What comes in your mind when you think of the weather in Canada?
Most of the people will picture snow-covered roads, people loaded with layers and layers of clothing, chilly winds, and freezing temperatures. However, that is not true.
Canada is a huge country- second largest in the world, and largest in the continent of North America, and covering 5 time zones- and the climate here varies widely from place to place.
Average winter and summer high temperatures vary across Canada. Winters are harsh particularly in the interiors and prairie provinces, the daily average temperatures are near -15 degree C (which can drop below -40 degree C). In non-coastal regions grounds are covered by snow for almost half of the year, while in some parts it persists year-round.
Coastal British Columbia has a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter. On east and west coasts, average high temperatures are generally between 20-30 degrees C, whereas between coasts, average high temperatures range from 25-30-degree C. Temperatures in some interior locations can exceed 40-degree C.
Ocean currents play an important role in the climate of Canada with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream in Atlantic, and the Alaska Current in Pacific. Westerly winds, blowing from sea to land, are responsible for heavy precipitation and moderate winter and summer temperatures in British Columbia. Inland, Great lakes moderate the weather in Ontario and Quebec. In the east, cold Labrador Current meets the Gulf Stream, cooling the air and causing frequent fogs along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Northern two-thirds of Canada experiences very cold winters and short, cool summers. The Central southern area of interior plains has a typical continental climate- very cold winters, hot summers, and scanty precipitation.
Spring brings a beautiful time in Canada. Everything comes alive after the winter, and the temperature starts to rise. Spring comes first on the west coast in February and ramps up in the other parts of the country in late March and April and lasts until June. Summer begins late May, and through September. The hottest months are July and August, temperatures can range from 20-27 degrees C. While humidity is at its peak in the summer months.
Winter temperatures can dip as below as -40degrees C in the interior provinces. The coldest places in Canada are mostly in the north of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, where temperatures regularly dip to -30 degrees C or even below. Populations of these areas relatively small; however, Winnipeg, in southern Manitoba, is the world’s coldest city with a population of around 600,000.
