Ottawa Weather
What is the Ottawa weather going to be like when you visit?
If you are planning to be in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada soon, you can check current weather conditions using a few options.
Environment Canada
The first and finest weather prognosticator for Canada and Ottawa is Environment Canada.
Copy and paste the following URL into your browser window to access their weather site. Select Ottawa as the city of choice: www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/canada
Yahoo Weather
Then, if you want to see what Yahoo offers for Ottawa weather, paste the following link into your browser, then type Ottawa into the location: http://ca.weather.yahoo.com
Weather Network
Still want more information about Ottawa’s weather today? The weather network is a commercial weather forecasting site. Paste the following into your browser window and select Ottawa, Ontario as the city of choice: www.theweathernetwork.com
Parliament Hill Webcam
Assuming that it is daylight in Ottawa, Ontario you can also see what is actually happening weather-wise via the Parliament Hill Web Cam which updates to the most current shot by you clicking on your F5 key.
Click here for the Parliament Hill webcam
Thanks very much to the Communications Sector of Public Works and Government Services Canada for making this web cam available to the world. The following image is what you can see and an actual image from the Parliament Hill webcam
Summary of Year Round Ottawa Weather Summary
Late March – April & May
From late March, on into April and May you can expect Canadian spring-like weather In the Ottawa area.
The days might range from 5 C through 12 C (40’s-50’s F), and late evenings and nights might continue to drop into the minus Celsius temperatures (below 32 F).
Snow is unlikely, unless an odd flurry or two. You should expect frequent and cold rains.
Dress in layers for cold weather, so you can remove clothing if the day happens to be warmer than expected. Wet weather gear is imperative if you are planning to walk about.
Those folks with green-thumbs anxiously await the Victoria Day weekend, around May 24th, after which it is expected that frosts are past, and the ground has warmed sufficiently for planting outside.
May might see 20 C (70 F) temperatures, or it might see low and cold single digits.
Late evenings and nights in May can still be quite cool, and though she’s not supposed to, mother nature could cover low lying grounds in a cloak of frost! We should see more sunny days than we have seen so far.
June – August
June through August sees summer weather throughout the region, with daytime temperatures often into the high 20’s C (70-80 F), nights in the 10 C (50 F) range most of the time.
If you are a sun worshipper, and luck favours you, summer in Ottawa can be gloriously hot and sunny with blue skies dappled with puffy white marshmallow clouds.
Summer can also see some pretty terrific thunderstorms rumbling their way down the Ottawa River valley and through Ottawa. Expect hot and sunny, be ready for rain, and sweater-cool late evenings and nights. Or, it might stay very, very warm, tee-shirt weather all night too!
September – October
Early September might see summer weather during the day while nights start to get progressively cooler, seeing temperatures dropping into the single digits as the month passes.
Snow is rare in October in Ottawa, but it is possible. Expect cool and wet weather, with the nights drifting into below zero every now and again. It is not unusual to get a spate of summer in October and see daytime temperatures hitting 20 C (70 deg. F) but that will not last for sure, even if temperatures get into what is typically summer ranges.
November – February
November becomes a bit dreary, often cold, often with wet snow flurries or snow-on-the-ground days increasing near the end of November.
December through early March usually means Ottawa is into hard winter, with snow on the ground most of the time, daytime highs just over, at, or well below zero depending on the weather patterns, with short, short days – it being dark from around 4:45 pm until 07:30 am. This weather pattern will vary depending on what month you are in.
You will need winter-protection type of clothing. Do not forget your skis or your skates if you like winter activities. Winter in the Ottawa area is replete with outdoor activities, including skating on, what the Guiness Book of Records states is, the longest skating rink in the world.
And now we are back to March and into April. The longer days means that the sun’s rays are ushering in spring, and then another warm and wonderful Ottawa summer.
Monthly Averages
Here are the monthly averages to give you some idea of what you might expect in temperatures when you visit Ottawa.
Yes, winter in Ottawa is cold, though sometimes brisk and clear, with frost-snapping freshness in the air. Other times winter days can be dark and damp.
Summer can be blisteringly hot and flinging yourself into the cool waters at the public beaches or swimming pools is all you can think of. Or, it can be coolish and wet.
Regardless, preparing yourself adequately for your visit means that whatever weather you encounter will not negatively affect your stay. So dress appropriately, and we’ll see you in Ottawa soon, hmmm?