Environment Canada to use AI in new weather forecasting model

By Canadian Press on April 9, 2026.

OTTAWA — Environment and Climate Change Canada says it will use artificial intelligence to make its weather forecasts more accurate.

It plans to launch a hybrid model that uses both AI and traditional forecasting and says the combination of the two will lead to more accurate predictions.

Environment Canada says AI can analyze decades of historical data covering a whole continent in minutes.

It says the hybrid model is better at predicting extreme weather, such as strong winds or heat waves, because the traditional model “keeps the small-scale details that AI models tend to miss.”

Environment Canada says with the new model, its six-day forecast will be as accurate as its five-day forecast.

It says it will also be faster at predicting major systems such as winter storms, heat waves and atmospheric rivers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press