Photo: Raymond Leung from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Climate in The Archipelago · ECCC 1991–2020 normals

Precipitation in The Archipelago tops that of 79% of Canadian towns: 1,062 mm a year

The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at −15.3°C on average. In January, nights here are colder than in 72% of Canadian towns. Seasons differ by 41°C, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to August, with highs of 23–25°C.

July afternoons: cooler than 55% of Canadian towns

January nights: colder than 72% of Canadian towns

Rain and snow a year: wetter than 79% of Canadian towns

Every figure here comes from Muskoka, 70 km south-east; ECCC has no normals closer to The Archipelago, so they describe the wider area.

July high

25.3°C

Typical Canadian town 25.5°C

January low

−15.3°C

Typical Canadian town −13.5°C

Rain & snow a year

1,062 mm

Typical Canadian town 883 mm

Frost days

175

a year at 0°C or below

A year in The Archipelago at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.

Jan−5°C−15°CColdest nights

Feb−3°C−15°C

Mar3°C−9°C

Apr10°C−2°C

May18°C5°C

Jun23°C10°C

Jul25°C13°CWarmest

Aug24°C12°C

Sep20°C8°C

Oct13°C2°CWettest

Nov now5°C−3°C

Dec−1°C−10°C

What stands out about The Archipelago’s climate

Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Ontario beside it.

Wetter than 79% of Canadian townsAbout 1,062 mm of rain and melted snow a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest.Colder than 72% of Canadian townsJanuary nights average −15.3°C, the coldest of the year.

A normal year

What a year in The Archipelago feels like

Each season’s and each month’s usual high and low, 1991–2020.

Winter

−3°C / −13°C

235 mm of rain and snow

Spring

10°C / −2°C

244 mm of rain and snow

Summer

24°C / 12°C

267 mm of rain and snow

Autumn

13°C / 2°C

316 mm of rain and snow, the wettest season

−20°

−10°

0°

10°

20°

30°

−5°C−15°C

−3°C−15°C

3°C−9°C

10°C−2°C

18°C5°C

23°C10°C

25°C13°C

24°C12°C

20°C8°C

13°C2°C

5°C−3°C

−1°C−10°C

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 17–27°C and nights of 8°C or more

Frost & warm days

About 175 frosts and 109 warm days a year

The frost season runs September to May, and January freezes nearly every night. On about 27 nights a year the air falls below −20°C.

175

Frost days a year (0°C or below)

More frosts than 60% of Canadian towns

Days that stay below 0°C

Nights a year below −20°C

109

Days a year above 20°C

Days a year above 30°C

Frost days by month

Average days at 0°C or below

JFMAMJJASOND

Days above 20°C by month

Average days

JFMAMJJASOND

Rain & snow

Rain and melted snow: about 1,062 mm a year

October is the wettest month and February the driest. Some 141 days a year see 1 mm of rain or snow or more.

1,062 mm

Rain and snow a year

Wetter than 79% of Canadian towns

111 mm

October, the wettest month

56 mm

February, the driest month

Rain and snow by month

Millimetres

111 mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Heating

Heating a home in The Archipelago

90% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: October to April.

4,746 heating degree days (below 18°C)a year, 1991–2020

1,828 growing degree days (above 5°C)a year, 1991–2020

Warm days count for nothing; each colder day adds how far its mean sits below 18°C.

Living here

Living with The Archipelago’s climate

What the normals mean for a garden, a day outside and the depth of winter.

Get outside

Warm afternoons without cold nights, 17–27°C and 8°C or more, mark Jun, Jul and Aug.

Parks & trails →

Storms and extremes

Bad-weather days, from blizzards to floods, get their own page for The Archipelago: the hazards page.

Flood & hazards →

Weather station

ECCC’s normals location: Muskoka

Behind the 1991–2020 normals for Muskoka are 3 stations, which ECCC combines into one record.

Distance from the town	70 km south-east
Station altitude	282 m
Completeness	meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule
WMO standard normals	No
Snowfall from	No location within 100 km
Coldest reading, 1991–2020	−40.0°C
Hottest reading, 1991–2020	35.2°C
Average wind	10.7 km/h
Next-nearest location	Collingwood, 90 km

Compared with other towns

How The Archipelago compares

Compared with 2,611 towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more across Canada; the dots mark the other normals locations in Ontario.

July afternoons25.3°C

The ArchipelagoMedian Canadian town

20°C22°C24°C26°C28°C30°C

Cooler than 55% of Canadian towns

January nights−15.3°C

The ArchipelagoMedian Canadian town

−25°C−20°C−15°C−10°C−5°C

Colder than 72% of Canadian towns

Rain and snow a year1,062 mm

The ArchipelagoMedian Canadian town

05001,0001,5002,000

Wetter than 79% of Canadian towns

Next door

Nearby towns’ climate

The nearest places on a normals location of their own: those that share The Archipelago’s would only repeat its figures. The Archipelago has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 43–67 km out.

Town	July high	January low	Rain & snow
The Archipelago Muskoka	25.3°C	−15.3°C	1,062 mm
Whitestone 43 km · North Bay	24.3°C 1.0°C cooler	−17.3°C 2.0°C colder	1,020 mm
Penetanguishene 59 km · Collingwood	25.3°C about the same	−8.7°C 6.6°C milder	1,062 mm

Month by month

The Archipelago weather by month

Average daily high and low, mean temperature and precipitation by month, 1991–2020.

Month	High	Low	Mean	Rain & snow
January	−4.6°C	−15.3°C	−10.0°C	92 mm
February	−3.1°C	−15.1°C	−9.1°C	56 mm
March	2.5°C	−9.0°C	−3.3°C	72 mm
April	10.4°C	−1.6°C	4.4°C	79 mm
May	18.4°C	4.7°C	11.5°C	93 mm
June	23.1°C	10.1°C	16.7°C	86 mm
July	25.3°C	12.8°C	19.1°C	100 mm
August	24.4°C	11.8°C	18.1°C	82 mm
September	20.1°C	7.5°C	13.8°C	102 mm
October	12.5°C	2.2°C	7.4°C	111 mm
November	5.1°C	−3.4°C	0.9°C	103 mm
December	−1.0°C	−9.7°C	−5.4°C	87 mm
Year	11.1°C	−0.4°C	5.3°C	1,062 mm

Year to year

From −31.9°C to 26.7°C: March’s coldest and warmest days since 1991

Year to year, January varies most (a standard deviation of 3.3°C around −10.0°C) and June least (1.2°C).

−50°

−40°

−30°

−20°

−10°

0°

10°

20°

30°

40°

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Record low to record high, 1991–2020Normal

Sources

Where The Archipelago’s numbers come from

Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.

Normals: ECCC’s 1991–2020 Canadian Climate Normals for Muskoka, the nearest location with a full year of temperatures.
Comparisons: every place of 2,500+ in Canada but the city hubs and the reserves, each on its nearest ECCC location.
Not on this page: snowfall (no location within 100 km publishes a full year of it), sunshine (none for 1991–2020) and an altitude correction.

Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Questions about The Archipelago’s climate

How warm does The Archipelago get in summer?

The warmest month is July, when afternoons average 25.3°C.

How cold does The Archipelago get in winter?

Of all twelve months, January has the coldest nights, about −15.3°C.

How much rain and snow does The Archipelago get?

The year adds up to 1,062 mm. October is the peak month (111 mm) and February the low one (56 mm).

Are these figures for The Archipelago itself?

No: they come from Muskoka, the nearest ECCC normals location, and far enough away to describe the wider area more than The Archipelago.

Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for The Archipelago →

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).