Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domainSouthern Gulf Islands has some of the mildest winter nights among Canadian towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 21.6°C. Expect the most rain and snow in November and the least in July. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of Canadian towns. About 122 days a year bring 1 mm of precipitation or more.
1991–2020 normals from ECCC’s Saturna CAPMON station, 12 km east.
A year in Southern Gulf Islands at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Southern Gulf Islands’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in British Columbia beside it.
What a year in Southern Gulf Islands feels like
Each season’s and each month’s usual high and low, 1991–2020.
25 frost days and 60 days above 20°C a year
Frosts fall from November to March; January has the most, about 8.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
Rain and melted snow: about 802 mm a year
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
35 cm of snow in a typical year
Snow falls from November to March, most of all in January (about 11 cm). 250th snowiest of 252 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 Southern Gulf Islands
83% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: November to April.
The total grows by a degree for every degree a day’s mean sits under 18°C. Over a year, a home here needs less heating than 94% of Canadian towns.
Living with Southern Gulf Islands’s climate
Gardening, time outside, winter cold and summer heat, from the 1991–2020 normals.
For long days outdoors, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep bring highs of 17–27°C and lows of 8°C or more.
Parks & trails →Severe weather is a separate story from the averages: see Southern Gulf Islands’s hazards page.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Saturna CAPMON
Saturna CAPMON is a composite: ECCC joins 2 stations’ readings to make its 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 12 km east |
| Station altitude | 178 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −10.0°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 35.4°C |
| Next-nearest location | Victoria (Airport), 20 km |
How Southern Gulf Islands compares
Against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, each read from its own normals location; the dots are the other locations those towns use in British Columbia.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest places on a normals location of their own: those that share Southern Gulf Islands’s would only repeat its figures.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Gulf Islands Saturna CAPMON | 21.6°C | 2.3°C | 802 mm |
| Saltspring Island 17 km · Victoria (Airport) | 22.7°C 1.1°C warmer | 1.6°C 0.7°C colder | 901 mm |
Southern Gulf Islands weather by month
Each month’s normals, 1991–2020: high, low, mean, precipitation and snowfall.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.2°C | 2.3°C | 4.3°C | 120 mm | 11 cm |
| February | 7.2°C | 2.5°C | 4.9°C | 69 mm | 4 cm |
| March | 9.3°C | 3.5°C | 6.4°C | 75 mm | 7 cm |
| April | 12.2°C | 5.4°C | 8.8°C | 53 mm | under 1 cm |
| May | 16.0°C | 8.3°C | 12.2°C | 41 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 18.5°C | 10.5°C | 14.5°C | 33 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 21.6°C | 12.9°C | 17.3°C | 19 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 21.7°C | 13.3°C | 17.5°C | 25 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 18.5°C | 11.4°C | 14.9°C | 38 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 12.8°C | 7.6°C | 10.2°C | 91 mm | under 1 cm |
| November | 8.4°C | 4.1°C | 6.3°C | 131 mm | 5 cm |
| December | 5.8°C | 2.1°C | 4.0°C | 107 mm | 9 cm |
| Year | 13.2°C | 7.0°C | 10.1°C | 802 mm | 35 cm |
A July here can run from 7.2°C to 35.4°C
Two years in three, February’s average falls within 1.6°C of its normal of 4.9°C; August keeps to within 0.9°C.
Where Southern Gulf Islands’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals, Saturna CAPMON: the nearest of its locations with every month’s temperatures.
- Comparisons: the 2,500-plus towns and neighbourhoods of Canada, each read from its closest normals location; whole cities and reserves aren’t counted.
- Not on this page: sunshine, not in ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals, and the effect of the town’s height, for which there is no figure.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Southern Gulf Islands’s climate
How warm does Southern Gulf Islands get in summer?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 21.7°C.
How cold does Southern Gulf Islands get in winter?
Lows sink to 2.1°C on an average December night.
How much rain and snow does Southern Gulf Islands get?
Over twelve months, rain and melted snow come to 802 mm; the range runs from 19 mm in July to 131 mm in November.
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Snow cover of 1 cm or more lasts about 7 days in a typical year.
Are these figures for Southern Gulf Islands itself?
Yes, measured at Saturna CAPMON, which sits inside Southern Gulf Islands’s boundary.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Southern Gulf Islands →
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).