Summer arrives in force in Britannia, hotter than in 78% of Canadian towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near −14.0°C. Expect the most rain and snow in June and the least in February. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 60% of Canadian towns. Windshields need scraping on about 147 mornings a year, the days the air reaches 0°C or below.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals at its Ottawa (City) station, 6.0 km east.
A year in Britannia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Britannia’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Ontario beside it.
What a year in Britannia feels like
Each season’s and each month’s usual high and low, 1991–2020.
147 frost days and 121 days above 20°C a year
The frost season runs October to April, and January freezes nearly every night. Some 15 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
938 mm of precipitation in a typical year
On about 120 days a year, 1 mm or more falls.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
About 185 cm of snow a year
Expect snow from October to April, with about 45 cm in January, the snowiest month.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Britannia
93% 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.
Living with Britannia’s climate
Gardening, time outside, winter cold and summer heat, from the 1991–2020 normals.
The frost-free stretch runs from about 30 April to about 6 October, some 158 days in a normal year.
Mild days and mild nights together (17–27°C by day, 8°C or more at night) belong to May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep.
Parks & trails →Frostbite weather, a wind chill under −20, turns up on about 39 days a year.
A humidex above 30 marks about 50 days in a normal year.
Thirty years of averages say little about one bad storm; Britannia’s hazards page does.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Ottawa (City)
Behind the 1991–2020 normals for Ottawa (City) are 2 stations, which ECCC combines into one record.
| Distance from the town | 6.0 km east |
| Station altitude | 79 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | Yes |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −32.2°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 37.3°C |
| Average wind | 11.5 km/h on average, most often from the west |
| Next-nearest location | Ottawa (Airport), 11 km |
How Britannia compares
Compared with 2,611 towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more across Canada; the dots mark the other normals locations in Ontario.
Nearby towns’ climate
Places around Britannia whose figures come from another normals location. Britannia has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 20–21 km out.
Britannia 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 | −5.2°C | −14.0°C | −9.6°C | 65 mm | 45 cm |
| February | −3.3°C | −12.9°C | −8.1°C | 52 mm | 41 cm |
| March | 2.5°C | −6.9°C | −2.2°C | 62 mm | 31 cm |
| April | 11.2°C | 1.1°C | 6.2°C | 81 mm | 8 cm |
| May | 19.4°C | 8.0°C | 13.8°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 24.2°C | 13.3°C | 18.8°C | 95 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 26.7°C | 15.8°C | 21.3°C | 92 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 25.6°C | 14.6°C | 20.1°C | 87 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 21.1°C | 10.1°C | 15.6°C | 87 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 13.3°C | 4.1°C | 8.8°C | 90 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 5.8°C | −1.8°C | 2.0°C | 72 mm | 16 cm |
| December | −1.5°C | −8.7°C | −5.1°C | 74 mm | 43 cm |
| Year | 11.7°C | 1.9°C | 6.8°C | 938 mm | 185 cm |
From year to year, January moves by 3.1°C, more than any month, and June least
Bars run from each month’s record low to its record high since 1991. March spans the most, from −28.5°C (2003) to 26.5°C (2012).
Where Britannia’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: the closest ECCC location with twelve months of temperature normals, Ottawa (City), 1991–2020.
- 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: a sunshine figure (ECCC published none for 1991–2020) and any lapse-rate correction for height, as the town has no elevation here.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Britannia’s climate
How warm does Britannia get in summer?
At its warmest, in July, the normal high is 26.7°C.
How cold does Britannia get in winter?
The coldest nights come in January, averaging −14.0°C.
How much rain and snow does Britannia get?
Measured as water, a year brings 938 mm: 95 mm in June, the wettest month, and 52 mm in February, the driest.
How long does snow stay on the ground?
About 115 days a year have 1 cm of snow or more on the ground.
Are these figures for Britannia itself?
Nearly: Ottawa (City), the location behind them, sits just beyond Britannia’s boundary.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Britannia →
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).