Vancouver Current Weather
Vancouver Weather Overview
The weather in Vancouver is chiefly influenced by it’s proximity to the Strait of Georgia as well as the urban density of a particular community. The downtown peninsula can be several degrees warmer during winter nights than areas in the southeast portions of the city. During a cold spell, snow can lie on the ground for a week or more in parts of the city, while parks downtown are bare.
| Sunshine |
| Sunshine in Vancouver is highest in the southwestern portions of the city, to the south of the University of British Columbia (UBC), and tends to be lowest in the northeast portions, closer to the mountains. Given it’s northern position within the city of Vancouver, downtown Vancouver receives less sunshine than southern portions of the city, such as Marpole. In fact, the Vancouver Harbour weather station, located on Deadman’s Island in Coal Harbour receives about 5% less sunshine than Vancouver airport, located in Richmond. |
| Rainfall |
| Rainfall within the city of Vancouver increases from west to east and from south to north. The differences can be significant, with downtown Vancouver receiving at least 20% more rainfall than southwestern portions of the city. Areas around Hastings-Sunrise receive even slightly more rainfall. Even within the downtown peninsula, Stanley Park receives notably more rainfall than Yaletown! |
| Snowfall |
| Snowfall in Vancouver is determined by 3 factors: elevation, proximity to the ocean and urban development. In general, areas further away from the ocean, and at a higher elevation (such as Oakridge and Renfrew-Collingwood), receive more snowfall. Snow accumulation within downtown is greatly reduced due to a significant urban heat island affect as well as the surrounding water. In fact, driving south from downtown, across the Granville or Burrard Bridges, after a snowfall often illustrates this. |
| Summer Temperatures |
| Summer maximum temperatures in Vancouver are primarily determined by proximity to the ocean, while the urban heat island affect has a great impact on minimum temperatures. Maximum temperatures are coolest in areas along the water, such as downtown and UBC, while they are greatest in the southeastern portions of the city. |
| Winter Temperatures |
| Located in the western portion of Metro Vancouver, winter temperatures are slightly milder in Vancouver than Metro Vancouver as a whole. Overnight minimums are especially mild in areas along the water where there is a strong urban heat island affect, such as False Creek and downtown. |
Vancouver Average Temperatures
| December/January | July/August |
| Max: 7°C Min: 1°C to 3°C | Max: 21°C to 24°C Min: 13°C to 15°C |
Vancouver Weather Links
| Vancouver Current Weather Conditions (Current weather conditions across Vancouver from The Weather Underground, compiled from amateur weather stations. Select which data you’d like to display on the right, and click on a particular station for more information.) |
| Environment Canada Forecast for Central Metro Vancouver (This is the forecast for Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster from Environment Canada) |
| Metro Vancouver Weather Alerts (Weather warnings for Metro Vancouver from Environment Canada.) |
| Southern BC Weather Forums (A weather forum for southern BC, primarily Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.) |