Precipitation Trends Under a Warming Climate in British Columbia, Canada, from 1950-2010

Understanding variability in precipitation and temperature both spatially and temporally are critical when studying the impacts of climate change. As climate change becomes more evident, long term changes of the climate system have been observed. The impact of climate change on hydrology has significance implications for the economy, infrastructure, and ecosystems. The thesis paper examines both the trends and variability in precipitation (including snow fall) and surface air temperature in British Columbia, Canada by using both daily precipitation and monthly mean maximum and mean minimum temperature datasets. Analyses on 24 stations over a 60 year period from 1950-2010 found increasing trends in both precipitation and temperature across the region, particularly total rainfall in spring season while the trend for snowfall decreases in winter season. Temperature and precipitation exhibit a significant positive correlation for total rainfall, whereas total snow reveals a negative correlation. Thus British Columbia is getting warmer and becoming wetter while winter snowfall decreases. The possible influence of Arctic Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation on precipitation is confined on a few stations in British Columbia.