Afternoon heat in Laurentian beats that of 78% of Canadian towns
January nights here settle around −14.0°C. Counting rain and snow together, it is wetter than 60% of Canadian towns. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. About 120 days a year bring 1 mm of precipitation or more.
Read at Ottawa (City), 3.3 km east: ECCC’s normals for 1991–2020.
A year in Laurentian at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Laurentian’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Ontario beside it.
What a year in Laurentian feels like
Seasons and months as ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals give them: a typical day’s high and low.
About 147 frosts and 121 warm days a year
From October to April frost is routine, and in January it comes on almost every night. Deep cold, under −20°C, comes on about 15 nights a year.
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
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
Snowfall: about 185 cm in a normal year
The snow season runs October to April; January brings the most, about 45 cm.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Laurentian
93% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: October to April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s mean temperature falls below 18°C over a year.
Living with Laurentian’s climate
What the normals mean for a garden, a day outside and the depth of winter.
Between the last frost, near 30 April, and the first, near 6 October, lie about 158 frost-free days.
Plan time outside for May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep: highs of 17–27°C and nights no colder than 8°C.
Parks & trails →Count on some 39 days a year when the wind makes it feel below −20.
Humid summer days, the humidex above 30, number about 50 a year.
For the weather that does damage, from ice storms to floods, see Laurentian’s hazards page.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Ottawa (City)
Ottawa (City) is a composite: ECCC joins 2 stations’ readings to make its 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 3.3 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), 9.7 km |
How Laurentian 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 Laurentian whose figures come from another normals location. Laurentian has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 19–28 km out.
Laurentian 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 | −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 |
In March, anything from −28.5°C to 26.5°C
January is the least predictable month: about two years in three its average lands within 3.1°C of the normal, −9.6°C. June is the steadiest, within 1.1°C.
Where Laurentian’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: ECCC’s 1991–2020 Canadian Climate Normals for Ottawa (City), the nearest location with a full year of temperatures.
- Comparisons: Canada’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (no city totals, no reserves), each through its own nearest location.
- Not on this page: hours of sunshine, missing from the 1991–2020 normals, and a height correction: the town has no elevation on file.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Laurentian’s climate
How warm does Laurentian get in summer?
A normal July afternoon tops out at about 26.7°C, the year’s high point.
How cold does Laurentian get in winter?
At its coldest, in January, the normal low is −14.0°C.
How much rain and snow does Laurentian get?
Precipitation totals 938 mm a year, with June the wettest month (95 mm) and February the driest (52 mm).
How long does snow stay on the ground?
A layer of at least 1 cm stays down on about 115 days a year.
Are these figures for Laurentian itself?
They are the normals for Ottawa (City), measured just outside Laurentian itself.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Laurentian →
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).