More rain and snow fall on Kingston than on 93% of Canadian towns: 1,290 mm a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about −11.0°C. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 71% of Canadian towns. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in July. From June to September, highs of 19–24°C make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
Measured at Elmwood, 3.0 km south-west: ECCC’s normals for 1991–2020.
A year in Kingston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Kingston’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ on Prince Edward Island beside it.
What a year in Kingston feels like
Each season’s and each month’s usual high and low, 1991–2020.
Frost on 157 days, 20°C on 86
Frost comes from October to May; in January almost every night freezes. Deep cold, under −20°C, comes on about 5 nights a year.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
Rain and melted snow: about 1,290 mm a year
The wettest of 13 towns of 2,500+ on Prince Edward Island. Some 139 days a year see 1 mm of rain or snow or more.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
313 cm of snow in a typical year
The snow season runs October to May; January brings the most, about 74 cm. The snowiest of 13 towns of 2,500+ on Prince Edward Island.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Kingston
88% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: October to May.
Measured against 18°C: each day’s shortfall in mean temperature, added over twelve months.
Living with Kingston’s climate
Gardening, time outside, winter cold and summer heat, from the 1991–2020 normals.
Afternoons of 17–27°C and nights of at least 8°C arrive in Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep.
Parks & trails →Severe weather is a separate story from the averages: see Kingston’s hazards page.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Elmwood
Elmwood is one of the 450 places where ECCC publishes 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 3.0 km south-west |
| Station altitude | 67 m |
| Completeness | at least 15 years |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −29.0°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 33.0°C |
| Next-nearest location | Charlottetown (Airport), 13 km |
How Kingston compares
Compared with 2,611 towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more across Canada; the dots mark the other normals locations on Prince Edward Island.
Nearby towns’ climate
Places around Kingston whose figures come from another normals location.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston Elmwood | 23.7°C | −11.0°C | 1,290 mm |
| Miltonvale Park 7.6 km · Charlottetown (Airport) | 23.6°C about the same | −11.5°C 0.5°C colder | 1,136 mm |
| West River 12 km · Elmwood | 23.7°C about the same | −11.0°C about the same | 1,290 mm |
| New Glasgow 13 km · New Glasgow | 23.9°C about the same | −11.1°C about the same | 1,252 mm |
Kingston 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 | −3.0°C | −11.0°C | −7.0°C | 109 mm | 74 cm |
| February | −2.7°C | −10.8°C | −6.8°C | 103 mm | 70 cm |
| March | 1.4°C | −6.1°C | −2.3°C | 102 mm | 52 cm |
| April | 7.5°C | −0.5°C | 3.5°C | 99 mm | 25 cm |
| May | 14.6°C | 4.6°C | 9.7°C | 96 mm | 3 cm |
| June | 19.8°C | 10.1°C | 15.0°C | 95 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 23.7°C | 14.7°C | 19.2°C | 89 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 23.3°C | 14.3°C | 18.9°C | 103 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 19.4°C | 10.5°C | 15.0°C | 111 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 12.6°C | 5.2°C | 8.9°C | 122 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 6.7°C | 0.1°C | 3.4°C | 119 mm | 21 cm |
| December | 1.1°C | −5.6°C | −2.3°C | 143 mm | 66 cm |
| Year | 10.4°C | 2.1°C | 6.3°C | 1,290 mm | 313 cm |
In March, anything from −24.0°C to 23.5°C
January is the least predictable month: about two years in three its average lands within 2.4°C of the normal, −7.0°C. August is the steadiest, within 1.0°C.
Where Kingston’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: the 1991–2020 normals from ECCC for Elmwood, its nearest location with complete 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: sunshine (no 1991–2020 normals exist for it) and any altitude adjustment, since there is no elevation for the town itself.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Kingston’s climate
How warm does Kingston get in summer?
Expect highs near 23.7°C in July, the hottest month on average.
How cold does Kingston get in winter?
Midwinter means January, when a typical night reaches −11.0°C.
How much rain and snow does Kingston get?
Over twelve months, rain and melted snow come to 1,290 mm; the range runs from 89 mm in July to 143 mm in December.
How long does snow stay on the ground?
In a normal winter there are about 116 days with at least 1 cm of snow lying.
Are these figures for Kingston itself?
Yes, measured at Elmwood, which sits inside Kingston’s boundary.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Kingston →
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).