Northern Sunrise County is among the driest of Canadian towns: 384 mm of rain and snow a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at −20.1°C on average. Rain or snow is most frequent in June and least in February. About 206 nights a year bring a frost, more than in 96% of Canadian towns. About 76 days a year bring 1 mm of precipitation or more.
No ECCC station in Northern Sunrise County has 1991–2020 normals; the page reads Peace River, 18 km west, instead.
A year in Northern Sunrise County at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Northern Sunrise County’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Alberta beside it.
What a year in Northern Sunrise County feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals.
206 frost days and 79 days above 20°C a year
The frost season runs September to May, and January freezes nearly every night. Some 45 nights a year drop under −20°C.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
About 384 mm of rain and snow a year
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
Snowfall: about 128 cm in a normal year
Snow falls from September to May, most of all in January (about 25 cm).
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Northern Sunrise County
87% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: September to April.
Every day colder than 18°C on average adds its gap in degrees to the year’s heating total. A house here needs more heating than 98% of Canadian towns.
Living with Northern Sunrise County’s climate
What the normals mean for a garden, a day outside and the depth of winter.
From about 21 May to 13 September the garden is usually clear of frost, some 114 days.
Plan time outside for Jun, Jul and Aug: highs of 17–27°C and nights no colder than 8°C.
Parks & trails →About 78 days a year bring a wind chill under −20, when bare skin chills fast.
About 6 days a year turn sultry, with the humidex past 30.
Bad-weather days, from blizzards to floods, get their own page for Northern Sunrise County: the hazards page.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Peace River
Peace River is a composite: ECCC joins 2 stations’ readings to make its 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 18 km west |
| Station altitude | 571 m |
| Completeness | at least 25 years |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −46.5°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 33.5°C |
| Average wind | 11.9 km/h on average, most often from the south-west |
| Next-nearest location | Red Earth, 124 km |
How Northern Sunrise County compares
Compared with 2,611 towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more across Canada; the dots mark the other normals locations in Alberta.
Nearby towns’ climate
Places around Northern Sunrise County whose figures come from another normals location. No closer places have figures: these lie 94–147 km from Northern Sunrise County.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Sunrise County Peace River | 22.7°C | −20.1°C | 384 mm |
| Big Lakes County 94 km · Slave Lake | 21.8°C 0.9°C cooler | −18.2°C 1.9°C milder | 422 mm |
| Valleyview 123 km · Grande Prairie | 22.7°C about the same | −19.4°C 0.7°C milder | 435 mm |
| Saddle Hills County 147 km · Dawson Creek | 22.5°C about the same | −19.4°C 0.7°C milder | 421 mm |
Northern Sunrise County weather by month
Month by month, 1991–2020: the usual high, low and mean, the rain and snow, and the snowfall.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −9.9°C | −20.1°C | −15.0°C | 23 mm | 25 cm |
| February | −6.2°C | −17.2°C | −11.7°C | 13 mm | 16 cm |
| March | −0.5°C | −11.9°C | −6.2°C | 15 mm | 18 cm |
| April | 9.4°C | −2.9°C | 3.3°C | 19 mm | 11 cm |
| May | 17.1°C | 3.3°C | 10.2°C | 40 mm | 2 cm |
| June | 20.7°C | 8.1°C | 14.5°C | 68 mm | under 1 cm |
| July | 22.7°C | 9.9°C | 16.3°C | 62 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 21.8°C | 8.2°C | 15.0°C | 43 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 16.3°C | 3.3°C | 9.8°C | 40 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 8.4°C | −2.7°C | 2.9°C | 21 mm | 9 cm |
| November | −2.5°C | −11.6°C | −7.1°C | 20 mm | 21 cm |
| December | −8.2°C | −18.1°C | −13.2°C | 20 mm | 24 cm |
| Year | 7.4°C | −4.3°C | 1.6°C | 384 mm | 128 cm |
From year to year, December moves by 4.9°C, more than any month, and June least
Bars run from each month’s record low to its record high since 1991. April spans the most, from −30.6°C (2020) to 28.4°C (2016).
Where Northern Sunrise County’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: ECCC’s normals for Peace River, 1991–2020, chosen as the nearest location with a full temperature record.
- Comparisons: Canada’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (no city totals, no reserves), each through its own nearest location.
- Not on this page: sunshine, absent from every 1991–2020 location, and an altitude correction, for want of the town’s own elevation.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Northern Sunrise County’s climate
How warm does Northern Sunrise County get in summer?
Of all twelve months, July has the warmest afternoons, about 22.7°C.
How cold does Northern Sunrise County get in winter?
Of all twelve months, January has the coldest nights, about −20.1°C.
How much rain and snow does Northern Sunrise County get?
The yearly total is about 384 mm. June gets 68 mm, the most of any month; February gets 13 mm, the least.
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Count on about 141 days of snow cover a year, 1 cm or deeper.
Are these figures for Northern Sunrise County itself?
They describe Peace River, the nearest normals location, rather than Northern Sunrise County itself.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Northern Sunrise County →
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).