Definitions of statistically downscaled agroclimatic indices
Statistically downscaled agroclimatic indices for CMIP5 (CanDCS-U5, 49 indices) and CMIP6 (CanDCS-U6 and CanDCS-M6, 67 indices) are defined below. Note that the 18 indices in the list, marked with a ‘*’, are only available for the CMIP6 datasets.
| Index | Definition | Unit | 
|---|---|---|
| Hot days (Tmax > 25 °C) (tx25) | Number of days with maximum temperature above 25 °C | Days | 
| Hot days (Tmax > 30 °C) (tx30) | Number of days with maximum temperature above 30 °C | Days | 
| Hot days (Tmax > 33 °C) (tx33) | Number of days with maximum temperature above 33 °C | Days | 
| Hot days (Tmax > 35 °C) (tx35) | Number of days with maximum temperature above 35 °C | Days | 
| Hot days (Tmax > 37 °C) (tx37) | Number of days with maximum temperature above 37 °C | Days | 
| Hot nights (Tmin > 18 °C) (tn18) | Number of days with minimum temperature above 18 °C | Days | 
| Hot nights (Tmin > 20 °C) (tn20) | Number of days with minimum temperature above 20 °C | Days | 
| Hot nights (Tmin > 22 °C) (tn22) | Number of days with minimum temperature above 22 °C | Days | 
| Hot nights (Tmin > 25 °C) (tn25) | Number of days with minimum temperature above 25 °C | Days | 
| Cold days (Tmin < -15 °C) (tnm15) | Number of days with minimum temperature below -15 °C | Days | 
| Cold days (Tmin < -20 °C) (tnm20) | Number of days with minimum temperature below -20 °C | Days | 
| Cold days (Tmin < -25 °C) (tnm25) | Number of days with minimum temperature below -25 °C | Days | 
| Cold days (Tmin < -30 °C) (tnm30) | Number of days with minimum temperature below -30 °C | Days | 
| Hot spell days (Tmax consecutive 3 day > 25 °C) (txc25) | The total number of days with a maximum temperature above 25 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Hot spell days (Tmax consecutive 3 day > 30 °C) (txc30) | The total number of days with a maximum temperature above 30 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Hot spell days (Tmax consecutive 3 day > 33 °C) (txc33) | The total number of days with a maximum temperature above 33 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Hot spell days (Tmax consecutive 3 day > 35 °C) (txc35) | The total number of days with a maximum temperature above 35 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Hot spell days (Tmax consecutive 3 day > 37 °C) (txc37) | The total number of days with a maximum temperature above 37 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell days (where Tmax > 25 °C) (txlc25) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the maximum temperature was consecutively above 25 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell days (where Tmax > 30 °C) (txlc30) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the maximum temperature was consecutively above 30 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell days (where Tmax > 33 °C) (txlc33) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the maximum temperature was consecutively above 33 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell days (where Tmax > 35 °C) (txlc35) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the maximum temperature was consecutively above 35 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell days (where Tmax > 37 °C) (txlc37) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the maximum temperature was consecutively above 37 °C. | Days | 
| * Hot spell nights (TN > 18 °C, for 3-Days) (tnc18) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature above 18 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| * Hot spell nights (TN > 20 °C, for 3-Days) (tnc20) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature above 20 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| * Hot spell nights (TN > 22 °C, for 3-Days) (tnc22) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature above 22 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| * Hot spell nights (TN > 25 °C, for 3-Days) (tnc25) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature above 25 °C during a hot spell. A hot spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive hot days. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell nights (where Tmin > 18 °C) (tnlc18) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively above 18 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell nights (where Tmin > 20 °C) (tnlc20) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively above 20 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell nights (where Tmin > 22 °C) (tnlc22) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively above 22 °C. | Days | 
| Longest hot spell nights (where Tmin > 25 °C) (tnlc25) | The number of days of the longest hot spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively above 25 °C. | Days | 
| * Cold spell nights (TN < -15 °C, for 3-Days) (tnmc15) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature below 15 °C during a cold spell. A cold spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive cold days. | Days | 
| * Cold spell nights (TN < -20 °C, for 3-Days) (tnmc20) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature below 20 °C during a cold spell. A cold spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive cold days. | Days | 
| * Cold spell nights (TN < -25 °C, for 3-Days) (tnmc25) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature below 25 °C during a cold spell. A cold spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive cold days. | Days | 
| * Cold spell nights (TN < -30 °C, for 3-Days) (tnmc30) | The total number of days with a minimum temperature below 30 °C during a cold spell. A cold spell is defined as 3 or more consecutive cold days. | Days | 
| * Longest cold spell length nights (TN < -15 °C, for 3-Days) ( tnlm15) | The number of days of the longest cold spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively below 15 °C. | Days | 
| * Longest cold spell length nights (TN < -20 °C, for 3-Days) ( tnlm20) | The number of days of the longest cold spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively below 20 °C. | Days | 
| * Longest cold spell length nights (TN < -25 °C, for 3-Days) ( tnlm25) | The number of days of the longest cold spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively below 25 °C. | Days | 
| * Longest cold spell length nights (TN < -30 °C, for 3-Days) ( tnlm30) | The number of days of the longest cold spell where the minimum temperature was consecutively below 30 °C. | Days | 
| Hot day and night (hot) | The number of days with a maximum temperature above 30 °C and a minimum temperature above 20 °C in the same day. | Days | 
| Frost free days (ff) | The period between the last observed occurrence of frost (minimum temperature below 0 °C) in the spring and the first observed occurrence of frost in the autumn | Days | 
| Killing frost free days (kff) | The period between the last observed occurrence of killing frost (minimum temperature below -2 °C) in the spring and the first observed occurrence of killing frost in the autumn | Days | 
| Heating degree days (hdd) | The number of degrees Celsius that a day’s average temperature is below 18 °C, accumulated over the heating season | °C-day | 
| Cooling degree days (cdd) | The number of degrees Celsius that a day’s average temperature is above 18 °C, accumulated over the cooling season | °C-day | 
| Number of days with precipitation > 1mm (prep1) | Number of days with precipitation > 1mm /day | Days | 
| Number of days with precipitation ≥ 10mm (prep10) | Number of days with precipitation ≥ 10mm/day | Days | 
| Cool season annual one-day maximum precipitation (p1d_gsc) | The maximum precipitation in one day per annual cool season. | mm/day | 
| Warm season annual one-day maximum precipitation (p1d_gsw) | The maximum precipitation in one day per annual warm season. | mm/day | 
| Overwintering annual one-day maximum precipitation (p1d_gso) | The maximum precipitation in one day per annual overwintering. | mm/day | 
| Cool season annual ten-day maximum precipitation (p10d_gsc) | The maximum precipitation accumulated over ten days per annual cool season. | mm/10d | 
| Warm season annual ten-day maximum precipitation p10d_gsw) | The maximum precipitation accumulated over ten days per annual warm season. | mm/10d | 
| Overwintering annual ten-day maximum precipitation p10d_gso | The maximum precipitation accumulated over ten days per annual overwintering. | mm/10d | 
| Length of growing season for cool season crops (gsc) | The number of days between the cool season’s start and end dates: Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 5 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. End: When the weighted 5-day mean daily maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in July or August, or August 31, whichever occurs earlier. | Days | 
| * Cool growing season start (gscs) | Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 5 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. | Day of the year | 
| * Cool growing season end (gsce) | End: When the weighted 5-day mean daily maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in July or August, or August 31, whichever occurs earlier. | Day of the year | 
| Length of growing season for cool season crops (gsc) | The number of days between the cool season’s start and end dates: Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 5 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. End: When the weighted 5-day mean daily maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in July or August, or August 31, whichever occurs earlier. | Days | 
| * Warm growing season start (gsws) | Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 5 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. | Day of the year | 
| * Warm growing season end (gswe) | End: When the weighted 5-day mean daily maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in July or August, or August 31, whichever occurs earlier. | Day of the year | 
| Length of growing season for warm season crops (gsw) | The number of days between the warm season’s start and end dates: Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 10 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. End: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature has dropped and stayed below 10 °C in second half of the year. | Days | 
| * Overwinter growing season start (gsos) | Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 10 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. | Day of the year | 
| * Overwinter growing season end (gsoe) | End: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature has dropped and stayed below 10 °C in second half of the year. | Day of the year | 
| Length of growing season for overwintering crops (gso) | The number of days between the overwintering start and end dates: Start: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature ≥ 5 °C has been reached for five consecutive days in first half of the year. End: When the weighted 5-day mean temperature has dropped and stayed below 5 °C in second half of the year. | Days | 
| Cool season crop heat units (cchu_gsc) | The accumulated daily Crop Heat Units (CHU) within the cool growing season. 
					Daily CHU = (Ymax + Ymin)/2  | Heat unit | 
| Warm season crop heat units (cchu_gsw) | The accumulated daily Crop Heat Units (CHU) within the warm growing season. 
					Daily CHU = (Ymax + Ymin)/2  | Heat unit | 
| Overwintering crop heat units (cchu_gso) | The accumulated daily Crop Heat Units (CHU) within the overwintering season. 
					Daily CHU = (Ymax + Ymin)/2  | Heat unit | 
| Cool season effective growing degree days (egdd_gsc) | The accumulated daily growing degree days (GDD) values within the cool growing season multiplied by a day length factor (DLF) that equals 1.0 when the latitude (LAT) is below 49 °N and 1.18 higher than 61 °N. DLF = -19.3257 + 1.158643(LAT) - 0.022107689(LAT)2 + 0.0001413685(LAT)3 Daily growing degree days (GDD): if CTmin: 5 °C for cool season crops | °C-day | 
| Warm season effective growing degree days (egdd_gsw) | The accumulated daily growing degree days (GDD) values within the warm growing season multiplied by a day length factor (DLF) that equals 1.0 when the latitude (LAT) is below 49 °N and 1.18 higher than 61 °N. DLF = -19.3257 + 1.158643(LAT) - 0.022107689(LAT)2 + 0.0001413685(LAT)3 Daily growing degree days (GDD): if CTmin: 10 °C for warm season crops | °C-day | 
| Overwintering effective growing degree days (egdd_gso) | The accumulated daily growing degree days (GDD) values within the overwintering growing season multiplied by a day length factor (DLF) that equals 1.0 when the latitude (LAT) is below 49 °N and 1.18 higher than 61 °N. DLF = -19.3257 + 1.158643(LAT) - 0.022107689(LAT)2 + 0.0001413685(LAT)3 Daily growing degree days (GDD): if CTmin: 5 °C for overwintering crops | °C-day |