Linked hydrologic and climate variations in British Columbia and Yukon

Climatic and hydrologic variations between the decades 1976-1985 and 1986-1 995 are examined at 34 climate stations and 275 hydrology stations. The var iations in climate are distributed across a broad spatial area. Temperature s were generally warmer in the most recent decade, with many stations showi ng significant increases during the spring and fall. No significant decreas es in temperature were found. Significant increases in temperature were mor e frequent in the south than in the northern portions of the region. Signif icant changes in precipitation were also more prevalent in the south. In co astal areas, there were significant decreases in precipitation during the d ry season, and significant increases during the wet season. In the BC inter ior, significant precipitation decreases occurred during the fall, with sig nificant increases during the winter and spring. In the north there were fe w changes in precipitation. The hydrologic responses to these variations in climate follow six distinctive patterns. The spatial distribution of these patterns suggests that in different ecozones, small variations in climate, particularly temperature, elicit different hydrologic responses.