Determining annual average temperature

Looking at various building options, and it would sure be handy to have a good idea of annual average temperature at my site, and at other places I have lived.

I'm sure this data is around, but so far haven't found it... anyone have a good resource? I am in Canada, if that is significant.

Yup- Environment Canada's Climate Normals and historical weather archives. The normals are a 30 year average of a bunch of parameters, average monthly min, max, and average daily temps, precipitation, max precipitation, max and min temps, etc, including if I recall, heating and cooling days. The historical weather data is daily weather data dating back as far as the late 1800s for current and historic weather stations around Canada, downloadable as either an .xls or a .csv, cant recall which.


https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/


https://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_e.html

Catie George wrote:The normals are a 30 year average of a bunch of parameters,

In other words, climate change will bring new meaning to the term, "new normal."

Jason Hernandez wrote:In other words, climate change will bring new meaning to the term, "new normal."

To my mind, it would be helpful to the OP if you could suggest a reasonable correction factor to apply to the existing data. Thoughts?

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Jason Hernandez wrote:In other words, climate change will bring new meaning to the term, "new normal."

To my mind, it would be helpful to the OP if you could suggest a reasonable correction factor to apply to the existing data. Thoughts?

If I recall, I usually use 1.5-2C as the correction factor. One might be able to get a correction factor by comparing 2 sets of normals data, and subtracting the difference though it wouldnt be particularly statistically significant or sound.  I am too  lazy this morning to check but if it showed a 1 C difference and the difference was 10 years, you could fudge the data by 1C/10 years

Current data is reveling that global warming is accelerating but not in a manner that can be expressed through math standardised computations. The issue seems to be linked to the rapid changes in jetstream trajectories, which  are shifting both faster and in more erratic ways, making predicting weather events harder even with the improvments in algorithms used. These problems make calculating conversion factors less accurate than it used to be.

Today, we need to keep our own records since annomolies are more abundant and distance can cause differences in as little as 1/2 mile.
Redhawk

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Jason Hernandez wrote:In other words, climate change will bring new meaning to the term, "new normal."

To my mind, it would be helpful to the OP if you could suggest a reasonable correction factor to apply to the existing data. Thoughts?

I believe the governement might have projections of climate impacts depending on different future scenarios, in my country that is available (from the national metrological institute).

Otherwise I would always suggest going for the highest strandards in terms of insulation ( but im in a cold climate so insulation is always a top concern)

To expand on what Bryant Redhawk said:
Averages are just that - if the daily high and low get further apart, the "average" for the day may not change to reflect the lows which is important if you want to stay warm at night (or if you're  in a hot place and want to keep the house cool during the day) so looking specifically at charts that show the "low" is helpful to me.
Climate trends near large bodies of water shift in different ways than land-locked areas. The OP identifies as "Victoria, BC" which is at the south end of an island with sea water around it. When things like El Nino and other changes affecting ocean currents go through long term changes, you have to consider where they're heading. There are pictures of Victoria from about 150 years ago showing the "Inner Harbour" frozen with people skating on it according to someone I know.
So I guess you also have to ask whether you're building for your own lifetime, or for the next generation? I'm a strong believer in the latter, so I'll also back what Soliou Juseil said and go for the best you can build. I've always thought it was neat that there are houses on this planet that have been "homes" for hundreds of years.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:Current data is reveling that global warming is accelerating but not in a manner that can be expressed through math standardised computations. The issue seems to be linked to the rapid changes in jetstream trajectories, which  are shifting both faster and in more erratic ways, making predicting weather events harder even with the improvments in algorithms used. These problems make calculating conversion factors less accurate than it used to be.
Today, we need to keep our own records since annomolies are more abundant and distance can cause differences in as little as 1/2 mile.
Redhawk

I have been toying with the idea of recording my local weather more accurately. I could record the weather I get from my local channel but the intown temperature is usually lower or hotter than they record. I think they have it on a South facing wall, above an asphalted road. I'm outside of town, on sandy ground. The precipitation too is not very accurate as I will sometimes get a rain they don't and vice-versa. We are only 7 miles from the recording station: Is there some other information I should try to record? Temperatures, precipitation and Events[ like torrential rain or tornado]. I just have not created the worksheet yet. I would do it at least during the "growing season" but I realize that unless I record "every day", I may not have my orchards producing the way I want. Also, the "low" temperature is usually at night. Since I wake up around 4-5 every morning, I suppose I could use that as the "low" but... How do you record the relevant data? The Arbor Day Foundation keeps telling me that I'm now in Zone 5, and not 4b. From the vegetation growing here, I'm pretty sure I'm still in 4b, although I have one persimmon that is still alive!
I'm not the best at record keeping though, and even establishing a rotation for my garden crops has been elusive. I should keep record of the crops/ trees I have as well and how well they did each year. If I want to establish landraces, I figure this would be really important. Thanks.

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:

Also, the "low" temperature is usually at night. Since I wake up around 4-5 every morning, I suppose I could use that as the "low" but... How do you record the relevant data?  

My local Environment Canada site has a button that gives me the "last 24 hours" on a rolling schedule, so that gives me some idea of what the overnight temp was doing (sometimes it's low at 2-4am, but often the low in the winter is actually between 5 and 7 am!) However, as you point out, that temperature doesn't correspond with my land, and even my land has warmer and colder zones. Hubby got an electronic inside/outside temperature unit that records the high and low. "Home base" sits in my bathroom with the outside unit on a ledge just outside. It has a button to push for the "high/low" temp, and a "clear" button. I haven't been recording the temps, but I check it most mornings because it's really easy to do. If I kept some graph paper there, I could record and then transfer to my computer every week or two, and this thread may encourage me to make the effort. Step One would be to make the process as painless as possible and Step Two would be to accept that there will be missing data as I'm not good at this sort of thing either.

To be honest, my bigger concern is rainfall, so I'm looking for a practical rain-gauge. It can't be conveniently on my counter and I don't want something electronic in our climate. I found a design I like, and as much as I dislike plastic, on a trial basis I'm thinking of having it 3D printed. I'll try to have the complicated bits covered in something to block the sun.

The data I record is as follows;
Morning: temp, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction also rising, steady or falling for pressure, dew point(humidity). All are recorded morning, midday and evening. I also use national data for moon phase, jetstream and ground, mid and upper atmosphere conditions. I keep my data in standard compsition note books they are labeled with start and filled date and time, normally I use 4 per year. Storms data is included.

Redhawk

I use a large rain gauge that measures 5 inches.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:The data I record is as follows;
Morning: temp, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction also rising, steady or falling for pressure, dew point(humidity). All are recorded morning, midday and evening. I also use national data for moon phase, jetstream and ground, mid and upper atmosphere conditions. I keep my data in standard compsition note books they are labeled with start and filled date and time, normally I use 4 per year. Storms data is included.
Redhawk
I use a large rain gauge that measures 5 inches.

Wow! That is a lot more than I would have the patience to do. I'm sure I'd be missing info all over the place but I admire your hard work to record all this.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:The data I record is as follows;
Morning: temp, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction also rising, steady or falling for pressure, dew point(humidity). All are recorded morning, midday and evening. I also use national data for moon phase, jetstream and ground, mid and upper atmosphere conditions. I keep my data in standard compsition note books they are labeled with start and filled date and time, normally I use 4 per year. Storms data is included.

Redhawk

I use a large rain gauge that measures 5 inches.

Am I to understand that you hand record about a dozen bits of weather-related data, 3 times a day, 24/7/52? That is impressive 👏👌.  I was going to suggest adding wind information as well, but I see you kinda even have that covered.

I do good just marking when we get rain.  I doodle clouds and precipitation into my calendar. I occasionally note extreme highs or lows, and I just plan to cover my bananas from Dec to March for the maybe 3 days we see hard frost. (Western Riverside county, California, USA)

I have a weather station that records most of the data. While an older modl, it cuts down greatly on time while being still accurate enough for my needs. It's been converted to solar power and battery back up.

Climatedata.ca has Canadian historical data and climate change projections. Easy to download tabular data too.