To solve this problem, we’re first going to get a grid of points over Vancouver Island that we can then import into ClimateNA, where we will be able to pull our climate data from.

Pull in an OSM layer

This will allow us to see where we need to start drawing!

Create a new vector layer

We’ll want to draw out a polygon around Vancouver Island, our study area.

1. Create a new vector layer.
2. Provide a file name.
3. Select Polygon for the Geometry type.
4. Add a new field called Study area and keep the defaults for data type and length.
5. Hit Ok.

Draw your polygon

1. Select the layer you just created.
2. Select the pencil to edit the layer.
3. Select the draw polygon tool.
4. Go to town with as much or as little detail as you’d like. Your left mouse button will create a new point. When you’re done, your right mouse button will close the loop.
5. Select the pencil icon again to save your changes. If you don’t save your changes now, your grid point creation will fail.

Generate a grid of points

We want to generate a point for every kilometre.

1. Go to your Processing Toolbox (availbale under View > Panels if not already visible).
2. Search for Create grid and open the dialogue box.
3. Set the
   1. Grid type to Point.
   2. Grid extent to match your polygon layer.
   3. Horizontal and Vertical spacing to 1 Kilometer
4. Select run. This will probably take just shy of 2 minutes.
5. Admire the big colourful box blocking your view of the Island.

Clean up the grid

We only need those grid points that are actually on Vancouver Island, so we’ll get rid of the excess.

1. In your toolbox, search for Intersection.
2. For the Input layer, select your point grid you just created.
3. For the Overlay layer select your polygon trace of the Island.
4. Give your new data set a file name and select Run
5. In your layers panel, uncheck the first grid layer you created, and voila, you’ve got your island back.

Reproject your data

One small issue now. We spaced our grid at 1km intervals. But e need to know the decimal degree coordinates of our grid points for ClimateNA. So we’ll convert the projection from one based on metres (EPSG:3857) to one that uses decimal degrees (EPSG:4326).

1. In your toolbox, search for Reproject layer.
2. In the dialogue box, select your Island point layer for the Input layer
3. Ensure the Target CRS is set to EPSG:4326 - WGS 84
4. Give your new layer a file name to be saved to and select Run

Get your lat and long

Your attribute table at this point won’t look much different for this new layer. While it’s now in a different CRS, we still need to input the lat and long into the attribute table.

1. Open the attribute table for your latest layer.
2. Select the pencil to edit the attribute table.
3. Select the Open field calculator icon.
4. In the Output field name type something to indicate that this is your lat measure.
5. In the Output field type, select Decimal number (real).
6. In the Expression box type $y, that is, the y-intersect.
7. Hit Ok and give it a second to run.
8. Repeat this process, calling the second field something like long and using the x-intersect - $x - in the Expression box.

Get your elevation data

Export your data to csv

We’ll need our lat, long, and elevation in csv for import into ClimateNA.

1. Right click on your degree decimal layer and select Export > Save Features As...
2. In the dialogue box, for Format, select csv.
3. Provide a reasonable file name
4. Ensure the CRS is set to EPSG:4326 - WGS 84
5. Hit Ok

You’re all ready to get some climate data now for each of your coordinates. Yay!

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