Calgary, Banff recording highest temperature increases: study

CALGARY – A researcher from the University of Calgary says temperatures are on the rise across Alberta but Calgary, along with Banff and Jasper national parks, are really feeling the heat.

Khan Rubayet Rahaman, from the Schulich School of Engineering, has studied Alberta climate change using detailed temperature measurements from satellite data.

It dates back to 1961 and goes up to the most current measurable decade ending in 2010.

The data shows that more than two-thirds of Alberta experienced local warming trends since 1961 ranging from a quarter of a degree to more than 1 C.

The Calgary region and the two national parks from Banff all the way up to the Grande Prairie area saw temperatures increase about 1.2 C.

All of Alberta’s major cities saw a significant increase except for Edmonton, which warmed about one-quarter of a degree.

Rahaman says the increase in the worst areas is likely due to population, more tourism and industrial activities.

He says the data should spur Alberta’s decisions-makers to assess now whether any further expansion is environmentally sustainable.

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