Freeze-thaw events
In Quebec, freeze-thaw events occur mostly in the spring and fall, but sometimes in winter.
The number of freeze-thaw events varies considerably from region to region in the province and depending on the time of year.
This page focuses only on the effects of climate change on freeze-thaw events in Quebec based on air temperature.
Definition | Freeze-thaw event (or cycle)
A freeze-thaw event occurs when the air temperature alternates above and below 0°C, the freezing point of water, over a 24-hour period. The temperature of the air is usually measured 2 metres above the ground, since this observational data is more available.
Note: The impacts of air freeze-thaw events, as defined here, are very difficult to distinguish from the effects of other phenomena like ground freeze-thaw events and wintertime mild spells.
