Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin

Temperature & Precipitation in Historical Perspective

Annual 2005

National Temperature

The 2005 national average temperature was 1.7°C above normal, based on preliminary data. This ranks 2005 tied for third warmest, since nationwide records began in 1948, along with 2001 and 1999. The map to the right shows that all of Canada experienced above normal temperatures, with most of the country at least 1°C above normal and the southwest edge of the Yukon Territories 3°C above normal. With the exception of the springs of 2002 and 2004, seasonal temperatures have remained above normal for more than 8 years, as shown in the consecutive seasons graph.

The graph to the left shows that annual temperatures have generally been increasing nationally, with temperatures remaining above normal for the last 9 years. The red dashed line represents a warming trend of 1.2°C over the last 58 years. Listed in the national warmest/coolest temperature table are the ten coolest and warmest years for the entire country. This table shows that 1998 (+2.5°C) was the warmest year, and 1972 (-1.8°C) was the coolest. The national temperature departures table shows the full list of years in the order from warmest to coolest, and shows that 6 of the warmest 10 years have occurred within the last 10 years.

National Precipitation

Overall, Canada experienced its wettest year on record in 2005, 13.4% above normal, based on preliminary data.   The map to the right shows that most of the country was wetter than normal, with most of Yukon; some of the southern Northwest Territories; most of Nunavut; southwest coast of B.C.; southern Alberta; most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba; the extreme north of Quebec; and the western part of Nova Scotia experienced at least 20% more precipitation than normal. The main areas which experienced precipitation at least 20% below normal were: along the west coast of B.C.; the eastern edge of B.C. and the western edge of Alberta.

It should be noted that "normal" precipitation in northern Canada is generally much less than it is in southern Canada, and hence a percent departure in the north represents much less difference in actual precipitation than the same percentage in the south. The national precipitation rankings are therefore often skewed by the northern departures and do not represent rankings for the volume of water falling on the country.

The graph to the left shows that the last four years have been wetter than normal and that since 1973 only 3 annual values have been drier than normal. As shown in the national precipitation wettest/driest table, the second wettest year was 1996 (+9.1%) and the driest was 1956 (-7.3%).  The national precipitation departures table shows the full list of annual precipitation values in order from wettest to driest.  The last 5 seasons have been wetter than normal, as shown in the consecutive seasons graph.

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