Environment and Climate Change Canada - Website Weather Links

The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) website weather forecast for Comox has changed (they used to indicate how much precipitation received on the previous day). ECCC advises:

On August 22, 2024, the Meteorological Service of Canada released an update that expanded the number of accessible forecast locations on our web site from 800 to over 10,000. Previous location pages contained a section of historical climate data of a station nearby. Due to limited climate stations in Canada, it was impossible to link 10,000 location pages to single climate stations. As part of the new release, that data has been omitted and replaced by an existing link to the database itself. So, now, you must search for the data that was previously posted in the yesterday’s data section in our climate archives.

Here is the link to the Comox climate data. And here is a link to their user guidethat will give you all the information you need to search for climate data on their website.

This climate data is actually more helpful than what they offered before, because it includes information on heat degree days, cool degree days, and other useful information for the really keen gardener. All that we need to know to grow spectacular gardens!

This particular link is to climate data provided by the Department of National Defence (DND), so from the Comox airport area. As there are micro-climates in the Comox Valley, DND records will not necessarily reflect what you experience where you live and garden. For example, the Huband Road temperatures are usually 5 degrees warmer in the summer and 5 degrees cooler in the winter than what is recorded at the Comox airport. This is because the airport is sitting on a peninsula in the Salish Sea. And, the Salish Sea moderates the weather at the airport and generally for the whole Comox peninsula.

If searching on “Nearby Stations with Data”, “Courtenay Grantham”, a Cooperative Climate Network (CCN) will appear. ECCC advises that this is like a public outreach program, where farmers and weather enthusiasts in the area who have certain types of equipment can enter their data. So, like a “Citizen Science” initiative where data may not be as accurate as a formal climate station, like DND. But, it still offers some useful information for the greater area of the Comox Valley.

1 Like

a simple $5.00 rain guage from Canadian Tire wouldcgive you the result much more accurately. I have several years of rain recorded this way.

1 Like

I hate the concept of providing Env Canada with free data when they turn around and make money on it. Happy 5o share with other members of the Society though.

1 Like