When people think of Canada, they think of snow and cold weather. In reality though, there are a lot of places in Canada that are quite warm throughout the year. The weather just depends on where you go.
There are some cities that are hotter than others in the summer, some that get more intense winters and others that have mild weather all year round.
Best Cities for Weather in Each Province
One thing that's important to remember regarding weather in Canada is that, even in the same provinces, a lot of the cities have different climates. The father apart they get, the more differences you notice as well.
British Columbia
BC offers a lot of different climates. There are areas that are very rainy throughout the year and then you have more interior areas that get hot summers but more intense winters as well. Some parts of BC are more rainforest areas, while others have more desert-like climates. One city however that has a more mild climate but still gorgeous weather is Victoria.
Victoria is a gorgeous city located in southern British Columbia on Vancouver Island. They offer some of the mildest temperatures in BC with an average of 12 degrees celsius to 20 degrees celsius in the summer, Their winter temperatures are between 4 degrees celsius and 8 degrees celsius. It's not often you will find winter temperatures that drop below zero degrees celsius. This actually makes it the warmest city in Canada in the winter.
This is only one of the reasons that people choose to live here. Victoria is actually the capital city of BC and offers a wide variety of history and architecture. They also have some of the most beautiful waterfront parks and gardens. Because of the climate and the landscape, Victoria offers a wider variety of outdoor activities for adventure enthusiasts as well. If you want something more mild, though, there are plenty of places to swim and trails you can hike. A little bit of something for everyone.
Alberta
In Alberta, the climate is a little bit different than that of BC. This is because it's located in the prairie region of Canada. Located within this prairie region is Medicine Hat. This town is actually considered to be one of the sunniest cities in Canada. This is because they get really hot summers with limited rainfall. They get a large number of days during the summer that range between 20 degrees celsius and 30 degrees celsius.
In Medicine Hat, these long sunny days usually start around late May and end something during early September. That said, the great thing about this climate is that, while the days are hot, the nights are cool. This helps to balance out the temperatures and make the heat more tolerable. In the winter though, while it's more mild than other parts of the country, the weather tends to be snowy and windy, as well as the occasional freezing temperatures.
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, there are a few places that have beautiful weather, but the place with the best weather is a little town called Maple Creek. Maple Creek is located west of Swift Current. The reason it has the warmest weather is, because of its location, it receives warm air currents from the United States. They only really get 5 rainy days per month as well.
This small town is full of charm and history. There are plenty of outdoor activities, including large parks. There are all sorts of unique geographical features to see as well as restaurants and museums to check out.
Manitoba
Inherently, Manitoba is a cold province. That said, some places in Manitoba are warmer than others. One of the warmest places in the province is Brandon. In the summer, the temperatures can often be at least 30 degrees celsius or higher. Because there is less humidity here than other provinces, making it more tolerable with the high temperatures.
Because of the warm temperatures in Brandon, they are actually known for their fields of Sunflowers. They thrive here because of the hot summer temperatures. Brandon is also home to lots of events and festivals throughout the year. They are also a large tourist attraction due to their nice downtown core full of stores, restaurants and attractions.
Ontario
Ontario can have pretty intense winters. There are towns that have higher yearly average temperatures than others. One of the most notable is a city close to the Niagara region called St. Catherines. It's close to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Part of the reason it's so much warmer than other parts of Ontario is that it's provided some shelter by the Niagara Escarpment. This is what makes it a microclimate and makes it less cold in the winter than other parts of the province.
In St. Catherines there is plenty to do. They have one of the oldest farmers markets in Ontario. They also have more than 120 shops as well as over 50 cafes and restaurants. There are even tons of heritage sites, especially through the downtown core.
Newfoundland and Labrador
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the temperatures differ depending on where you live. In the north the temperatures are colder and they get warmer as you go further south. It becomes the warmest in the lower Exploits and Humber valleys. They can experience an average daily high temperature of up to 30 degrees celsius. These temperatures go through to late August and early September. After that the risk increases for tropical storms.
Newfoundland, especially southern Newfoundland is a great place to visit. It's a great way to experience wildlife in their natural habitat. They have great food, plenty of waterfalls to go to, lots of historical and cultural experiences, as well as tons of water based activities.
New Brunswick
Another Canadian province that does tend to be on the colder side is New Brunswick. One of the warmest places here is Fredericton. It's also known as the sunniest city in the province because it gets over 2,000 days of sunshine per year.
While Fredericton is sunny and has higher summer temperature, because it's located inland, it's also one of the coldest in the winter. It has a climate that's known as semi-continental. In the winter there is usually snow greater than 1 cm in depth over 100 days per year.
Throughout the year, Fredericton offers some of the best music festivals, best art galleries, taprooms, breweries, walking and hiking trails, and year round markets. It has a unique mix of activities for outdoor enthusiasts as well as some amazing food, nightlife and culture. There is plenty to do for everyone.
Prince Edward Island
In PEI, the weather is generally the same all over the province. That said, one of the places in PEI that does have the nicest weather is Souris. This is because it's close to Singing Sands Beach. It has some of the warmest waters in PEI.
The weather here is relatively mild. The summer is warm but not too hot. They also tend to be partly cloudy. The winters, however, tend to be cold, snowy and yet still cloudy. The average yearly temperatures range from -10 degrees celsius to 22 degrees celsius.
The main attraction in this area is Basin Head Provincial Park, besides the Singing Sands Beach. There are tons of local activities, sightseeing as well as a local historic lighthouse. This is a small family oriented town that has an economy based around the fishing industry.
Quebec
In Quebec, the climate is relatively the same. That said, the warmest area around Quebec is Montreal. They have a climate that is known as humid continental. The average summer temperatures range around 26 degrees celsius to 27 degrees celsius. The average winter temperatures sit around 1 degree celsius.
If you haven't been to Montreal, it's the largest city in Quebec. Living here means that you are close to everything the big city has to offer. There are tons of local restaurants, night life, festivals and more. The city is full of culture and history. It also has outdoor activities as well as small towns that are less urban close by.
The biggest draw to Montreal though is winter activities. Here and throughout Quebec you can go winter hiking, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, and even indoor or outdoor ice skating. Since the winter months are cool but not freezing cold, it makes these activities much more enjoyable. The great thing about these ski hills too is that in the summer months they can be used for mountain biking.
Nova Scotia
Halifax, which coincidentally is also the capital of Nova Scotia, is the warmest city in the province. It also happens to be the warmest city in eastern Canada. This is mostly due to the location of it right on the shores of the Atlantic. However, it's still on the east coast so it's still going to be a bit colder than if you are used to weather on the west coast.
In the winter, the coldest it gets in Halifax is -15 degrees celsius. In the summer months though, it can go as high as 24 degrees celsius. Essentially, the winter temperatures are higher than other Nova Scotia cities. The summer temps are also lower.
Fun fact, Halifax is actually known as Canada's Ocean playground. This is because it's surrounded by beaches and the ocean. That's just the beginning of the natural beauty that you can find in Halifax. But that's not all you can find there. Since Halifax is up and coming there are plenty of job opportunities, community events and culture.
Warmest Places in Canada to Retire
When it comes to finding a place to retire, there are plenty of options available. That said, many of those who are at retirement age look for not only a place that's affordable but also has a warmer climate. The two most commonly chosen places are actually in the same province: British Columbia.
Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast is a popular place to retire. Not only is it more affordable than the larger cities, but it's also a gorgeous place to live. While it's still technically on the mainland, you do need to take at least one ferry to get there.
There are plenty of places on the sunshine coast for those who are wanting to retire. If living on your own isn't what you want, there are also retirement communities available at affordable prices. The isolation makes it quiet and there are plenty of outdoor activities to do as well.
Kelowna
Another popular place to retire in Canada is Kelowna. A few of its key features are the fact that it's known for its outdoor activities as well as its vineyards and orchards. These amazing features directly tie into the fact that Kelowna is one of the warmest Canadian cities. The summers are hot and dry while they have snowy and cold winters. There is a good balance of cold versus hot. There is even a good mix of partly cloudy skies in there as well.
Another reason that people choose Kelowna is that it's more affordable. The property tax rate is fairly low. The housing prices are also much lower than some of the larger cities with the average price of a housing at $700,000 and the average rent being around $1,300 per month.
Canada's Warmest City
Located in the Okanagan in British Columbia is Osoyoos. The average daily temperature there is 17 degrees celsius, which is the warmest in Canada. In the summertime, they can have up to 35 days that have temperatures as high as 30 degrees celsius.
Osoyoos is a relatively small town of around 5,000 people. It's also a tourist attraction. This has a lot to do with the fact there are a lot of vineyards in the Osoyoos area. Things grow well here because of the hot summer days but the cool summer nights. In the winter, however, the average temperatures are known to be around -2 degrees celsius and -3 degrees celsius. Temperatures have been known to be as low as -26 degrees celsius in the winter and as high as 45 degrees celsius in the summer.
Warmest Canadian City Year Round
Victoria isn't just one of the warmest cities in BC, it's also one of the warmest cities year round. Maybe even the warmest. This is because they have both mild winters and summers. The average annual temperature is 9.9 degrees celsius.
While we did discuss some of the things that Victoria can offer above, it's actually a gorgeous place to either live or visit. And it's just a ferry ride away from Vancouver, British Columbia. It's a pretty populated area with a population of over 39,000 people and has many thriving industries including:
- Tourism
- Education
- Construction
- Marine use
- Retail
- Agriculture
- IT Technology
The mild weather and climate also allow for year round activities as well. There are castles as well as other historical landmarks in the area. They have plenty of outdoor markets to visit and there is the must do tourist event of having high tea at the Empress hotel.
Province With the Best Weather
While all of Canada is gorgeous, there are different climates that contribute to the different landscapes around the country. WIth all that in mind though, the warmest province is British Columbia. This really isn't that surprising since the warmest city in Canada is Victoria.
The highest average temperature throughout the province is a daily average of 7.6 degrees celsius and average lows of 1.5 degrees celsius. Generally, the only time you experience the lowest temperature is during the month of January.
Even though the weather is mild in BC, some places are warmer or colder than others. If you don't love snow, it's a good idea to stay in southern BC. As you get closer to northern BC, the more snow you will encounter.
Warmest and Cheapest Place in Canada
While the warmest city in Canada is Victoria, it's not exactly the cheapest. It might actually surprise you to know that the warmest city in Canada with a relatively low cost of living is actually in Ontario. It's Cornwall, Ontario to be exact.
Cornwall is located on the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. It has relatively warm weather for around 8 months of the year, and for the rest it can get a bit cold and snowy. They actually get a lot of precipitation too with roughly about 12 days per month having rain. The average daily temperature is usually around 25 degrees celsius in the Summer and -3 degrees celsius in the winter months.
The cost of living in Cornwall isn't as high as it is for many other Canadian cities. In fact, it's roughly $2,900 for a single person to live here. That's rent, food and everything else included. If you are looking to purchase a home, then the average cost of a single family dwelling is between $375,000 and $417, 000. This is much lower than other parts of Canada.
Warmest City with the Most Sun
The warmest city in Canada with the most sun is Calgary, Alberta. They get around 2,405 hours of sun per year or 333 days of sunshine. Edmonton falls in at a close second with 2299 hours of sun per year or 321 days. The average summer temperature here sits around 25 degrees celsius to 30 degrees celsius. In the winter, it can get as low as -30 degrees celsius.
Many people move to Calgary because it's a major city. It's also one of the world's cleanest cities. They have low sales taxes, the transit is reliable and environmentally friendly. It's also one of the top ranked cities in Canada for healthcare, culture, environment and stability. They also have lots to see such as festivals, national parks as well as historical landmarks and museums. In a place like this you have everything for those who love city life or just prefer some national park camping.
The cost of living in Calgary is also lower than some of the other provinces. Rent prices average somewhere around $1,300 per month. Purchasing a single family home costs around $600,000. Still expensive, but you get to live in a large city without paying at least $1,000,000,000 for a home. In total, including rent, the cost of living for a single person is around $3,300 per month.
Other Great Places to Live in Canada
When it comes to the warmest places to live, we haven't gone over them all. There are plenty of other little cities and towns that offer a great place to live with decent weather. There's Oshawa, Ontario that is a bit colder but has bearable temperatures and offers a good cost of living and plenty of work in manufacturing railway maintenance equipment. There's also places like Lytton or Kamloops in BC that have hot summers yet, some of the milder winters in Canada. In general though, the farther you are away from the city, the cheaper the cost of living will be. You may also find some really great places that many people don't know about.
Overview
As we previously mentioned, Canada isn't quite as cold all of the time as many people think it is. There are plenty of places in Canada that have very hot and humid summers or milder winters. There are some places that have terrible winters and cold summers. It really just depends where that place is geographically located.
This is something you should pay attention to when you are looking to move. You should also keep in mind the cost of living you can afford as well. Not all provinces pay the same amount of money, or cost the same amount. This can define how much you need to make in order to pay all of your bills but still live comfortably.
As the cost of living and inflation increases, many Canadians are looking into moving to more affordable places. Weather can be a big factor in choosing these places. It's resulting in many more young families moving to smaller towns and increasing their populations. While this isn't a bad thing, it's important to do your research before you make such a life changing decision.
