A seasonal warm/cold index for the southern yukon territory: 1842-1852

Abstract

Journals from three Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) posts from the Yukon Territory, Frances Lake, Pelly Banks and Fort Selkirk, were analyzed for weather information covering 1842-1852. Daily journal entries recorded both qualitative direct (e.g. temperature, cloud cover) and indirect (e.g. animal migration, ice activity) weather conditions. A hierarchical coding scheme was developed through content analysis that classified the entries into exclusive and unique categories. Monthly, seasonal and annual weighted averages were calculated for the post journals and culminated in a seasonal warm/cold index representing periods of normal and extreme weather conditions for the three post locations. Temperature readings taken by the HBC at Frances Lake from December 1842 to May 1844 were used to validate the index's reliability by comparison with climate normal data from a nearby Environment Canada weather station. Results show that 9 out of the 14 extreme seasons captured by the index were mild winters. The only prolonged period of extreme weather was a colder than normal six month period from the spring to the late fall of 1849. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.