Arctic Temperature Visualizer

A web-based tool for analyzing Environment Canada temperature data to determine optimal departure dates from Arctic locations. Originally designed for strategic travel planning in northern Canada.

Overview

This tool processes daily temperature data from Environment Canada CSV files and provides detailed analysis for planning Arctic travel and work schedules. The key feature is the "Departure Queue Analysis" which identifies when minimum temperatures drop below configurable thresholds during fall months.

Features

Temperature Analysis

• Daily High/Low Charts: Visualize daily temperature ranges throughout the year
• Monthly Averages: Compare seasonal temperature patterns
• Seasonal Distribution: Analyze temperature patterns by season (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)
• Year-to-Year Comparison: Track temperature trends across multiple years

Departure Queue Analysis

• Strategic Departure Planning: Identify the first day each fall when minimum temperatures drop below configurable thresholds (0°C, 1°C, 2°C, or 5°C)
• Multi-Location Support: Compare departure dates across multiple Arctic locations
• Historical Trends: Analyze departure date patterns over 8+ years of historical data
• Risk Assessment: View earliest, latest, and average departure dates with variance analysis

Interactive Features

• Multi-file Upload: Process multiple CSV files simultaneously
• Dynamic Location Detection: Automatically identifies weather station names from data
• Configurable Thresholds: Adjust temperature thresholds based on risk tolerance
• Debug Mode: Hover-activated debug information for data validation
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

Use Cases

Arctic Travel Planning

• Determine when to begin retreat from remote Arctic locations
• Plan staged departures through multiple southern locations
• Avoid getting stranded by unexpected early freezes

Work Schedule Optimization

• Schedule Arctic construction, research, or maintenance projects
• Plan equipment mobilization and demobilization
• Coordinate multi-location projects across the Arctic

Climate Research

• Analyze long-term temperature trends in Arctic regions
• Compare freeze dates across different latitudes
• Study year-to-year climate variability

Data Requirements

Supported File Format

• Environment Canada daily climate CSV files
• Files must contain the following columns:
  • Date/Time: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format
  • Max Temp (°C): Daily maximum temperature
  • Min Temp (°C): Daily minimum temperature
  • Station Name: Weather station identifier
  • Year, Month, Day: Date components

Data Sources

• Environment Canada Historical Weather Data
• Select "Daily" data format
• Download CSV files for desired years and locations
• See the wget shell script available in this repository or the instructions provided by Environment Canada. Get More Data - Environment Canada

Automated Data Download

This repository includes an interactive shell script (wget-weather-interactive.sh) that automates the download of Environment Canada weather data. The script supports multiple weather stations, different data types (hourly, daily, monthly), and custom year ranges. For complete installation instructions, usage examples, station ID references, and troubleshooting guides, see the Environment Canada Data Downloader Documentation. This tool is particularly useful for acquiring data from multiple Arctic locations simultaneously for strategic departure planning analysis.

Installation

Option 1: Direct Use

1. Download the HTML file from this repository
2. Open arctic-temperature-visualizer.html in any modern web browser
3. No installation or setup required

Option 2: Web Server

1. Clone this repository
2. Serve the HTML file using any web server
3. Access through browser at your server's URL

Usage

Basic Analysis

1. Upload Data: Click "Choose CSV Files" and select your Environment Canada CSV files
2. Select Chart Type: Choose from Daily High/Low, Monthly Averages, Seasonal Patterns, or Year Comparison
3. Generate Charts: Click "Generate Charts" to create visualizations

Departure Queue Analysis

1. Select Analysis Type: Choose "Departure Queue Analysis" from the chart type dropdown
2. Set Threshold: Select your temperature threshold (1°C recommended for general use)
3. Generate Analysis: Click "Generate Charts" to generate departure date analysis
4. Review Results: Examine the departure timeline chart and year-by-year breakdown table

Multi-Location Planning

1. Upload CSV files from multiple Arctic locations
2. Run departure analysis for each location separately
3. Compare average departure dates to plan staged retreat routes
4. Identify locations that may freeze earlier than expected

Example Results

For Tuktoyaktuk, NWT (2015-2024 data):

• Average departure date: September 6
• Earliest departure: August 19 (2019)
• Latest departure: September 22 (2024)
• Planning window: 35-day range requiring flexible travel arrangements

Technical Details

Technologies Used

• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6+)
• Charting: Chart.js for interactive visualizations
• CSV Processing: PapaParse for robust CSV parsing
• No Backend Required: Runs entirely in the browser

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome 70+
• Firefox 65+
• Safari 12+
• Edge 79+

Performance

• Handles datasets with 10+ years of daily data (3,650+ records)
• Processes multiple location files simultaneously
• Real-time chart generation and updates

Data Processing Logic

Departure Date Algorithm

1. Seasonal Filtering: Only analyzes August through November data to identify fall transition
2. Threshold Detection: Finds first occurrence of minimum temperature below specified threshold
3. Statistical Analysis: Calculates averages, ranges, and variance across multiple years
4. Validation: Includes debug mode to verify data processing accuracy

Quality Assurance

• Validates date formats and numeric temperature values
• Handles missing or null temperature readings
• Provides debug information for data verification
• Graceful error handling for malformed CSV files

Contributing

Bug Reports

Please open an issue with:

• Description of the problem
• Browser and version
• Sample data file (if applicable)
• Steps to reproduce

Feature Requests

• Open an issue describing the requested feature
• Include use case and expected behavior
• Consider submitting a pull request

Development

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make changes and test thoroughly
4. Submit a pull request with clear description

License

This project is licensed under the GPL V3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Environment and Climate Change Canada for providing comprehensive weather data
• Chart.js team for excellent charting library
• PapaParse developers for robust CSV parsing

Disclaimer

This tool is for planning purposes only. Always verify current weather conditions and forecasts before making travel decisions. The developers are not responsible for decisions made based on this analysis.