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.