Few Canadian towns get more snow than South River: about 312 cm a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 24.3°C. Seasons differ by 42°C, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 81% of Canadian towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 10°C.
Far-off figures: ECCC’s closest normals for South River come from North Bay, 58 km north, so take them as the area’s climate.
A year in South River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about South River’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Ontario beside it.
What a year in South River feels like
Seasons and months as ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals give them: a typical day’s high and low.
176 frost days and 96 days above 20°C a year
Frost comes from September to May; in January almost every night freezes. On about 28 nights a year the air falls below −20°C.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
1,020 mm of precipitation in a typical year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. On about 133 days a year, 1 mm or more falls.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
About 312 cm of snow a year
From October to May snow is likely; December is the peak, at about 71 cm.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in South River
90% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: October to April.
Warm days count for nothing; each colder day adds how far its mean sits below 18°C. Over a year, a home here needs more heating than 72% of Canadian towns.
Living with South River’s climate
The averages read for the garden, the outdoors and the coldest and hottest days.
Between the last frost, near 15 May, and the first, near 29 September, lie about 135 frost-free days.
The outdoor season by the averages is Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep, with highs of 17–27°C and lows of 8°C or more.
Parks & trails →Plan for about 61 days a year with a wind chill below −20.
Plan shade and water for about 25 days a year above 30 on the humidex.
Thirty-year normals hide the storms and the extremes: the hazards page has South River’s risks.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: North Bay
ECCC builds the North Bay normals from 3 stations’ records over 1991–2020, joined where one replaced another.
| Distance from the town | 58 km north |
| Station altitude | 370 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −39.3°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 35.3°C |
| Average wind | 14.0 km/h on average, most often from the south-west |
| Next-nearest location | Muskoka, 97 km |
How South River 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 Ontario.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest places on a normals location of their own: those that share South River’s would only repeat its figures. South River has no close neighbour with figures; the nearest is 25 km away.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| South River North Bay | 24.3°C | −17.3°C | 1,020 mm |
| Burk's Falls 25 km · Muskoka | 25.3°C 1.0°C warmer | −15.3°C 2.0°C milder | 1,062 mm |
South River 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 | −7.4°C | −17.3°C | −12.3°C | 70 mm | 70 cm |
| February | −5.6°C | −15.9°C | −10.8°C | 54 mm | 63 cm |
| March | 0.7°C | −9.6°C | −4.5°C | 60 mm | 39 cm |
| April | 8.6°C | −1.8°C | 3.4°C | 72 mm | 18 cm |
| May | 17.0°C | 5.7°C | 11.4°C | 89 mm | 4 cm |
| June | 22.0°C | 11.1°C | 16.6°C | 91 mm | under 1 cm |
| July | 24.3°C | 13.7°C | 19.0°C | 98 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 23.1°C | 12.8°C | 18.0°C | 93 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 18.5°C | 8.3°C | 13.4°C | 114 mm | under 1 cm |
| October | 10.6°C | 2.3°C | 6.5°C | 109 mm | 9 cm |
| November | 3.1°C | −4.3°C | −0.6°C | 97 mm | 38 cm |
| December | −3.8°C | −11.7°C | −7.8°C | 73 mm | 71 cm |
| Year | 9.3°C | −0.6°C | 4.4°C | 1,020 mm | 312 cm |
A January here can run warm or cold, its average moving by about 3.4°C; the steadiest month is June
Records from 1991 to 2020: no month spans more than March, between −33.1°C (2003) and 25.2°C (2012).
Where South River’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: the 1991–2020 normals from ECCC for North Bay, its nearest location with complete temperatures.
- Comparisons: every Canadian town and neighbourhood of 2,500 or more, each read from its own nearest location; city totals and reserves are left out.
- Not on this page: sunshine, absent from every 1991–2020 location, and an altitude correction, for want of the town’s own elevation.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about South River’s climate
How warm does South River get in summer?
Afternoons average 24.3°C in July, the warmest time of year.
How cold does South River get in winter?
Expect nights around −17.3°C in January; no month is colder.
How much rain and snow does South River get?
Some 1,020 mm falls in a year. Most of it comes in September (114 mm), the least in February (54 mm).
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Count on about 137 days of snow cover a year, 1 cm or deeper.
Are these figures for South River itself?
No: they come from North Bay, the nearest ECCC normals location, and far enough away to describe the wider area more than South River.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for South River →
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).