Changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme events may have a dramatic impact on society and the natural environment. This study investigates changes in temperature and precipitation extremes over the Canadian Prairies (four stations in each of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and one in Ontario). Quantile regression analysis has been applied to investigate trends in the annual and seasonal extremes using monthly homogenized data. In order to examine the advantages of quantile regression analysis over standard regression models for modeling extremes, mean trends have been compared with low and high (5% and 95%) quantile regression estimates. The results revealed that extreme temperatures have increased significantly over most of the Canadian Prairies. However, no general pattern can be detected in extreme precipitation.
展开▼
