Trent Climate Station
A Brief History
Trent has maintained a climate station on its property since 1967. Originally established near the Canal Nature Area between University Road and the Trent Severn Canal, the station was relocated in 1981 to the peninsula of land east of the Stanley Adamson power dam on Otonabee River. The original station was established by the Trent Biology department and after 1 year was handed over to the Geography department and, subsequently, is maintained by the School of the Environment (TSE). During the early days, manual observations were made two time a day, most often with the assistance of (paid) student observers. Air temperature minimums and maximums, relative humidity, precipitation and wind speed and direction were recorded and these data were logged on monthly summaries and submitted to Environment Canada (then Atmospheric Environment Services) as part of the national weather observation network.
The station was automated in 1992, when the same measurement plus additional ones were measured electronically and recorded on a data logger at 30 minute intervals. In 2005 Environment Canada established a “climate reference” station in the weather station compound, filling in a gap in their national network. This station measures a suite of weather variables in accordance with World Meteorological Organization standards. Both stations are scheduled to be decommissioned in fall 2024.
A New Chapter 
In the fall of 2022 the new TSE “Trent Farm” climate station was established and started data collection on November 15th 1:30 pm. The station is located on the Trent Farm property along Pioneer Road and shares the site with a new Environment Canada Climate Reference Station. The new Farm station will collect as full suite of weather and soil measurements, which will support teaching and research at the Farm and in the broader community. Please direct questions about the new station to Craig Murray (craigmurray@trentu.ca).
The TSE would like to acknowledge the generous donation from DM Wills Associates of Peterborough, which funded a large portion of the new equipment for the climate station.