Portrait of Snow Cover Indices
This project will facilitate access to historic and future snow cover data across Quebec at a resolution in the order of 10 km. Users and decision-makers from a multitude of sectors will enjoy a broader range of climate information to integrate into their adaptation plans.
Project details
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Context
Access to climate projections of snow on the ground and the resulting indices has aroused the interest of Ouranos’ partners and many users for a long time. Recently, an agreement between the Quebec Ski Area Association and Ouranos led to the development of this project in order to meet the needs of alpine ski resorts across Quebec. To make this project transversal and useful for different industries and sectors, the climate indices of snow on the ground that were considered were calculated for the entirety of Quebec.
Objective(s)
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To develop indices of snow on the ground specifically for ski facilities in Quebec, which can be useful to users from other industries and sectors
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To produce a climate portrait of post-processed historical and future indices of snow on the ground throughout Quebec
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To make the information available on the Ouranos Climate Portraits website and on PAVICS thereafter
Un mandat de soutien à l'adaptation aux changements climatiques dans le secteur touristique québécois a été confié par le ministère du Tourisme à Ouranos. Il permettra l'accompagnement des partenaires dans l’expérimentation de solutions innovantes pour favoriser le développement d'une industrie touristique résiliente.
Methodology
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Production of climate scenarios using existing practices:
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Selection of a reference grid-based database using observations taken at ski facilities for validation
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Selection of a post-processing method adapted to indices of snow on the ground (taking into account the seasonality of snow, in particular)
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Selection of a set of regional simulations that consistently reproduce the characteristics of seasonality and maximal snow on the ground
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Development of indices of snow on the ground
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Calculation and post-processing of the indices
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Post-processed indices of snow on the ground put into the appropriate formats for availability on the Ouranos Climate Portraits site and on PAVICS thereafter
Expected results
This project will provide a province-wide overview of the behaviour of snow on the ground by means of various indices, such as the duration of snow cover or the number of days of rain on snow. This climate information will give ski resorts in Quebec a basis for designing climate change adaptation strategies. It will also be useful for other industries, such as transport, tourism and mining, and for public sector entities such as municipalities.
Benefits for adaptation
Benefits for adaptation
This project will create a new set of post-processed historical and future climate data on snow on the ground across Quebec at a resolution of about 10 km.
Putting this information on snow on the ground on PAVICS will make it accessible and applicable.
Users and decision-makers in other sectors (e.g. transport, municipalities, infrastructure, mining) will have a wider range of climate information to integrate into their assessments of adaptation issues related to snow on the ground.
Funding
Other participants
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Pascal Bourgault, Ouranos
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Éric Dupuis, Ouranos
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Yannick Rousseau, Ouranos
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