SOUTHERN ONTARIO
WEATHER
For those of us who live in Southern Ontario, the weather is a popular topic of conversation!
From the storms of winter to the heat and humidity of summer, we love to talk and complain about it all.
However, it is a misconception to think that it is always cold here and that we Canadians live in Igloos!
Personally, I find it easy to cope with a cold, crisp Winter when I know that we are going to have a lovely Spring and a sizzling, hot Summer with lots of sunshine, ahead of us.
"Météorologique de l'Ontario"
In Spring , even after the snow has melted, Mother Nature can still surprise us with a final blizzard before the warm days arrive.
During March the snow and lakes thaw, the days become longer and the sun becomes stronger. This is my favourite time of year as the temperature in mid-March is usually mild and pleasant, with warm day time temperatures, cool evenings, and occasional rain.
In Summer this area of the country enjoys long hot summer days, with very little rain.
The average temperature here in July is 25°C (77°F) to 28°C (82°F). Unfortunately, we also experience some days of high humidity. This high humidity, along with unstable weather, can cause tornadoes to form once or twice each decade.
In Autumn we experience beautiful fall in Southern Ontario.
We have the most vibrant fall colours when all the trees begin to shed their leaves - scarlet, crimson, orange and yellow, in every hue and shade you can imagine. The days in fall are getting cooler and shorter, but the days are still sunny and warm.
Winter brings with it the beauty of the snow covered landscape, along with challenging driving conditions, when blizzards and "white outs" cause numerous traffic accidents!
In January our temperatures average -6°C (21°F) to 0°C (32°F). Sometimes, during a cold spell, the temperature may drop below -30°C (-22°F) in some parts of Southern Ontario, while in the Southwest and the Niagara region, the temperature hardly ever drops below -20°C (-4°F).
| Weather data for Southern Ontario (St Thomas / London area) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | -1 (30) | -1 (30) | 3 (37) | 12 (54) | 19 (66) | 25 (77) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 22 (72) | 14 (57) | 6 (43) | (32) | 12 (54) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -9 (16) | -11 (12) | -5 (23) | (32) | 6 (43) | 11 (52) | 14 (57) | 12 (54) | 10 (50) | 3 (37) | -1 (30) | -6 (21) | 2 (36) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) | 10 (3.9) | 8 (3.1) | 7 (2.8) | 7 (2.8) | 7 (2.8) | 7 (2.8) | 8 (3.1) | 7 (2.8) | 7 (2.8) | 7 (2.8) | 9 (3.5) | 8 (3.1) | 97 (38.2) |
| Source: Weatherbase [⁶] March 2009 | |||||||||||||
Weather in Ontario Links ...
Environment Canada - current weather conditions
Select your community from the list provided, and check the current and projected conditions
Snow - road conditions in Ontario
Detailed map of winter road conditions in Southern Ontario
Educational information from the Weather Network
A glossary of meteorological terms - useful for adults and children, and there are also games and activities
