(Montreal) Ground snow cover on the last day of 2023 is below seasonal norms, says Environment Canada.
In the table published in the Federal Organization X, it is noted that there is simply no snow in Montreal and Quebec, while the average snow on the ground is ten centimeters and 34 centimeters respectively in these cities.
On December 31, a snow carpet of 5 cm was covered on September 31, but it was 31 cm according to seasonal norms. Environment Canada reported snowfall significantly below seasonal norms in Gaspé and Bagotville, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
However, these data do not represent a record, notes Environment Canada meteorologist Gregory Yang.
“For Montreal, for example, we've had a green Christmas six times in the last ten years,” he explains in an interview. For Quebec, it's a little rarer. The last time there was no snow on the ground on December 25 was in 2015.
And further north is a town in the province, which he says has a green Christmas.
The averages published by Environment Canada were calculated using data collected between 1981 and 2010, Mr. Yang says. Next year, the agency will receive new data collected between 1991 and 2010 that will allow it to see whether climate change has had an impact on the average snow-covered season in recent years.
For the time being, Yang suspects the new data will mean the amount of snow will be lower than the previous average.
While it's not yet clear whether climate change will reduce snowfall in the coming winters, meteorologists believe we can expect unpredictable winters.
“With global warming, it's not necessarily warmer in the future, we may still reach extremes,” said Mr. Tang explains.
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