Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0Shawnigan has some of the mildest winter nights among Canadian towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 22.7°C on average. Some 21°C separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of Canadian towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 20–23°C.
Shawnigan has no ECCC normals station of its own: every figure here comes from Victoria (Airport), 16 km east.
A year in Shawnigan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Shawnigan’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in British Columbia beside it.
What a year in Shawnigan feels like
Each season’s and each month’s usual high and low, 1991–2020.
About 45 frosts and 83 warm days a year
The frost season runs November to April, peaking in January at about 10 nights.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
901 mm of precipitation in a typical year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Some 119 days a year see 1 mm of rain or snow or more.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
About 39 cm of snow a year
The snow season runs November to March; December brings the most, about 12 cm.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Shawnigan
84% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: November 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 95% of Canadian towns.
Living with Shawnigan’s climate
What the normals mean for a garden, a day outside and the depth of winter.
Count on about 213 frost-free days: the last frost averages 4 April, the first 4 November.
For long days outdoors, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep bring highs of 17–27°C and lows of 8°C or more.
Parks & trails →Roughly 6 days a year feel hotter than 30 once humidity is counted.
For the weather that does damage, from ice storms to floods, see Shawnigan’s hazards page.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Victoria (Airport)
Victoria (Airport) is a composite: ECCC joins 2 stations’ readings to make its 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 16 km east |
| Station altitude | 20 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −10.5°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 36.3°C |
| Average wind | 9.7 km/h on average, most often from the west |
| Next-nearest location | Victoria (University), 33 km |
How Shawnigan compares
Placed among 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, each on its nearest normals location; each dot is another location used in British Columbia.
Nearby towns’ climate
Places around Shawnigan whose figures come from another normals location. Distances here run 25–29 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Shawnigan.
Shawnigan weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature, rain and snow (as water) and snowfall by month, 1991–2020.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.5°C | 1.6°C | 4.6°C | 155 mm | 11 cm |
| February | 8.7°C | 1.4°C | 5.0°C | 85 mm | 7 cm |
| March | 10.8°C | 2.7°C | 6.8°C | 80 mm | 4 cm |
| April | 13.7°C | 4.6°C | 9.1°C | 48 mm | 1 cm |
| May | 17.5°C | 7.6°C | 12.6°C | 37 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 20.2°C | 10.1°C | 15.2°C | 29 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 22.7°C | 11.7°C | 17.2°C | 20 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 22.6°C | 11.6°C | 17.1°C | 24 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 19.7°C | 9.2°C | 14.5°C | 36 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 14.3°C | 6.0°C | 10.2°C | 96 mm | under 1 cm |
| November | 9.9°C | 3.0°C | 6.5°C | 146 mm | 4 cm |
| December | 7.3°C | 1.5°C | 4.4°C | 146 mm | 12 cm |
| Year | 14.6°C | 5.9°C | 10.3°C | 901 mm | 39 cm |
From year to year, February moves by 1.5°C, more than any month, and August least
Records from 1991 to 2020: no month spans more than June, between 2.1°C (1991) and 33.5°C (2003).
Where Shawnigan’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: the closest ECCC location with twelve months of temperature normals, Victoria (Airport), 1991–2020.
- Comparisons: a pool of Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, read alike; whole cities and reserves stay out of it.
- 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 Shawnigan’s climate
How warm does Shawnigan get in summer?
Of all twelve months, July has the warmest afternoons, about 22.7°C.
How cold does Shawnigan get in winter?
At its coldest, in February, the normal low is 1.4°C.
How much rain and snow does Shawnigan get?
About 901 mm a year, rain and melted snow together. January is the wettest month (155 mm) and July the driest (20 mm).
How long does snow stay on the ground?
On about 8 days a year the ground keeps at least 1 cm of snow.
Are these figures for Shawnigan itself?
Not quite: they come from Victoria (Airport), the closest ECCC normals location to Shawnigan.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Shawnigan →
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).