COLD STRESS IN CANADA - HUMAN CLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION

The study presents a climatic classification based on energy exchanges between man and the surrounding atmosphere. Variables that affect man''s heat balance are included in a scheme that produces a single value describing the insulation requirements for maintenance of thermal equilibrium in familiar terms. The approach allows for the interpretation of a computed clo [clothing insulation unit] value, derived from standard meteorological data, as a unitary index of the body-environment energy flux. Hourly values were computed using data from 77 meteorological stations across Canada for the months Sept. to April for a 10 yr period. Seasonal maps are presented illustrating a marked zonal character and the thermal conditions for both day-time and night-time hours. The scheme enables classification of climates in quantitative terms with meaningful implications as regards man''s behavioral response to climate.