Climate summary

Elev. range: 0 to 61 m
Area: 37.6 km2
Latitude: 46.4°N
Longitude: 63.2°W

Prince Edward Island National Park, located on the north side of Prince Edward Island protects 37.6 km2 of the Maritime Plain Natural Region. The lands and waters are within the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq First Nations and are places of ecological, cultural and historical significance. As one of Canada’s premier beach destinations, the park contains sandy beaches, sandspits, barrier islands, and shifting sand dunes as well as Wabanaki-Acadian forest, hardwood forests, and black spruce bogs.

The coastal ecosystem supports numerous Species at Risk including critical habitat for Piping Plover and Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster, and proposed Bank Swallow critical habitat, and it is an important foraging and resting area for migratory birds. Green Gables Heritage Place, also part of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site, is a top heritage, cultural, and tourist attraction within the national park.

^{Floating boardwalk, Greenwich}

Prince Edward Island National Park, much like the rest of Canada, is warming faster than the global average. If emissions continue to increase at the current rate, then by 2051–2080 the average annual temperature in the park is projected to increase by about 3 to 5 degrees relative to the recent past. The effects of a warming climate include hotter maximum temperatures, warmer minimum temperatures, and fewer days below zero per year. A warmer climate will likely intensify some weather extremes, increasing the severity of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. Rising temperatures are also a major contributor to sea level rise. Under a high emission scenario, relative sea level is projected to increase by about 47 cm by 2070 in Prince Edward Island National Park.

Within Prince Edward Island National Park, total annual precipitation is projected to increase. Models also project an increase in precipitation extremes (e.g. heavy precipitation events) over that same time period. For example, the maximum amount of rainfall over a 1-day period is expected to increase by 18% under a high emission scenario, relative to the recent past. Seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation will likely combine to affect snow and ice cover, stream flows, and coastal erosion. For example, rising winter temperatures can cause more precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow leading to increases in runoff and erosion rates. 

^{Dalvay Beach}

Larger values denote the median of an ensemble of 24 climate models; values in brackets denote the 10th and 90th percentile values.

Across Prince Edward Island National Park, climate change impacts are accelerating the rate of coastal erosion. A growing proportion of the total amount of coastal erosion that is observed at Prince Edward Island National Park is driven by increasingly frequent and severe storm surges, a reduction in nearshore ice presence, and sea-level rise. Prince Edward Island Field Unit strives to build climate resilience in all operational decisions, including through the strategic, planned retreat of vulnerable built assets, and prioritization of safe, accessible visitor experiences.

The amount of warming we experience in the future depends on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To account for uncertainty in future emissions, climate models are run using different scenarios, called Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). RCP 2.6 (not shown in the table on p.1) is consistent with the 2015 Paris Agreement commitments and assumes greenhouse gas emissions peak by around 2020, and decline to zero by 2100. RCP 4.5 assumes emissions peak around 2040 and then decline. RCP 8.5 assumes emissions continue to rise throughout the 21st century.

As per standard practice, the data in this report comes from an ensemble of 24 CMIP5 global climate models that have been downscaled to 10 km by 10 km using the BCCAQv2 method. Values have been spatially averaged across the park and temporally averaged over two 30-year time periods (1961-1990 and 2051-2080). The summary table above displays the median, 10th and 90th percentile values of the climate model ensemble, which helps demonstrate the range in model projections. For a full description of the data and modeling methodology, and to download additional data, visit ClimateData.ca.

Climate change will affect all programs under Parks Canada’s mandate. There are many likely impacts associated with projected future climate conditions at Prince Edward Island National Park. The table below outlines some examples of these projected conditions and impacts, as well as potential options for adaptation responses. Parks Canada works with Indigenous partners to develop and implement climate change adaptation responses. Parks Canada uses information like this, along with Indigenous knowledge, to better manage operations in national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas, and the services offered to visitors.

The Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS) provides access to data and information as well as offers training and support on how to use climate information to support decisions that increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. Parks Canada works with CCCS to develop site-specific climate change summaries that inform and support adaptation planning at Parks Canada-administered places.

Canada.ca/climate-services | changementclimatique-climatechange@pc.gc.ca