Climate zones in Canada, 1991 to 2020
Share of Canada's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 24,166,255 map cells used cover 99% of the country's outline (about 9,835,431 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 80%, E (polar) 19%, B (arid) 0.9%, C (temperate) 0.7%.
Canada has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Dfc (subarctic (boreal)), covers only 47% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Dfb (27%) and ET (18%). 4 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, subarctic (boreal) means long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 38% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Dfb (warm-summer humid continental). The most common zone would then be Dfb (warm-summer humid continental).
How Canada's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 23% | 5.9% | Dfb +10.9 percentage points | Dfc -7.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 24% | 6.5% | Dfb +11.8 percentage points | Dfc -7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 38% | 10% | Dfb +15.4 percentage points | Dfc -11.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 71% | 16% | Dfa +22.2 percentage points | Dfc -21.7 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 54% | 47% | 40% | 35% | 25% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 16% | 27% | 39% | 42% | 33% |
| ET Tundra | 23% | 18% | 12% | 9.3% | 6.3% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 4.3% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.4% | 4.1% | 23% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1% | 2.5% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 0.3% | 0.2% | - | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | - | - | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | - | - | - | - | 0.2% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | - | - | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Canada and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Montréal | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Calgary | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental |
| Ottawa | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Edmonton | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental |
| Winnipeg | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Mississauga | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Vancouver | Cfb Temperate oceanic | Cfb Temperate oceanic |
| Brampton | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
Zones found in Canada
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Dfc. See data sources and licences.