The Canadian Press – Extreme drought makes cattle farmers thin herds, could cause future supply problems
The Canadian Press covers how extreme weather events caused by climate change are impacting cattle farmers and their herds. These weather events, such as drought, flooding or wildfires, are pushing cattle farmers to thin out their herds. Normally, this would happen every few years but at this point, farmers have had to thin their herds several years in a row.
Global News – ‘Incredibly destructive’: Canada’s Prairies to see devastating impact of climate change
A 2021 article published in Global News discusses the consequences of climate change on the Prairies. Paradoxically, climate change is likely to cause both water scarcity (drought) and excess (flooding) throughout the region. While the Prairies are expected to have a net increase in total precipitation, the timing of the rains are less likely to align with crop requirements and will fall in shorter, extreme events.
Los Angeles Times – Colorado River crisis is so bad, lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes
Lakes Mead and Powell are some of America’s largest reservoirs and are relied on for both agricultural water supply and hydroelectric energy generation. A new article by the Los Angeles Times discusses the effect that climate change and increased water demand are having on the water levels in these important reservoirs.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Future snow changes over the Columbia Mountains, Canada, using a distributed snow model
This paper investigates climate change impacts on snow depth using a distributed snow model called SnowModel. Snowmelt is an essential water source for communities, and seasonal snow accumulation in many regions is decreasing with each passing year
CBC News – Slush, snow delay ice fishing season at Petrie Island
CBC News discusses the impact that the warmer winter season is having on ice fishing. The Petrie Island marina, a small fishing village in Ottawa’s east end, is seeing shockingly low numbers of fishers due to unreliable ice conditions.
CMOS BULLETIN - Bias Correcting Surface Snow Water Equivalent Estimates using Machine Learning
Snow is a critical contributor to Ontario's water-energy budget, with impacts on water resource management and flood forecasting. Snowmelt-derived flooding has become increasingly problematic across much of Canada in recent decades as global temperatures continue to rise. This article discusses a snow-melt bias correction method developed by Dr. Fraser King and other C1W collaborators.
CBC News - 2022 was another record hot year. Experts say we must prepare for more climate-related disasters
A new report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that we’ve just had the warmest 8-year stretch in recorded history for the globe, and there are of course local impacts affecting communities across Canada.
Clearing the path to project snow on a continental scale
Precipitation is crucial to any climate model — and in Canada that often means snow. While snow can be modelled accurately on small scales with good weather data, projecting its effects continent-wide and far into the future is a whole other story. Senior Climate Scientist Andre Erler and his team are solving the puzzle by coupling innovative bias correction with climate projections to enable Canada1Water’s long-term view.