree days, snowfall, evapotranspiration, and drought indices. Data are available from individual models or a 15-model ensemble at a 1km resolution for North America as well as individual states and provinces to a horizon year of 2050, available for download in grid or tabular formats.
    Organization:
    Conservation Biology Institute
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Mapped

    Data at NSIDC (Opens in a new Window)

    Data at National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is a large repository of datasets that describe historical cryosphere information. Datasets available include temperature, glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, sea ice, sea moisture, and snow. Historical data are available as point and gridded data.
    Organization:
    National Snow and Ice Data Center
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Mapped

    Design Value Explorer (Opens in a new Window)

    PCIC’s Design Value Explorer (DVE) enables users to access historical climatic design variables across Canada, in either map or table form, examine projected future change in design variables, and download maps and tables. Climatic design values are used by engineers to determine some elements of the environment that buildings and other infrastructure may be exposed to. This information was produced by PCIC, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the National Research Council, to support updates to the National Building Code of Canada (2015, Table C-2) and the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC/ CSA S6 2014, Annex A3.1).
    Organization:
    Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Interactive
    • Mapped
    • Tool
    • Vulnerability or risk assessment
    • Adaptation planning

    Engineering Climate Data Sets (Opens in a new Window)

    Engineering Climate Datasets contain: Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Files, the Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Datasets (CWEEDS) and the Canadian Weather Year for Energy Calculation (CWEC) dataset. The IDF dataset contains short duration rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) statistics. Data are presented as tables and graphs for various locations across Canada. CWEEDS provides hourly and long-term weather conditions at monitoring stations across Canada with at least 10 years of records between 1998 and 2014. CWEC datasets contain 12 calculated "Typical Meteorological Months" selected from a 30 years of records, including daily global radiation, dry-bulb temperature, dew-point temperature and wind speed.
    Organization:
    Government of Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada
    Resource formats:
    • Data files
    • Graphical


As mentioned in the Terms and Conditions of this website, links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are offered on an “AS IS” basis and are provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content of such websites. The Government of Canada does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible nor liable for the information found through these links, and does not endorse the sites nor their content. Visitors should also be aware that the information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language (s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-government websites before providing personal information.

More resources from the Canadian Centre for Climate Services

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