Vancouver: known for being Hollywood’s second home, that hockey team, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and, of course, the rain. Or so everyone who lives anywhere else thinks. As Vancouverites know, and this crazy dry spell over the past while has proven, Vancouver actually has one of the mildest climates in Canada and--wait for it--is prone to moderate drought conditions in the summer months. Read on for more wacky weather facts that might surprise you:
1. Sure the Lower Mainland receives on average a 165 days of rain a year, but that varies greatly from one neighbourhood to the next. North Vancouver receives double the precipitation than Richmond! And 165 days may sound like a lot, but hey, how else would Vancouver stay so beautifully lush and vibrant?
2. The mild climate allows for a 221 (on average) day-long “growing season”. Meaning that botanically, horticulturally, and agriculturally, things just have a longer, better chance of growing than any other major city center in Canada.
3. Olympic organizers for the 2010 Winter Games expected mild, but that didn’t prepare them for the warmest stretch of winter in the region’s 114-year history. 9,000 cubic meters of snow had to be brought in by 300 workers to make the Games possible.
4. Environment Canada ranked Vancouver 3rd out of 100 Canadian cities for “Lowest Snowfall”, but 59th for “Most Huge Snowfall Days”; beating out notoriously snowy Calgary and Toronto. Huh.
5. In July 2013, there was no rain in sight for the entire month. So this whole reputation for rain is based on a lovely annual average temperature of 10.4 degrees Celsius; one of the warmest climates in Canada. Also securing Vancouver the title of second driest city in Canada. Thank goodness for that beautiful ocean to gaze at during those gloriously sunny days.
Love it or hate it, the weather is here to stay and makes Vancouver the jewel it is. Let us know your thoughts on Vancouver’s wild weather!
Facts From:
Hikebiketravel.com
Infovancouver.com
Wikipedia.org/wiki/climate_of_vancouver
Forbes.com
ec.gc.ca
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