Hardly any Canadian towns wake to more frost than Big River 118
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 23.7°C. Seasons differ by 47°C, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 94% of Canadian towns. The furnace earns its keep from October to May, the months that average under 10°C.
The nearest ECCC normals location is Meadow Lake, 90 km north-west: at that distance its figures describe the region more than Big River 118 itself.
A year in Big River 118 at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Big River 118’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Saskatchewan beside it.
What a year in Big River 118 feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals.
Frost on 217 days, 20°C on 91
From September to May frost is routine, and in January it comes on almost every night. Deep cold, under −20°C, comes on about 61 nights a year.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
About 407 mm of rain and snow a year
July brings the most rain and snow; February, the least. On about 72 days a year, 1 mm or more falls.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
125 cm of snow in a typical year
Expect snow from October to May, with about 24 cm in December, the snowiest month. 8th snowiest of 102 towns of 2,500+ in Saskatchewan.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Big River 118
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. That means homes here need more heating than almost every Canadian town.
Living with Big River 118’s climate
The averages read for the garden, the outdoors and the coldest and hottest days.
The growing season between frosts lasts about 97 days, roughly 30 May to 4 September.
Warm afternoons without cold nights, 17–27°C and 8°C or more, mark Jul and Aug.
Parks & trails →Winter brings about 89 days with a wind chill below −20.
About 14 days a year turn sultry, with the humidex past 30.
The normals describe a typical year, not its worst days; the hazards page covers Big River 118’s.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake is a composite: ECCC joins 3 stations’ readings to make its 1991–2020 normals.
| Distance from the town | 90 km north-west |
| Station altitude | 481 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −50.0°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 38.0°C |
| Average wind | 12.3 km/h on average, most often from the west |
| Next-nearest location | Prince Albert, 102 km |
How Big River 118 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 Saskatchewan.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest places on a normals location of their own: those that share Big River 118’s would only repeat its figures. The nearest places to Big River 118 with figures are 20–42 km away.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain & snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big River 118 Meadow Lake | 23.7°C | −22.8°C | 407 mm |
| Ahtahkakoop 104 20 km · Prince Albert | 24.2°C 0.5°C warmer | −22.8°C about the same | 432 mm |
| Spiritwood 34 km · North Battleford | 24.3°C 0.6°C warmer | −20.6°C 2.2°C milder | 383 mm |
Big River 118 weather by month
Each month’s normals, 1991–2020: high, low, mean, precipitation and snowfall.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −10.7°C | −22.8°C | −16.8°C | 17 mm | 23 cm |
| February | −7.8°C | −21.2°C | −14.5°C | 10 mm | 15 cm |
| March | −0.7°C | −14.0°C | −7.4°C | 13 mm | 15 cm |
| April | 9.1°C | −4.1°C | 2.5°C | 25 mm | 16 cm |
| May | 17.3°C | 1.7°C | 9.5°C | 38 mm | 2 cm |
| June | 21.2°C | 7.5°C | 14.4°C | 76 mm | under 1 cm |
| July | 23.7°C | 9.8°C | 16.8°C | 76 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 22.7°C | 8.1°C | 15.4°C | 61 mm | under 1 cm |
| September | 17.2°C | 3.0°C | 10.1°C | 37 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 8.5°C | −3.4°C | 2.6°C | 22 mm | 9 cm |
| November | −2.1°C | −12.0°C | −7.1°C | 17 mm | 22 cm |
| December | −9.0°C | −20.4°C | −14.7°C | 17 mm | 24 cm |
| Year | 7.5°C | −5.7°C | 0.9°C | 407 mm | 125 cm |
April: −32.4°C at its coldest, 29.5°C at its warmest
Year to year, December varies most (a standard deviation of 4.7°C around −14.7°C) and June least (1.0°C).
Where Big River 118’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: 1991–2020 normals for Meadow Lake from ECCC’s climate data site, the nearest location with every month of temperature.
- Comparisons: Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of at least 2,500, each placed by its nearest location (city totals and reserves excluded).
- Not on this page: sunshine, which none of ECCC’s 450 locations publishes for 1991–2020, and the town’s own height above sea level, so no figure is adjusted for altitude.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Big River 118’s climate
How warm does Big River 118 get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23.7°C.
How cold does Big River 118 get in winter?
Lows sink to −22.8°C on an average January night.
How much rain and snow does Big River 118 get?
Around 407 mm a year in all, from 76 mm in July down to 10 mm in February.
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Roughly 152 days a year start with snow cover of 1 cm or more.
Are these figures for Big River 118 itself?
Not really: Meadow Lake, the closest location with normals, lies well away from Big River 118.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Big River 118 →
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).