48 Wonderful Canadian Climate Facts You Should Learn About

Canada has several types of climates, which vary according to its provinces.

Canada is a land of great extremes. From the frozen tundra of the winter north to the arid steppes of Alberta, Canada has it all for those willing to travel and explore.

Canada shares the northern border with the United States, and another northern border that runs along the North Pole. Canada's southern border is shared with the United States and Mexico.

Canada is the second-largest country in the world, after Russia. Canada is part of North America.

Its neighbors are the USA in the south and west, Russia to the northeast, and Alaska across the Bering Strait. It is otherwise surrounded by the sea: the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

The geographic location of Canada is highly responsible for the climate prevailing in different regions.

Three main factors affect the climatic conditions prevailing in different parts of Canada. The extent to which a region lies away from the equator affects its weather and climate.

Canada lies in latitudes that receive less heat from the sun, thus it experiences colder climates than regions lying closer to the equator. This explains why Canada has cold weather when compared with regions around the equator.

Secondly, there is the continental arrangement of Canada. It is a landmass that lies further from the ocean and has lower humidity levels.

This is because water vapor gets precipitated due to cooler temperatures. As Canada is located far away from the oceans, it experiences low humidity levels, which results in low rainfall.

Therefore, it has a cold climate prevailing there. Third, ocean currents also affect the climate of a region.

For example, the west coast of Canada experiences high rainfall as it is surrounded by water on three sides. Owing to a high level of evaporation taking place over oceans, warmer currents run along the coasts, thus resulting in more rainfall in these coastal regions.

This explains why the west coast of Canada experiences heavy rainfall compared to the central and eastern regions. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Toronto's yearly average temperature is 45 degrees F (7 degrees C).

The months of January and February are the coldest months of the year, with average temperatures of 30 degrees F (-1 degrees C). Along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Labrador Current hits the Gulf Stream, chilling the temperature and producing dense fog.

Types Of Climates In Canada

Canada's climate is a vast and complicated system of air masses, climates, weather events, and variables.

In the most basic sense, there are four main types of climates in Canada: Polar (northwest territories, Nunavut); Subarctic (northeast Alberta, northern Saskatchewan, Northern Manitoba); Humid continental (Ontario and Quebec-Central Canada); Marine West Coast (British Columbia).

In general, Canada can be divided into two types of regions based on temperature: the cold arctic or continental climates in the North vs the temperate or warm maritime climates in the South.

Even within these broad categories, there is great variation across the country due to local factors such as mountains and water.

Canada's arctic circle is a vast region characterized by a continental climate with severe temperatures in winter and cool summers. It experiences some of the lowest recorded temperatures on earth, especially in the North where there are no permanent human residents.

Temperatures here range from -40 degrees F to -94 degrees F (-40 degrees C to -70 degrees C ) in winter, while summer highs can be above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).

The sea ice that forms each winter almost entirely disappears during the summer months.

In Nunavut, this ice-free period has been reported at more than 125 days a year.

Continental climates appear where large bodies of land tend to have wider temperature variations throughout the year.

They experience warm summers and cold winters, with the most extreme temperatures occurring in northern regions where vast expanses of land can be found north of 60 degrees (the latitude line marking the furthest reach of the polar ice caps).

The southernmost parts of Canada's mainland fall into this zone.

Maritime climates are influenced by prevailing winds bringing moisture off large bodies of water, such as the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

These climates tend to be milder than other locations at similar latitudes due to more moderate winter temperatures caused by oceanic airflow.

Coastal British Columbia has a temperate climate with high precipitation throughout the year, while regions further inland have a drier continental climate with large seasonal temperature variations between the summer and winter months.

The Most Common Climates In Canada

Canada has a humid continental climate. It has a hot summer and a cold winter with a large variation of temperatures between each season.

The average temperatures vary from season to season along with each territory.

The humid continental climate dominates much of central Canada while transitioning into the oceanic climates to the west coast, and becomes more prominent towards the northern reaches of Canada where it becomes known as arctic/subarctic climates.

It the closer to the southern border of Nunavut that has a humid continental climate.

If there wasn't an ocean's worth of water surrounding most of Canada, then it would be dominated by either humid subtropical or oceanic climates with mild summer temperatures and cool winter temperatures.

Canada has a great deal of diversity in climate, ranging from the cold arctic regions in the North to the hot and humid summers of southern Ontario.

The coldest temperature, or lowest temperature, ever recorded in Canada occurred on January 31, 1947 when Snag, Yukon dipped to - 81 degrees F (-63 degrees C).

The most common climate in Canada is the humid continental climate.

It is characterized by long, warm summers and cold winters. The second most common climate in Canada is the subarctic climate.

This region has very cold winters and short, cool summers.

The third most common type of climate in Canada is the boreal climate.

It has extremely cold winters and short, cool summers.

The fourth most common kind of climate in Canada is the oceanic climate. In this type of region, the summers are cool and wet, while the winters are mild and dry.

The final type of climate in Canada that is worth mentioning is the tundra climate.

This type of climate is very cold with long, dry summers and short, cool winters.

The Hottest And Coldest Months In Canada

The coldest month is January with a mean temperature of 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C), and the hottest months are July, August, and September with a mean temperature of 77 degrees F (+25 degrees C). Temperatures fluctuate with each of the territories of Canada.

In Canada, the month of January is the coldest with a temperature of - 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C) . In July, it is the hottest with a temperature of +25 degrees C.

Overall, from year to year, there are large fluctuations in the actual temperatures throughout the country and smaller regions. The west coast tends to be milder than other regions.

The typical daily temperature range is greater in the prairies than in Ontario or Quebec, which are prone to extreme variations between hot and cold temperatures due to their continental location.

The average number of days with thunderstorms varies throughout the country, but it ranges from fewer than 70 per year in parts of British Columbia to more than 150 days per year in parts of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Coastal British Columbia tends to have the wettest month due to the strong effects of the Pacific subtropical high-pressure system, which brings air from mid-latitudes.

The cold climate makes the creeks and rivers freeze, while in summer, the warm and dry winds through the rocky mountains melts the snow.

Fun Facts About Canadian Climate

It is the second-largest country in the world. The northern part of Canada has a landmass that runs along the North Pole, and it includes a vast seacoast with hundreds of thousands of islands.

January and February are the coldest months, while July and August are considered to be the hottest months throughout Canada. Canada remains under both maritime and continental air masses.

The maritime air mass comes from the Pacific Ocean and it results in a mild climate. On the other hand, the continental climate is linked to cold and dry air masses. It often results in extreme temperature differences between day and night, as well as the summer and winter seasons.

Canada has four types of climates: oceanic, humid continental, subarctic, and tundra.

The oceanic climate exists in the Pacific Coast and it is similar to the maritime air mass mentioned earlier. Canada and Russia have received the title of the coldest nations.

They are also included on the list of largest countries in the world.

The humid continental climate penetrates the central Canadian provinces such as Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Continental air masses result in cold winters and hot summers throughout these regions. On the other hand, the subarctic climate exists in southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as North Ontario.

It is a warmth-loving weather type with mild summers, but it is accompanied by insufferable winters.

The tundra can be found throughout the northern regions of Canada, from Yukon to Labrador.

The Arctic Archipelago is comprised of 36,000 islands. Northern Canada is very cold, especially during summer time when the average temperature is 68-77 degrees F (20-25 degrees C).

A lot of rainfall has been observed on Canada's west coast, while the eastern coast is known to receive more rain than its south and west coasts.

While snowfall is common across Canada, it does not snow on the coasts of British Columbia and the southernmost regions of Newfoundland Island.

Canada has a lot of wind, especially during winter time.

The cold air of the Arctic Ocean coming from the Northwest blows down into Canada's southern regions during the harsh winters. During summer time, Canada is affected by the hot and dry air coming from the Southwest.

Canada's western coasts are usually cool, hot, and dry in the summer time. While it is tempered by Pacific air in coastal regions, winters are very cold there.