Canada
Weather
Canada, due to its size, has many different climates. In December
southern Canada receives 8 hours of daylight while the northern tip
receives none. Northern Canada in the winter receives very little
solar radiation, therefore temperature differences from North to South
are extensive.
The average maximum January temperature at the tip of Ellesmere Island
in the north is -28 C, that of Windsor, Ontario is -0.7 C.
The long summer days in northern Canada produce a much smaller
difference, with maximum temperatures in July of 6.8 C for the north and
27.8 C for the south. The annual precipitation ranges from 100 mm in the
Arctic to over 1500 mm on the windward side of British Columbia's
mountains.
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories have an average temperature of -10 C for 6 (or
more) months of the year, the northern tundra is permanently frozen
approximately a half km deep.
British Columbia
British Columbia's major contrast is between the coast and the interior,
but there are also significant variations between valley and upland and
between the north and south. The average January mean temperature is 0 C
at most coastal regions with July recording an average mean temperature
of 15 C. The interior of British Columbia has an average daily mean
January temperature ranging from -10 C to -15 C while the northeastern
plains are a cold -20 C or more. The southern interior in the summer
records a July average monthly temperature of more than 20 C, but
farther north on the central interior plateau an average of about 15 C.
.
Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
Alberta experiences cold winters and fairly short, cool summers.
Precipitation is low with annual readings of 300 mm in the southeast to
400-450 mm in the north. Alberta records January mean temperatures of -8
C in the south to -24 C in the north and July mean temperatures ranging
from 20 C in the south to 16 C in the north. The climate of Saskatchewan
ranges from cold and snowy with brief summers in the north to a moderate
climate to semi-arid in the southwest. Temperatures of -50 C in
January have been recorded. Manitoba's winters are very cold.
Nearly two-thirds of Manitoba's annual precipitation falls during the
summer months. Frost-free days range from 100-120.
Central Canada (Ontario, Quebec)
In the north, near Hudson Bay, the mean daily temperature ranges from 15
C in July to -25 C in January. Southwestern Ontario records mean daily
temperatures of -6 C in January and 22 C in July. The meeting of cold,
dry air from the north and west with the warm, humid currents from the
south causes a great deal of snow to fall in the winter months.
In summer, humidity and heavy rain take the place of snow.
Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,
Newfoundland and Labrador)
There is a relatively high snowfall and adequate summer rainfall.
New Brunswick's northwest region receives more than one-third of its
precipitation as snow. The coastal region is several degrees warmer with
only 15 to 20% of annual precipitation being snow. The average
frost-free period ranges from about 100 days in the northwest to 170
along the Fundy coast. Average January temperature in Nova Scotia is
about -4 C with the summer mean temperatures in the high teens Celsius.
The coastal areas are milder and wetter than the interior.
Nova Scotia averages 160 frost-free days along the coast and 100
in parts of the interior. Prince Edward Island's winters are long
with an average mean temperature of -7 C in January and 18 C in July.
The annual precipitation averages 1120 mm.
Winter in Newfoundland is very cold with mean temperatures
averaging -20 C, and summers are cool with a July mean temperature of
5-10 C. Precipitation is low with an annual average of 460 mm, of which
50% falls as snow.
Labrador's mean temperatures in January are -18 C to -23 C with
July recording mean temperatures of 13 C to 17 C. Newfoundland receives
the most fog, freezing rain and wind of any Canadian province.
