Kitchener, Ontario - Geography and Climate - Climate

Climate

Kitchener has a humid continental climate of the warm summer subtype (Dfb under the Köppen climate classification); there are large seasonal differences, usually very warm and humid summers and cold to occasionally very cold winters. Winter like conditions generally last from the mid-December until mid-March, while summer temperatures generally occur between end-May to close to the end-September. March 2012 went down in the history books for Kitchener - between March 16 and March 22 temperates ranged from 21.4C to 27.0C—7 record highs in a row. The March 19th high of 24C is one of the highest winter time temperature ever recorded, while the March 22nd high of 27C (81F) is the highest for March in this area. Temperatures during the year can exceed 30℃ (86℉) in the summer and drop below -20℃ (-4℉) in the winter several times a year, but prolonged periods of extreme temperatures are rare. The frost-free period for Kitchener averages about 140 frost-free days a year, a much more limited number than cities on the Great Lakes due its inland location and higher elevation. Snowfall averages 160 cm per year, high but not nearly as areas more directly affected by lake effect snow.