Environment Canada: Arctic melt of 2007 country’s top weather story of decade

One of Canada’s leading climatologists says the big Arctic melt of 2007 is the country’s top weather story of the decade — if not the century.

Environment Canada’s David Phillips says the dramatic thawing of the polar ice cap that year shocked scientists and raised consciousness about the environment.

The Canadian Press asked Phillips to comb through his 100 top weather news stories since 2000 and rank the Top 10.

Western Canada dominated the list with floods, fires, drought, record temperatures and a deadly tornado.

But it was the dramatic melting of the ice cap that captured the top spot.

Phillips says it’s such an important story because the implications of the Arctic melt are unknown.

Phillips’ choice for top weather story of 2009 was the summer that wasn’t for most of the country.

He called it the “bummer of a summer” in which there was too much heat in the West and “not enough for all the rest.”

Here is a list of the Top 10 Canadian weather stories of the decade as ranked by David Phillips:

    1. Vanishing Arctic ice in 2007.
    2. B.C.’s year of disastrous weather _ fires, floods and freezes in 2003.
    3. Prairies plagued with one of its worst growing seasons ever in 2002.
    4. B.C.’s weather woes in 2006.
    5. Alberta’s flood of floods in 2005.
    6. The summer that wasn’t for most of Canada in 2009.
    7. The East’s big summer soak in 2008.
    8. Storm drowns and pounds Edmonton in 2004.
    9. Canada dry from coast to coast in 2001.
    10. Deadly tornado in Red Deer, Alta., in 2000 that killed 12 and injured 140.

Here is a list of the top Canadian weather stories for 2009 as chosen by Environment Canada:

    1. “Summer of Our Discontent” _ Too much heat in the far West, not enough for all the rest.
    2. B.C. Burning Up.
    3. Ontario’s deadly and destructive tornadoes.
    4. Record ice-jam flooding on the Red River.
    5. Cold and drought combo wreak havoc with Prairie farmers.
    6. Less Arctic sea ice retreat but still no recovery.
    7. Multi-million-dollar hailer pounds urban and rural Alberta.
    8. Hamilton’s record and costly Gully-Washer.
    9. Winds plough through Alberta.
    10. Enduring Prairie cold ends dramatically.