What Is The Climate Of Toronto?
According to the Koppen Climate Classification, Toronto is listed as a Dfa (continental climate with no dry season and a hot summer). This makes it one of the warmest cities in Canada, and is consistent with the rest of southern Ontario, with cities such as Hamilton being in the same situation. There are many other cities that have continental climates but don’t have hot summers, such as Montreal, Edmonton, and Halifax.
A continental climate (D) is one of the five primary categories, with the others being Tropical (A), Dry (B), Temperate (C) and Tundra (E). Tropical refers to places that have an average of 18 °C (64 °F) or higher every month of the year. Dry (B) climates are known for their lack of precipitation, and Polar climates (E) are known for being cold, having no month where the average temperature is above 10 °C (50°F). However, temperate (C) climates and continental (D) climates are the most varied ones.
Both continental and temperate climates have a lot in common. They both lack the extreme temperatures of tropical and polar climates, which are both very hot and very cold respectively. They also have more precipitation than dry climates. Both continental and temperate climates have four distinctive seasons and see a wide variety of weather conditions. They are also more prone to extreme storms than any other type of climate, with thunderstorms being a regular occurrence, and tornadoes being more common than in other places. They also both have the otherwise unusual trait of leaves changing colour in the fall. Both climates have months where the average temperature is below 18 C (64 °F) and months where the average temperature is above 10 C (50 °F). The main difference is that temperate climates will have their coldest month still average above freezing, while continental climates will have their coldest month below freezing on average.
The (f) in Dfa refers to not having a dry season. If the summer (April – September) is significantly drier than winter (October – March), the (f) would be replaced with (s) meaning dry summer. If the reverse is true, it would be (w) representing a dry winter.
The (a) refers to having a hot summer, which means that at least one month has an average temperature of 22 °C (72 °F) and at least four months where the average temperature is at least 10 °C (50 °F). Had they had no months with a temperature over 22 °C (72°F), it would have been considered a warm summer (b). If it had only 1-3 months with a temperature of above 10 C (50 F), it would have been considered a cold summer (c), and if there were a month with an average temperature of below -38 C (-36 F), it would be considered a very cold winter (d).
What Is Everyday Weather Like In Toronto?
There are a few aspects of Toronto’s weather that are relatively stable throughout the entire year. Almost every month, there will be an average of about 10 days that contain precipitation, making it one of the sunniest cities in Canada. Wind speeds tend to be around 10–15 km/h (6-9 mph) throughout the entire year. Winter months tend to be on the upper end of that range, with summer being in the lower end, but usually each month fits either within that range, or only 1-2 km/h out of it in more extreme cases. This does make it one of the windiest cities in Canada. Despite the fact that tornadoes are rare, it is considered part of Canada’s tornado alley. Although major storms are rare, they are possible, with the largest anomaly being being hit by Hurricane Hazel.
What Is Spring Like In Toronto?
Spring (March–May) in Toronto is quite varied, with the beginning and end of the season being very different. The average high in Toronto is around 5 °C (41 °F) in March, with lows generally just below freezing. However, by May, these highs will be closer to 20 °C (68°F) on average, with lows around 10 °C (50°F). Even in March, most of the precipitation will be rain, although it will still snow somewhat commonly, especially early in the month. April sometimes has snow, and it will be a rarity in May. Humidity will average out to being in the mid-60s the entire season, with cloud cover starting at similar numbers, but lowering to the mid-50s by the time summer begins.
What Is Summer Like In Toronto?
Summer (June–August) in Toronto is much more consistent than spring, as each month in the season will have very similar averages, with highs of around 25 C (77 F) and lows hovering around 15 C (59 F) on average. Humidity will generally average around 70%, with cloud cover averaging between 40% and 50% throughout the season. Each month averages about 100 mm of precipitation, usually entirely made up of rain.
What Is Fall Like In Toronto?
Fall (September – November) is usually the opposite of spring, in that it starts off similar to summer, and quickly cools. Highs start at around 25 C (77 F), with lows around 15 C (59 F). However, November will have highs at around 10 °C (50°F), with lows right around freezing, with a trace amount of snow starting to fall in most years by the end of November. Humidity will average in the 70s throughout, and cloud cover will start at around 50%, and quickly increase to almost 70% by the end of the season.
What Is Winter Like In Toronto?
Despite being cold, winter (December – February) in Toronto is likely not as cold as many people likely think it is. With highs averaging around freezing, and lows from -10 C (14 F) to -5 C (23 F), there will be much more snow than rain, but it doesn’t have the frozen wasteland energy that Canada is known for. Both cloud cover and humidity will generally average around the 70s.
Is Toronto For Me?
If you want a place that’s warmer than the rest of the country, and you’re not afraid of a place that can both get plenty of rain and have lots of sun, Toronto might be the place for you. Just keep in mind the extremely high cost of living.
