Climate

Canada’s climate geography: how temperature and precipitation vary across the country

How warm, how cold

Canada stretches across more than 40 degrees of latitude, and its climate varies enormously from south to north and coast to interior. The map below shows the 1981–2010 climate normals at roughly 660 weather stations. These are the 30-year averages used as the standard reference. (Weather is short term conditions; climate is long term, typically 30 year averaged conditions.)

Use the dropdown to switch between January, July, and the annual mean daily temperature.

Blue is below freezing, red is above; hover any station for its value, and zoom or pan to explore.

The contrast between the two seasons is revealing. The January map illustrates winter, when most of the country is below freezing. In July, summer conditions offer most of Canada warm and hot temperatures. That seasonal swing shapes how much energy Canadians use to heat their homes, where and what can be farmed, and how infrastructure is built.

How wet, how dry

Precipitation is just as variable across the country. The Pacific coast is among the wettest places in the country. Parts of coastal British Columbia exceed 300 cm a year. The southern Prairies and the High Arctic are dry, with total precipitation closer to 30 cm or less. The map shows annual total precipitation (rain plus the water equivalent of snow) at the same stations.

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