Photo: Murray Foubister · CC BY-SA 2.0Nisga'a has some of the coolest summers among Canadian towns
In January the night’s low is typically −5.3°C. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 93% of Canadian towns. From frozen January to warm July, readings climb 27°C. The furnace earns its keep from October to April, the months that average under 10°C.
Every figure here comes from Terrace, 91 km south-east; ECCC has no normals closer to Nisga'a, so they describe the wider area.
A year in Nisga'a at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Nisga'a’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in British Columbia beside it.
What a year in Nisga'a feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals.
About 118 frosts and 55 warm days a year
Frosts fall from October to April; December has the most, about 26. About 4 days a year top 30°C.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
1,338 mm of precipitation in a typical year
The most falls in November, the least in June. Some 161 days a year see 1 mm of rain or snow or more.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
Snowfall: about 328 cm in a normal year
The snow season runs October to April; January brings the most, about 92 cm. 2nd snowiest of 253 towns of 2,500+ in British Columbia.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Nisga'a
84% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: October to April.
A day averaging 10 degrees under 18°C adds 10 to the total; warm days add nothing. By this count, homes here need less heating than 66% of Canadian towns.
Living with Nisga'a’s climate
Gardening, time outside, winter cold and summer heat, from the 1991–2020 normals.
Wait until about 25 April to plant out; frost tends to come back around 17 October, about 174 days later.
For long days outdoors, Jun, Jul and Aug bring highs of 17–27°C and lows of 8°C or more.
Parks & trails →Frostbite weather, a wind chill under −20, turns up on about 12 days a year.
About 7 days a year turn sultry, with the humidex past 30.
Averages smooth over blizzards, ice storms, floods and heat waves; Nisga'a’s hazards page covers the risks.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Terrace
ECCC builds the Terrace normals from 2 stations’ records over 1991–2020, joined where one replaced another.
| Distance from the town | 91 km south-east |
| Station altitude | 217 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −24.6°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 37.3°C |
| Average wind | 13.2 km/h on average, most often from the south |
| Next-nearest location | Stewart, 96 km |
How Nisga'a compares
Compared with 2,611 towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more across Canada; the dots mark the other normals locations in British Columbia.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest places on a normals location of their own: those that share Nisga'a’s would only repeat its figures. Nisga'a has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 106–155 km out.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nisga'a Terrace | 21.5°C | −5.3°C | 1,338 mm |
| Electoral Area B, Kitimat-Stikine 106 km · Smithers | 21.8°C about the same | −10.9°C 5.6°C colder | 506 mm |
| Prince Rupert 115 km · Holland Rock | 14.5°C 7.0°C cooler | 2.2°C 7.5°C milder | 2,143 mm |
Nisga'a weather by month
Each month’s normals, 1991–2020: high, low, mean, precipitation and snowfall.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.4°C | −5.3°C | −3.3°C | 178 mm | 92 cm |
| February | 1.6°C | −3.5°C | −1.0°C | 103 mm | 47 cm |
| March | 5.6°C | −1.3°C | 2.1°C | 90 mm | 35 cm |
| April | 11.0°C | 1.8°C | 6.4°C | 66 mm | 5 cm |
| May | 16.4°C | 5.8°C | 11.2°C | 55 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 19.1°C | 9.3°C | 14.3°C | 52 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 21.5°C | 11.7°C | 16.6°C | 59 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 21.4°C | 11.6°C | 16.5°C | 67 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 16.1°C | 8.3°C | 12.2°C | 119 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 9.1°C | 3.6°C | 6.4°C | 183 mm | 5 cm |
| November | 3.0°C | −0.7°C | 1.2°C | 190 mm | 55 cm |
| December | −0.4°C | −3.9°C | −2.1°C | 178 mm | 90 cm |
| Year | 10.3°C | 3.1°C | 6.7°C | 1,338 mm | 328 cm |
From year to year, January moves by 2.9°C, more than any month, and October least
Over 1991–2020, March saw both −19.4°C (2003) and 20.8°C (2016), the widest span of any month.
Where Nisga'a’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: ECCC’s normals for Terrace, 1991–2020, chosen as the nearest location with a full temperature record.
- Comparisons: every place of 2,500+ in Canada but the city hubs and the reserves, each on its nearest ECCC location.
- Not on this page: sunshine (no 1991–2020 normals exist for it) and any altitude adjustment, since there is no elevation for the town itself.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Nisga'a’s climate
How warm does Nisga'a get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 21.5°C.
How cold does Nisga'a get in winter?
Lows sink to −5.3°C on an average January night.
How much rain and snow does Nisga'a get?
The year adds up to 1,338 mm. November is the peak month (190 mm) and June the low one (52 mm).
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Around 90 days a year see 1 cm of snow or more lying.
Are these figures for Nisga'a itself?
They are the figures for Terrace, which read better as the region’s climate than Nisga'a’s own.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Nisga'a →
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).