Welcome to the Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN) homepage.  CCRN is a collaborative research network that brought together the unique expertise of a team of over 40 Canadian university and government scientists, representing 8 universities and 4 federal government agencies.  The network was funded for 5 years (2013-18) through the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research (CCAR) Initiative of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

CCRN’s overall aims were to integrate existing and new sources of data with improved predictive and observational tools to understand, diagnose and predict interactions amongst the cryospheric, ecological, hydrological, and climatic components of the changing Earth system at multiple scales, with a geographic focus on Western Canada’s rapidly changing cold interior.

Short Documentary Film on CCRN

Past climatic and environmental change over western Canada

The interior of western Canada has experienced rapid warming and major changes in its land, water, and ecosystems. Against this backdrop of change, a number of extreme events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires have occurred, with considerable local and regional impacts.

In-depth examination of the 2013 Alberta floods

CCRN has carried out a focused examination of the extreme rainfall and devastating flooding that affected southern Alberta in 2013. Click here for further information, including links to media coverage and published papers

Hydrology of the Arctic Treeline

Sebastian Krogh, PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan, studies the impact of climate and vegetation changes on the hydrology of the Arctic treeline

Future Changes in Convective Precipitation & Severe Weather Environment in Western Canada

Jennifer Bruneau, MSc candidate at University of Manitoba, examines how severe convective storms will be influenced by a changing climate