Lost Winter in Canada

The report finds that climate change is significantly increasing the number of 'lost winter days' (days above freezing) across Canada, with some regions seeing an additional week of such days annually. The analysis highlights specific impacts in provinces like Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, and major cities including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, noting consequences for snow accumulation, ice coverage, and winter industries.

• Climate change, primarily driven by the combustion of oil, coal, and methane gas, is causing a significant increase in 'lost winter days'—days where temperatures remain above freezing during the winter months of December, January, and February.
• Between 2014 and 2023, approximately 20% of analyzed Canadian regions (58 out of 289) experienced at least one additional week of winter days above freezing per year compared to a scenario without climate change. These regions are located in Québec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia.
• On average, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are the provinces that saw the highest number of additional days above freezing each year due to climate change, averaging about one week.
• Major Canadian cities have seen annual increases in days above freezing due to climate change, with Vancouver experiencing the highest increase among the listed cities at 19 additional days, followed by Toronto (13), Montreal (6), and Calgary (5).
• The increase in winter temperatures negatively impacts snow accumulation and ice coverage, which creates significant consequences for ecosystems and the winter sports and activities industry.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Lost Winter in Canada. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/2X9KOKnk37MAvWfxGQY9qt/4491666931b126e3422d09fd52680345/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Canada_Report_December_2024.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. Lost Winter in Canada. 2024. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/2X9KOKnk37MAvWfxGQY9qt/4491666931b126e3422d09fd52680345/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Canada_Report_December_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Lost Winter in Canada |date=December 2024 |url=https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/2X9KOKnk37MAvWfxGQY9qt/4491666931b126e3422d09fd52680345/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Canada_Report_December_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024lost, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Lost Winter in Canada}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/2X9KOKnk37MAvWfxGQY9qt/4491666931b126e3422d09fd52680345/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Canada_Report_December_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }