Ottawa - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
It is fine about five months out of the year. Temperatures can get extremely cold (-30!) in the winter. - Sep 2023
The winter is cold and very, very long. Local people make a point of spending time outside in the winter -- skating and skiing are very popular. These help the time go faster, but it's still long. - Aug 2015
The weather is really pretty bad. Winter is 6 months long and fairly dark, not like the Rockies. Summer is worse than DC in terms of heat and humidity. The 2-3 weeks of spring and fall are perfect. This is the main problem for this post. - May 2014
6 months of winter, a short spring where anything and everything grows, a warm muggy summer, and a beautiful fall. - Jul 2013
Ottawa has four distinct seasons. Summer is beautiful with some hot/muggy days. Fall is nice with the beautiful changing leaves and crisp air. Winter is brutal with lots of snow and temperatures that can easily get down to -20F. Spring is transitional but beautiful once the snow and ice have melted and the city has cleaned up after it. - Jan 2013
Ottawa has 4 seasons complete with heavy snow in winter. - Dec 2010
Six to eight months of some of the most bitter winter weather I have ever encountered. Two to three months of a soggy, bracingly-chilly spring. One to three months of absolutely beautiful summer weather. One to two months of gorgeous autumn weather with piercing blue skies, crisp, dry air, and abundant sunshine. - Aug 2010
The biggest misconception is that it is cold year round! Normally, December 1 - April 1 represents winter, when there is typically a decent amount of snow & ice on the ground. Temperatures range from -5 to -20 celcius. Fall is beautiful and is typically from about Sept 15 - Nov 15 with temperatures ranging from 20 to -5 celcius. Spring is often very short as we typically get a couple of weeks of 15 to 25 celcius weather before the heat and humidity arrives. Summer temperatures range from 15 to 35 celcius. Heat waves often resemble summertime in any East Coast US city. Many people like the fact that there are 4 distinct seasons in Ottawa. - Nov 2009
