Weather Winners

2013-05-25 10:18 EDT
Ottawa, ON
Category Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans) Rank Definition
Hottest summer 19 the highest average afternoon temperature in June, July, and August.
Coldest winter 49 the lowest average night-time temperature in December, January, and February.
Coolest summer 82 the lowest average afternoon temperature in June, July and August.
Mildest winter 60 the highest average afternoon temperature in December, January and February.
Coldest spring 66 the lowest average daily temperature in March, April and May.
Coldest year-round 62 the lowest average of all daily temperatures for the year.
Warmest year-round 39 the highest average of all daily temperatures for the year.
Most freezing days 63 the greatest number of days annually with the lowest temperature at or below 0°C.
Fewest freezing days 38 the fewest number of days annually with the lowest temperature at or below 0 °C.
Most hot days (30°C or above) 22 the greatest number of days annually with a daily high temperature of 30°C or above.
Most cold days (-20°C or less) 51 the greatest number of days annually with a daily low temperature of -20°C or below.
Most hot and cold days 46 the greatest number of days annually with daily highs of 30°C or above and daily lows of -20°C or below.
Warmest spring 34 the highest average daily temperature in March, April and May.
Warmest fall 43 the highest average daily temperature in September, October and November.
Wettest city (rain and snow) 49 the greatest total annual rain and snow.
Driest city 52 the least amount of total annual rain and snow.
Snowiest city 34 the greatest total annual snowfall (cm).
Lowest snowfall 67 the least amount of total annual snowfall (cm).
Snowiest fall 47 the greatest total snowfall in September, October and November.
Snowiest spring 30 the greatest total snowfall in March, April and May.
Snowfall as a % of precipitation 53 the annual total snowfall (cm) as a % of annual total precipitation (mm).
Rainiest city 54 the greatest total annual rainfall (mm).
Most wet days 41 the greatest number of days annually with measurable precipitation at or above 0.2 mm.
Most very wet days (25 mm or more) 41 the greatest number of days annually with precipitation at or more than 25 mm.
Most dry days 60 the greatest number of days annually with no measurable precipitation.
Most snow days 28 the greatest number of days annually with measurable snowfall at or above 0.2 cm.
Fewest snow days 73 the fewest number of days annually with measurable snowfall at or above 0.2 cm.
Most heavy snowfall days (10 cm or more) 36 the greatest number of days annually with a snowfall at or above 10 cm.
Most huge snowfall days (25 cm or more) 31 the greatest number of days annually with a snowfall at or above 25 cm.
Longest snow cover season (days) 43 the greatest number of days annually with snow covering the ground to a depth of at least 1 cm.
Most deep snow cover days (10 cm or more) 36 the greatest number of days annually with snow covering the ground to a depth of at least 10 cm.
Greatest average snow depth January 31 34 the deepest median daily snow depth on January 31.
Most freezing rain days 10 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of freezing rain or drizzle.
Most blowing snow days 35 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of blowing snow.
Most thunderstorm days 36 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of a thunderstorm.
Fewest thunderstorm days 65 the fewest number of days annually with an occurrence of a thunderstorm.
Foggiest city (days) 33 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of fog (fog, ice fog or freezing fog).
Fewest fog days 68 the fewest number of days annually with an occurrence of fog (fog, ice fog, or freezing fog).
Most smoke and haze days 13 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of smoke or haze.
Sunniest year-round 27 the greatest number of hours annually with sunshine.
Least sunshine year-round 74 the fewest number of hours annually with sunshine.
Sunniest winter 21 the greatest number of hours of sunshine in December, January and February.
Sunniest summer 44 the greatest number of hours of sunshine in June, July and August.
Sunniest spring 36 the greatest number of hours of sunshine in March, April and May.
Sunniest fall 45 the greatest number of hours of sunshine in September, October and November.
Most sunny days year-round 31 the greatest number of days annually with an occurrence of sunshine.
Fewest sunny days year-round 70 the fewest number of days annually with an occurrence of sunshine.
Most sunny days in cold months 33 the greatest number of days from November through March inclusive with an occurrence of sunshine.
Most sunny days in warm months 42 the greatest number of days from May through September inclusive with an occurrence of sunshine.
Most heating degree-days 58 the greatest number of heating degree-days annually (accumulated average daily temperature below 18°C).
Most cooling degree-days 12 the greatest number of cooling degree-days annually (accumulated average daily temperature above 18°C).
Most growing degree-days 20 the greatest number of growing degree-days annually (accumulated average daily temperature above 5°C).
Highest average pressure 49 the highest hourly average sea level pressure (kPa) annually.
Lowest average pressure 34 the lowest hourly average sea level pressure (kPa) annually.
Greatest average pressure difference 44 the greatest difference between highest and lowest monthly average sea level pressure (kPa).
Most hours with low visibility 33 the greatest number of hours per year where the visibility is less than 1 km.
Clearest skies year-round 30 the greatest number of hours annually with total cloud amount between 0 and 2 tenths.
Cloudiest skies year-round 44 the greatest number of hours annually with total cloud amount between 8 and 10 tenths.
Most clear skies in summer 43 the greatest number of hours in June, July and August with total cloud amount between 0 and 2 tenths.
Windiest city year-round 53 the highest average hourly wind speed (km/h) annually.
Lightest wind speed year-round 30 the lowest average hourly wind speed (km/h) annually.
Windiest winter 46 the highest average hourly wind speed (km/h) in December, January and February.
Windiest summer 63 the highest average hourly wind speed (km/h) in June, July and August.
Most days with light wind (5 km/h or less) 47 the greatest number of days with at least one hour's wind speed at or less than 5 km/h.
Most windy days (40 km/h or more) 60 the greatest number of days annually with at least one hour's wind speed above 40 km/h.
Extreme wind chill 46 the highest wind chill in the period between 1952 and 2000.
Most high wind chill days (-30 or less) 39 the greatest number of days with an occurrence of wind chill less than -30.
Humidex days at or above 30 15 the greatest number of days annually with humidex at or above 30.
High humidex days at or above 35 13 the greatest number of days annually with humidex at or above 35.
Most humid summer city 20 the highest average hourly vapour pressure (kPa) in June, July and August.
Driest winter air 36 the lowest average hourly vapour pressure (kPa) in December, January and February.
Driest summer air 63 the lowest average hourly vapour pressure (kPa) in June, July and August.
Sunniest fall
City Rank Value
Medicine Hat   AB   1   517.32 hrs  
Calgary   AB   2   512.08 hrs  
Estevan   SK   3   497.69 hrs  
Swift Current   SK   4   488.57 hrs  
Lethbridge   AB   5   474.11 hrs  
Moose Jaw   SK   6   470.70 hrs  
Brandon   MB   7   466.31 hrs  
Regina   SK   8   463.47 hrs  
Cranbrook   BC   9   453.55 hrs  
Halifax Airport   NS   10   452.49 hrs  
Edmonton   AB   11   452.39 hrs  
Yorkton   SK   12   444.64 hrs  
Saskatoon   SK   13   441.66 hrs  
Red Deer   AB   14   435.57 hrs  
Portage la Prairie   MB   15   432.08 hrs  
Victoria   BC   16   431.28 hrs  
Saint John   NB   17   430.50 hrs  
Winnipeg   MB   18   429.11 hrs  
Sarnia   ON   19   427.70 hrs  
Windsor   ON   20   427.19 hrs  
Toronto Island   ON   21   420.02 hrs  
Kamloops   BC   22   417.19 hrs  
Bathurst   NB   23   415.67 hrs  
Fredericton   NB   24   412.68 hrs  
Vernon   BC   25   412.54 hrs  
Moncton   NB   26   412.48 hrs  
Brockville   ON   27   410.80 hrs  
Penticton   BC   28   408.47 hrs  
Hamilton   ON   29   407.30 hrs  
St. Catharines   ON   30   402.98 hrs  
Cold Lake   AB   31   402.89 hrs  
Barrie   ON   32   402.69 hrs  
Courtenay   BC   33   401.80 hrs  
Montréal   QC   34   400.73 hrs  
Nanaimo   BC   35   400.39 hrs  
Duncan   BC   36   400.39 hrs  
Prince Albert   SK   37   398.65 hrs  
Kelowna   BC   38   398.10 hrs  
Kingston   ON   39   397.15 hrs  
Belleville   ON   40   397.15 hrs  
Brantford   ON   41   396.02 hrs  
Kentville   NS   42   395.22 hrs  
Stratford   ON   43   394.22 hrs  
Fort St. John   BC   44   393.03 hrs  
Ottawa   ON   45   391.80 hrs  
Summerside   PE   46   391.60 hrs  
Grande Prairie   AB   47   388.84 hrs  
Vancouver   BC   48   388.14 hrs  
Campbellton   NB   49   387.87 hrs  
Abbotsford   BC   50   387.36 hrs  
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu   QC   51   386.53 hrs  
Guelph   ON   52   384.74 hrs  
Williams Lake   BC   53   384.58 hrs  
Thunder Bay   ON   54   379.31 hrs  
Midland   ON   55   379.06 hrs  
Trois-Rivières   QC   56   378.84 hrs  
Woodstock   ON   57   378.38 hrs  
Sept-Îles   QC   58   376.34 hrs  
Charlottetown   PE   59   376.13 hrs  
Baie-Comeau   QC   60   375.53 hrs  
Edmundston   NB   61   374.84 hrs  
Oshawa   ON   62   372.70 hrs  
Cornwall   ON   63   370.24 hrs  
Joliette   QC   64   369.93 hrs  
Sorel-Tracy   QC   65   369.93 hrs  
Sydney   NS   66   369.42 hrs  
Owen Sound   ON   67   367.14 hrs  
Shawinigan   QC   68   363.44 hrs  
Peterborough   ON   69   363.33 hrs  
London   ON   70   360.74 hrs  
Kitchener-Waterloo   ON   71   359.10 hrs  
Québec City   QC   72   356.95 hrs  
Sherbrooke   QC   73   351.75 hrs  
Sudbury   ON   74   350.01 hrs  
Truro   NS   75   349.14 hrs  
Fort McMurray   AB   76   347.76 hrs  
Drummondville   QC   77   342.68 hrs  
Pembroke   ON   78   338.07 hrs  
North Bay   ON   79   338.01 hrs  
Prince George   BC   80   337.63 hrs  
Sault Ste. Marie   ON   81   335.36 hrs  
Alma   QC   82   334.41 hrs  
Saint-Hyacinthe   QC   83   327.56 hrs  
Rimouski   QC   84   323.86 hrs  
Rivière-du-Loup   QC   85   323.86 hrs  
Gander   NL   86   321.01 hrs  
Port Alberni   BC   87   320.42 hrs  
St. John's   NL   88   317.14 hrs  
Kenora   ON   89   315.34 hrs  
Chicoutimi-Jonquière   QC   90   311.58 hrs  
Chilliwack   BC   91   305.56 hrs  
Campbell River   BC   92   300.35 hrs  
Thompson   MB   93   298.67 hrs  
Val-d'Or   QC   94   291.70 hrs  
Corner Brook   NL   95   291.43 hrs  
Rouyn-Noranda   QC   96   279.68 hrs  
Whitehorse   YT   97   267.43 hrs  
Timmins   ON   98   262.11 hrs  
Yellowknife   NT   99   259.28 hrs  
Prince Rupert   BC   100   230.66 hrs  

From St. John's to Victoria, Canadians love to brag about the weather that they endure (or enjoy!). Surely their community must get the most in the entire country! But which Canadian city really is the rainiest, the snowiest or the windiest? And where is the sunshine capital?

To find the answers, David Phillips, Environment Canada's Senior Climatologist, and the nation's favourite weather guru, has analyzed 30 years of recent weather data for Canada's 100 largest cities. His results will not only provide for entertaining conversations around the dinner table, but will also be of assistance to local governments, Chambers of Commerce, tourism and recreation businesses and those seeking weather havens for retirement or health purposes.

Source: http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/winners/intro_e.html Oct 12, 2010.

The historical weather data, forecast and current conditions graphics are courtesy of Environment Canada. The information presented is combined from multiple Environment Canada data sources and all effort is made to be accurate. However, if you find something missing or incorrect please send feedback. Don't make life or death decisions based on information you find here. :-) Please see the "about" page for links to the official Environment Canada data.