A Picture of Canada's Climate and Weather

Although Canada's climate is usually associated with snow and very cold temperatures, Canada's weather actually varies greatly from one region to another and from one season to another. To help you plan your trip, we have put together information on the climate and weather of the major regions of Canada.

Temperatures in Canada are reported in Celsius (C) degrees and not Fahrenheit (F). For example, a winter temperature of 0°C is the same as 32°F and in the summer, 32°C in summer is the same as 90°F!

The Rockies and Pacific

The coast of British Columbia has the most moderate climate of any region in Canada. Vancouver and Victoria can enjoy pleasant and relatively dry summers and mild, wet winters. Snowfalls are rare except in the mountains, and generally snow melts the same day. Winters normally last from December to January in Victoria and December to February in Vancouver. Prince Rupert's weather is similar even though it is much farther north and only a few centimetres of snow remain on the ground during winter. Summer temperatures, however, are cooler due to its more northern location. Prince Rupert's winter is December to February. The town of Jasper in the Rockies has a much more severe climate and the mountains create a much colder, longer and snowier winter which lasts from November to March. Summer, however, is just as warm as on BC's coast.

The Prairies and Northern Manitoba

From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes, the plains of Alberta and Prairie Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have a typical continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Rainfall is relatively sparse. These regions are often affected by Chinooks, warm, normally dry winds that occasionally come down from the Rockies and raise temperatures by up to 15°C in a single day! Churchill, on the shore of Hudson Bay at the northern tip of Manitoba, has an extreme northern climate. Bordered by the rocky Canadian Shield region, this is Canada's Far North with intense cold and long winters. Churchill's winters can last from October to April.

Because of the influence of the Great Lakes, Ontario experiences minor variations in temperature and considerable precipitation. In summer the waters have a cooling effect on neighbouring cities. However, in the south of the province, (Windsor or Toronto), humid heat waves are not uncommon. In the fall, the moderating effect of the lakes produces sunny days and cool bracing nights. Winter is characterized by alternating currents of cold arctic air and relatively warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico. The duration of winter in Ottawa is December to March and in Toronto, usually December to February.

Southern Québec has a temperate climate with four definite seasons. Spring is short and mild and fall often quite cool. Summers are hot and frequently humid and the winters cold and snowy. Temperatures can exceed 30°C in summer and drop below -25°C in winter, which usually lasts from November to March. In Montréal there is snow on the ground for about twelve weeks (winter lasting December to March) and up to twenty-three weeks on the Gaspé peninsula (Gaspé's winter is normally from November to March). However, Québec has more hours of winter sunshine than either Paris or London. Towns on the Gaspé peninsula enjoy the ocean's moderating effect on extreme temperatures, making winter a little milder and summer a little cooler.

The Atlantic Region

Climate in the Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia) is influenced by continental air masses and winds blowing in from the ocean, which create a variable climate. This could mean sudden temperature changes and frequent freeze-thaw cycles, even in winter. Snowfalls can be heavy, but the snow cover melts completely several times over the course of the winter. A Halifax (on Nova Scotia's coast) winter and a Moncton winter (in New Brunswick's interior) usually last from December to March. Summers are warm, and not extremely hot. Coastal cities are subject to the influence of the humid Atlantic air for most of the year, making summers a little cooler and winters a little milder. Halifax has a well-deserved reputation as a city of fog, especially from mid-spring to early summer.

Please note: This guide provides only general information and the weather can vary greatly from year to year. Please consult the suggested Websites for more up-to-date information.

Handy "reversed" conversions to help you are: 61°F = 16°C and 82°F = 28°C. Environment Canada's web site has more detailed information on the Canadian climate. Visit here for detailed weather forecasts.