Climate Change Chart of St. Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +1.13 °C compared with the earlier reference period. This unweighted mean summarizes differences among the monthly averages; it is not a day-weighted annual figure or a measure of daytime maximum temperatures. The largest monthly increase was in August, with a difference of +1.74 °C. That identifies the strongest increase among the monthly means, rather than describing every month.

Changes in sunshine duration

Mean daily sunshine duration, averaged across calendar months, has a difference of -0.48 hours/day compared with the earlier reference period. This is an unweighted summary of monthly mean daily hours, not a day-weighted annual average. The largest monthly decrease occurred in June, with a difference of -1.35 hours/day; the largest increase, in May, was a difference of +0.10 hours/day. The opposing monthly differences indicate that the overall mean does not describe the change in every month.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall averaged across calendar months shows a difference of +0.26 mm/day in the more recent period. This unweighted summary describes monthly mean daily amounts, not monthly rainfall totals, and does not imply that rainfall increased in every month. The largest monthly increase was in January, at a difference of +0.83 mm/day; by contrast, the largest decrease was in May, with a difference of -0.75 mm/day. These monthly contrasts show why the overall mean difference should not be read as a uniform change throughout the year.

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall averaged across calendar months shows a difference of +0.58 mm/day between the reference periods. This unweighted mean concerns daily amounts represented in the monthly averages, not monthly snowfall totals, and does not mean every month followed the same pattern. The largest monthly increase was in February, with a difference of +2.97 mm/day, while the largest decrease was in April, at a difference of -0.66 mm/day. These recorded differences describe changes in the monthly means, not snowfall on every individual day.