Climate of Canada & Weather
At A Glance

The Canadian territory is so vast that the climate of Canada must be subdivided into seven general climatic regions.

Click on the links below the map for a brief overview of the climate and weather of a given province or territory.

(Note: The coloring and identification of climatic regions are mine.
Source of underlying map: Environment Canada

• Arctic - northeastern Nunavut .
• Northern (sub-Arctic) - southwestern Nunavut, northern portions of Alberta , Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, most of Ontario and Quebec (including Labrador, QC).
• Pacific - coastal portion of British Columbia .
• Cordillera - Yukon and British Columbia interior.
• Prairie - southern portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan , and Manitoba .
• Southeastern - southern Ontario , southwestern Quebec , and New-Brunswick interior.
• Atlantic - New Brunswick coast, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland .

Temperature

The temperature extremes Canadians experience can range from as low as -65C in the Northern Cordillera, in winter, to close to 50C in the Prairies, in the summer.

Where the temperatures are extremely cold, the air is generally very dry. Therefore, when no wind is present, the coldest climate of Canada is surprisingly bearable … when one wears appropriate clothing, of course!

Wind

The wind is a significant factor in winter. The human body, even if it is Canadian, will lose heat rapidly, due to the wind. The wind chill factor will, at times, lower the effective temperature (for exposed flesh) much below the ambient temperature.

The cold winter winds will make car engines cool rapidly down to ambient temperature, and rob heat from ill constructed homes!

Relative Humidity

Relative humidity is a factor of comfort, both in winter, and summer.

In the winter, a temperature -5C, coupled with high humidity, can make the body shiver as if the temperature were -30C! In the summer, a temperature of 30C, can feel like 45C when it's very humid. The Southeastern climate of Canada is noted for these uncomfortable combinations!

Precipitation

Precipitation is not equally distributed over the Canadian territory, from one region to another, as well as from one season to another. The Pacific region, and the Atlantic provinces receive the most, while the southern Prairie region receives the least.

Special Weather Phenomena

The southern and southeastern regions of Canada experience thunderstorms, some of them severe, in the summer. Lastly, a few tornadoes occur, mostly in the southern interior, in the summer. The occasional hurricane will move up the North-American East coast, as far up as the Atlantic provinces, in early autumn.

Airborne pollutants, and smog will, at times, affect the heavier populated areas of the Southeastern region. This phenomena can occur at any time of the year, but mostly in the summer and winter months.

The Climate Of Canada Has It All!

From blistering cold to hot and muggy weather, torrential rains, snowstorms, freezing rain, droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms … we Canadians have it all!

Hey! We have a lot of sunny weather too, generally more in the summer, than in winter, though.

The climate of Canada is everything … but boring!

That is the very reason why it is so much fun to observe, and record.

Stay tuned, and keep a sharp weather watch!

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