Diagnostic of past and future freezing rain using an ensemble of regional climate simulations

It is common to observe many types of precipitation during the winter when the temperature is near 0°C. These can be on the form of freezing rain, wet snow and ice pellets. When combined with strong winds, they can be catastrophic, in particular on the transmission and distribution power networks. According to the climatology, southern Quebec is particularly affected by freezing rain and it is possible to diagnose its occurrences using regional climate models. The goal of the proposed project is to assess the future changes in freezing rain using ensembles of regional climate models (spatial grid spacing of > 25 km) in combination with multiple diagnostic methods to determine the type of precipitation. The analysis will give a range of spatial distribution of occurrences of freezing rain under past and future climate scenarios over North America.

Faculty Supervisor:

Julie Thériault;Julie Theriault

Student:

Partner:

Ouranos Inc

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Accommodation and food services; Agriculture; Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

Université du Québec à Montréal

Program: