Weather variables
Help - Canadian station weather data and extreme winter events
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An observation is a day with a data value for the weather variable of interest. The weather variables are described below.
TMAX
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In this work "TMAX" means the maximum recorded temperature at a given station on a given day, i.e., the high temperature.
These temperature data were archived in tenths of degrees Celsius.
TMIN
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In this work "TMIN" means the minimum recorded temperature at a given station on a given day, i.e., the low temperature.
These temperature data were archived in tenths of degrees Celsius.
TEMP
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In this work "TEMP" means the mean of the maximum and minimum recorded temperatures at a given station on a given day. This may be considered a daily average temperature, but only in the sense that it is midway between the high and the low.
These temperature data were archived in tenths of degrees Celsius.
PRCP
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In this work "PRCP" means the total liquid water equivalent of presumably all precipitation. If it is not all precipitation, it is at least the combination of rain and liquid water equivalent of snow.
These precipitation data were archived in tenths of millimeters of water equivalent.
SNOW
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In this work "SNOW" means the liquid water equivalent of presumably all frozen precipitation. If it is strictly snow, it is unknown how different types of frozen precipitation are distinguished.
These precipitation data were archived in hundredths of millimeters of water equivalent. Any conversion from this amount to an amount of actual snow would vary from station to station. However, the simple rule of thumb of multiplying the liquid water equivalent by 10 can probably give generally good estimates.
RAIN
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In this work "RAIN" means, well, rain. Unfrozen precipitation however is quite uncommon in many parts of Canada during the winter months examined here, so some stations have very little to essentially no recorded events.
These precipitation data were archived in hundredths of millimeters.