Last week, Islanders were rudely awoken to the early arrival of snow with almost three centimetres (cm) measured at the Charlottetown airport. This signals the time for our annual winter weather predictions. A great hesitation hangs in the air as no-one predicted last winter’s record breaking snowfall of 551 cm. The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac deserves some congratulations as they predicted a colder and snowier winter than normal. But no-one had the audacity to predict a winter with 12 cm more than the previous record set in 1972. I have heard gossip around town about another record winter ahead just as severe as last year. Well, here is what the experts say. Continue reading →

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By Dr. Adam Fenech

A late April snowstorm this week has helped the winter of 2014-15 break the record for the most snowfall recorded in one year on Prince Edward Island – more than the previous record of 539 centimetres (cm) set in 1971-72. And our snow season is not over yet! In any “normal” winter season from October to May – “normal” being the average of 30 years from 1981-2010 – Prince Edward Island receives about 290 cm of snow (see table below). This winter started with lots of snow in November (three times more than normal), hardly any in December, and then about the normal amount in January. February was brutal with four times the normal amount of snowfall, and March not much better with three times the normal amount. April has been relatively snow free but this week’s storm clinched it. Something to tell the grandkids – I lived through the winter of 2014-15, the snowiest on record.

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By Dr. Adam Fenech

On March 17^th, Islanders will be celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day named after the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 4^th century. It is an official public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador, but unofficial on Prince Edward Island. In addition to enjoying the revelry and celebration of Irish culture and heritage, often times Islanders don’t have to work that day in mid-March. Not because it’s a holiday, but because of a late winter storm!

Islanders have come to expect a storm on St. Patrick’s Day and view it as one of the rituals of the coming of spring. Sometimes, Nature’s timing is off and the winter storm comes the day before the Irish Celebration or the day afterwards. But that doesn’t stop Islanders from expecting a storm every St. Patrick’s Day. Don Jardine, the resident weather historian at UPEI’s Climate Lab, has lots of evidence to back up this weather folklore. Continue reading →

By Dr. Adam Fenech

Hairy Woodpecker. Photo by Don Jardine.

Wow! Another winter storm hit PEI this February long weekend bringing back memories of White Juan. White Juan refers to the brutal blizzard of February 19, 2004 nicknamed after Hurricane Juan, a storm that hit PEI on September 29, 2003 with wind gusts up to 140 km/h causing flooding, uprooting of trees and infrastructure damage in the Charlottetown Harbour. White Juan brought 120 km/h winds and 76.6 cm of snow to Charlottetown over a 48-hour period. This weekend’s storm was no Juan-a-bee, however, but the real deal. Environment Canada is reporting that 86.8 centimetres (cm) of snowfall was measured at Charlottetown airport over Sunday and Monday with winds gusting to 128 km/h on Monday making it a more severe storm than White Juan – perhaps we can name the storm White Juan’s Big Brother. Good preparations and planning helped PEI emerge relatively well this past weekend, and community leaders should be commended for their work in getting the message out to take this storm seriously. This storm, together with the heavy storms of two weeks ago (110 cm of snow from February 1-7) has me asking “So why so much snow these past few weeks?” Continue reading →

Sorry folks but the snow has kept our trainers away from Charlottetown with no hope of arriving in time for the Living Shorelines session. We’ll reschedule and post the new date when available. Thanks to Kevin and Rosemary for doing their best to make it! Keep warm.

“Living shorelines are the result of applying erosion control measures that include a suite of techniques which can be used to minimize coastal erosion and maintain coastal process. Techniques may include the use of fiber coir logs, sills, groins, breakwaters or other natural components used in combination with sand, other natural materials and/or marsh plantings. These techniques are used to protect, restore, enhance or create natural shoreline habitat.” Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Join Living Shorelines experts, Kevin M. Smith, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Rosmarie Lohnes, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia who will lead discussion of topics including:

I.          Shoreline Erosion (Causes and Outcomes; Natural Processes)

II.          Shoreline Erosion Control Practices – Overview (Traditional Practices)

III.          Origins of Living Shorelines (History, Definitions, How the Practice Developed)

IV.          Philosophy of Living Shoreline Practices (Dynamism, Physical Processes, Shoreline Habitat)

V.          Living Shoreline Practices (Sand Fill, Sills, Breakwaters, Innovative Approaches)

VI.          Benefits (Fish and Macroinvertebrates, Erosion Protection)

VII.          Costs

VIII.          Monitoring

To Register: Send your name, organization, mailing address, telephone and email to climate@upei.ca. The cost of the training is $10 which includes lunch and coffee breaks.

Dr. Adam Fenech, Director of UPEI’s Climate Research Lab, was in Ahmedabad, India in January 2015 to address the Vibrant Gujarat conference, a biennial event that attracts over 15,000 delegates. Introducing CLIVE (the UPEI Climate Lab’s CoastaL Impacts Visualization Environment tool) at the conference’s Innovation: The Torchbearer of 21st Century symposium, Dr. Fenech profiled the world-class research being conducted at UPEI. Dr. Fenech was honoured to meet the Chief Minister (equivalent to Canada’s Premiers) of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel, to discuss the common challenges of coastal erosion and climate change. Dr. Fenech also spoke about the changing climate of India at the World Innovation Symposium in Gandhinagar, India.