Climate
The climate of Haida Gwaii is generally oceanic (Cfb) and very similar to the climate of the west coast of Scotland in terms of average temperatures and precipitation.
Temperatures are moderate year round, whilst rainfall is generally heavy especially in the autumn months, when in the most exposed southwestern areas near Tasu daily rainfalls as high as 317 millimetres (12.5 in) have been recorded, and the annual rainfalls are among the highest in the world outside the tropics.
In the relatively shielded areas around Tlell and Sandspit annual rainfall averages from 1,200 millimetres (47 in) to 1,400 millimetres (55 in).
Snowfall is generally moderate, averaging from 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 70 centimetres (28 in), though at northerly Langara Island it averages around 100 centimetres (39 in).
Precipitation is typically extremely frequent, occurring on around two-thirds of all days even in relatively shielded areas, and direct sunlight is scarce, averaging around 3 to 4 hours per day.
| Climate data for Sandspit | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.9 (78.6) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.7 (80.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
13.4 (56.1) |
27.8 (82.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12 (54) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17 (63) |
17.9 (64.2) |
16 (61) |
12.1 (53.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
6.3 (43.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.7 (33.3) |
1.1 (34.0) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
6 (43) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.4 (43.5) |
2.9 (37.2) |
1.3 (34.3) |
5.5 (41.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.9 (7.0) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
| Wind chill | −22.9 | −24.1 | −22.9 | −10.8 | −4.2 | −0.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.7 | −10.7 | −26 | −20.8 | −26 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 168.7 (6.642) |
139 (5.47) |
113.3 (4.461) |
102 (4.02) |
63.2 (2.488) |
56.2 (2.213) |
46.6 (1.835) |
57.5 (2.264) |
83.7 (3.295) |
185.5 (7.303) |
198.2 (7.803) |
184.5 (7.264) |
1,398.4 (55.055) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 148.8 (5.858) |
123.1 (4.846) |
107.2 (4.22) |
99.9 (3.933) |
63.2 (2.488) |
56.2 (2.213) |
46.7 (1.839) |
57.5 (2.264) |
83.7 (3.295) |
185.5 (7.303) |
195.6 (7.701) |
174.0 (6.85) |
1,341.4 (52.811) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 22.3 (8.78) |
16.0 (6.3) |
6.5 (2.56) |
2.0 (0.79) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
3.6 (1.42) |
11.3 (4.45) |
61.7 (24.29) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 22.3 | 19.7 | 20.7 | 19.8 | 17.8 | 16.0 | 14.1 | 13.8 | 16.9 | 22.6 | 23.7 | 22.8 | 230.2 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.6 | 17.6 | 20.1 | 19.6 | 17.7 | 16.0 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 16.9 | 22.6 | 23.0 | 21.3 | 222.4 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 5.5 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 69.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 48.6 | 78.1 | 118.1 | 154.6 | 199.1 | 176.8 | 186.6 | 186.8 | 141.8 | 97.9 | 63.0 | 47.0 | 1,498.4 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
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