debiharper

Just wondering if there is actualy four seasons in Canada.Im getting the impression from other threads that there is just summer and winter. What is the real story?

dbd33

In Toronto: summer, winter, three weeks of mud, summer.

Island_Girl

Depends on where in Canada you are it is a big country. Here in Victoria BC (we are on the southern tip of Vancouver Island) only really get two seasons either cold and rainy or beautiful and sunny...no really great fall colors but we do get spring really early we already have cherry blossoms and spring flowers blooming.

In Northern BC where I grew up you get it all nice hot summers, beautiful fall filled with rich colors, dreadfully cold winters that never seem to end can get up to -40 or colder lots of snow...burrrrr and a nice but short spring (usually doesn't become spring in full until late May) :scared:

hot wasabi peas

Coastal BC

April-May-ish to late October: Dry season: sunny, dry, warm, blue skies.

Late October to April-Mayish: Wet season: goodbye to sunshine, dry, warmth and blue skies - hello to rain, overcast sky, ice-mist, wind storms and fog horns.

Also, on the coast, most of the greenery is evergreen so you don't have the fall colours, the bare trees in winter or the greening up in the spring - it's all green 24/7/365.

hot wasabi peas

Ah snap! you win!

Hey - where are you from up north? how long have you been in Victoria?

iaink

Definitly 4 seasons in Ontario

Winter is obvious, Dec to March. Some Snow, long periods of cold blue skies (usually)
Freezing rain at the start and end. That bits no fun.

Spring is fairly quick, wet, lots of slushy mess and mud. April & May. Bugs appear again

Summer, Hot (High 20s, low thirties) and Humid. Blue skies and thunderstorms. Good till end of August

Fall, Beautiful, lower humidity, fewer bugs, nice temps in teens / twenties, Sept- Nov

dbb lives in the city, so he wouldnt notice the mud in spring and the trees in the fall I guess

Souvenir

Here is what has happened since I moved to Gatineau at the end of August 2004.

Warm, shorts weather until the end of September. Nights getting chilly, though.

Glorious Autumn colours until near the end of October. Certainly getting colder.

Definitely getting cold in November. First light now flurries before month-end.

First major snowfall in early December. Many more to follow until about Easter. Temperatures anywhere from plus 5 to minus 30. Windchills down to below minus 40. Grass not seen for months. Snow piles next to driveway above head-height.

High-speed Spring.

May could do anything.

Early June, temperatures close to 30. Shorts on.

July, crank up the AC.

August, like June.

September, still in shorts until near the end.

Etc.

It took me 30 minutes to clear the snow from the driveway yesterday. It will be the same today.

This area definitely has seasons. Not all Canada is the same.

Grah

Well Starting January in W'peg
We'll have winter for about 4 weeks - 2'-3' of Snow on ground temps -20c to -5c odd flurries.
deep freezer for 2 weeks ( like today -38c but only -41c wind chill)
Winter for another 6 weeks

Then spring 3 weeks or as DB says Mud, odd showers
May is normally a nice 18c to 24c up and down
June, the Mosquitoes have warmed up temps 25c to 30c

Have to have your garden done by now as the gumbo will dry into rock hard lumps with the heat.

July August is around 28c to 38c and the lakes are a lovely cooling temperature. (10c but nice and refreshing)
September is normally a nice 24c to 18c up and down but wet
October 17c to -10c odd snow days but stuff soon disappears
November Winter - here Snow falls late October early November and if it warms with a late Indian summer it may disappear early December but normally after Dec 15th it falls its here until May. But it doesn't fall that much so its a slow build up to two/three feet.

Here most days are Blue Sky's and brilliant sunshine which fool you into thinking its a beautiful day out there.

So yes there is four seasons, but you only need 2 coats.
Quilted - Wind proof - Sun screen - Wind proof - Quilted.



So what do you think you'd like as seasonal changes? Each part of the Continent has its differences.

Island_Girl

Hi Wasabi

mu family moved to BC when I was 5 from the USA we settled in Prince George and I lived just over 30 years until I move to Victoria I will have been here now 5 years March 16h but who's counting...lol

Green all year, beautiful Ocean view to walk along, great storm watching in the winter...and no more go outside and shoveling the end of the driveway after the darn snowplow goes by minutes before you have to leave for work...I am sure they time it up for that exact moment...lol

( was talking to my dad about the immigration process to bring my husband to Canada from England and he was amazed as when he immigrated us to Canada he and my mom just loaded up the car and drove to the boarder and 1/2 hr later we were all PR's) oh how it has changed...if only it were the good old days...

Judy in Calgary

I explained Calgary's weather in post #15 of this thread.

Mctree

Don't forget cottage season.

dbd33

The mud I know all about. I mentioned it, three weeks of mud. I get to deal with the mud.

Autumn though is much exaggerated, the leaves here are not very colourful and we're lucky to get one dry weekend before they fall.

iaink

Sucks for you, its my favourite time of year, we are just down the road in the great scheme of things and we get the benefit to various degrees for at least a month, usually two.

my view
down the road
desktop?

dbd33

Very nice. We do drive out to look at leaves, the fire tower near Dorset is a good spot but, for us, it's a tourist thing; an hour a year is all the raking that's needed.

debiharper

I love your dog. He/She must be impossible to keep clean.