Coordinated by a partnership between climate services organizations in the U.S. and Canada, this product provides a synthesis report summarizing the previous years’ climate trends, events, new research, assessments, and related activities in the Great Lakes Region. This product is a contribution to the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, through Annex 9 on Climate Change Impacts, and to the national climate assessment processes in the U.S. and Canada. It should be cited as: Environment and Climate Change Canada and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2021 Annual Climate Trends and Impacts Summary for the Great Lakes Basin. 2022.
2021 Document
English Version (PDF)
French Version (PDF)
Documents also available at binational.net
During the 2021 reporting period, several notable events and trends were observed across the Great Lakes basin, including warm air and water temperatures throughout the year, drought conditions, and flooding. Winter and spring drought contributed to wildfires and diminished the springtime rise in water levels. Water levels on the upper-Great Lakes began a return to near-average conditions, after years of above average water levels. For the southern basin, dry conditions gave way to above-average precipitation for the second half of the year. At 45.8% areal coverage, Great Lakes maximum ice cover in 2021 was below the long term average of 53.3%.
Contributing Partners
References
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