Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, the island has a cool summer Mediterranean climate due to its dry summers. Other climate classification systems, such as Trewartha, place it firmly in the Oceanic zone (Do). Cool and moist, the island averages 138 rainy days per year and seven days with snowfall greater than 0.2 centimetres (0.08 in). Days with high temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F) or higher are rare, averaging less than one per year. Days with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) occur about 25 times per year. Winters are cool and wet with the average temperature in January being 3.7 °C (39 °F) and an average precipitation of 130 millimetres (5 in). Due to its mild winters, the average annual snowfall is low at 40 centimetres (16 in) during the season. Summers, on the other hand are dry and mild with a July average of 16.9 °C (62 °F) with only 26 millimetres (1 in) of precipitation.
| Climate data for Gabriola Island | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
20.5 (68.9) |
25.0 (77.0) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
13.5 (56.3) |
32.0 (89.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.6 (43.9) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.3 (72.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
13.4 (56.1) |
8.8 (47.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.7 (38.7) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
16.9 (62.4) |
16.8 (62.2) |
13.8 (56.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
3.3 (37.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) |
0.8 (33.4) |
2.2 (36.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
6.6 (43.9) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.4 (52.5) |
11.2 (52.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
2.4 (36.3) |
0.6 (33.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16 (3.2) |
−12 (10.4) |
−6 (21.2) |
−4 (24.8) |
−2 (28.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
4.5 (40.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−14 (6.8) |
−15 (5.0) |
−16 (3.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 129.8 (5.11) |
105.9 (4.169) |
86.9 (3.421) |
57.0 (2.244) |
44.9 (1.768) |
40.9 (1.61) |
26.0 (1.024) |
28.2 (1.11) |
38.5 (1.516) |
81.3 (3.201) |
146.9 (5.783) |
137.8 (5.425) |
924.0 (36.378) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 116.1 (4.571) |
96.8 (3.811) |
85.1 (3.35) |
57.0 (2.244) |
44.9 (1.768) |
40.9 (1.61) |
26.0 (1.024) |
28.2 (1.11) |
38.5 (1.516) |
80.9 (3.185) |
143.0 (5.63) |
126.9 (4.996) |
884.3 (34.815) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 13.7 (5.39) |
9.1 (3.58) |
1.8 (0.71) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.3 (0.12) |
3.9 (1.54) |
10.9 (4.29) |
39.7 (15.63) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.5 | 14.1 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 12.2 | 17.2 | 16.4 | 142.0 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 15.0 | 13.3 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 12.1 | 16.7 | 15.2 | 137.9 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.07 | 0.70 | 1.9 | 6.7 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
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