Imagine getting stuck in 6 feet deep snow, wearing 5 jackets and getting frostbite on your fingers the moment you step out of your home. Sounds like hell, doesn’t it? That may happen regularly in Antarctica but not on your average day in Canada.
You may think of Canada as a place where it snows the entire year and it’s freezing all year round. Although it can get very cold in Canada with temperatures dropping to as low as -35° Celsius, it’s not like that the entire year. On the contrary, summers can be hot in Canada with temperatures going above 35° Celsius and you may need a sunscreen.
I know someone who landed in Canada in August fully prepared to battle the cold and dressed up in multiple layers, only to embarrass himself. I am sure people on the streets, who probably were wearing shorts, would have given him a look as he stepped out of the airport.
The seasons
Okay, so we discussed the weather extremes. What about in between? Let’s break it down a bit more. Canada enjoys 4 distinct seasons – spring, summer, fall (autumn) and winter. All four seasons look very different from one another and the temperatures also vary accordingly.
In spring (April to May), the trees start to get new leaves and you will see a lot of flowers with different colours. The snow is gone by this time and temperatures can range from 5°C to 20°C in this season.
Summers (June to September) can be 4 months long and the temperatures range from 20°C to 35°C. It’s green everywhere and people love to do outdoor activities during this time of the year. Think soaking up the sun at the beach! Days become very long and it is normal to have sunsets after 9 pm.
Fall (October to November) is usually 2 months long and it starts to get a little chilly in this season. Leaves start to change their colour and turn into bright shades of red, amber and yellow. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful time of the year and Instagram is full of fall photography. Temperatures range from 5°C to 20°C just like in spring.
Winters (December to March) get very cold with temperatures usually below 0°C for most of the days. It also snows a lot in most parts of Canada and the days are very short. You can also expect some snow in November and April depending on where you live. Winter varies a lot from one region to another. In places like Montreal, the temperatures can drop below -30°C for a few days in the season while in places like Vancouver, the average temperature is above 0°C even in January.
Peak winter – how does it really look like
Talking about temperatures below -30°C might have scared you a little but in reality such temperatures occur for only a few days in the season. An average winter day is much warmer than that, even in the peak of the winter. Here’s how an average winter day looks like in the 3 biggest cities of Canada during the peak of winter in January:
Toronto: Average high: -0.7°C, Average low: -6.7°C
Montreal: Average high: -5.3°C, Average low: -14°C
Vancouver: Average high: +6.9°C, Average low: +1.4°C (yes, that’s a positive temperature and it’s still Canada!)
Most importantly, it’s fairly easy to survive the winters in Canada. After all, people have been living here for thousands of years.