Is Canada that cold?

Canadians discuss the weather…a lot. We enjoy the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. For many international students the changing seasons are a sight to behold. The colours of autumn or the first snowfall may be a new experience for you!

Is Canada that cold?

Due to Canada’s expansive and diverse terrain, the weather that you will experience during any of the four seasons depends on the region of the country that you are in. Click here to see a list of 72 weather categories and the Canadian city that fits each. Is your Canadian city on the list?

Weather Forecast

Environment Canada offers more than just the weather forecast; you can view various types of environmental news. From astronomy, aviation, and marine weather to air quality or ozone, Environment Canada will keep you informed. You can also visit The Weather Network to get the weather forecast for your area and look at interactive maps for highway conditions, traffic cams, and more. From stargazing to pollen reports (mind your allergies!) to the UV index, The Weather Network website offers so much more than just the weather. You can even upload your favourite pictures of Canadian weather! Visit Statistics Canada to view temperature and precipitation statistics for major Canadian cities.

Be Aware

Temperature extremes may exist regardless of what the thermometer reads. In the summer you need to pay attention to the humidex, which measures the amount of humidity in the air and can make it feel much warmer than it actually is. On the opposite end is the wind chill, which measures the wind and how it can make it feel much colder than it actually is. In the winter months, you need to understand the wind chill forecast and how quickly the wind chill can affect you. The weather forecast will tell you what the actual temperature is and give another “feels like” temperature that will be colder. For example, the weather person will say “it is -20 degrees Celsius but with the wind chill it feels like -28 degrees Celsius”. So you will know that you need to prepare for weather at the colder temperature (i.e., dress warmly, cover exposed skin, take shelter from the wind etc). Environment Canada explains wind chill very well and is a great resource for better understanding. Included below is Environment Canada’s guide to understanding the hazards of wind chill and what to do to prevent or alleviate it.

*In sustained winds over 50 km/h, frostbite can occur faster than indicated.

Environment Canada’s Top 10 Weather Stories Archive chronicles extraordinary Canadian weather events dating back to 1996.