Geography & Climate
Owen Sound experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) that is moderated by Lake Huron. Winters are cold and very snowy, while summers are warm and humid, but cooled by the lake waters (Georgian Bay and Lake Huron on either side) more than most other areas of southwestern Ontario. Precipitation is moderately high as Owen Sound is in the direct line of the Great Lakes snowbelt, with an annual average of 1100 mm. Summer thunderstorms are a common occurrence.
| Climate data for Owen Sound | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) |
18.5 (65.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.7 (89.1) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.0 (93.2) |
34.0 (93.2) |
31.7 (89.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
22.0 (71.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
35.0 (95.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.0 (37.4) |
9.8 (49.6) |
16.6 (61.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
24.5 (76.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
0.7 (33.3) |
11.3 (52.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.8 (21.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.3 (52.3) |
16.2 (61.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −9.4 (15.1) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
0.8 (33.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
5.7 (42.3) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30 (−22) |
−34 (−29) |
−27.5 (−17.5) |
−15 (5) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
0 (32) |
4.4 (39.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−24 (−11) |
−34 (−29) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 134.8 (5.307) |
78.0 (3.071) |
77.4 (3.047) |
70.2 (2.764) |
72.0 (2.835) |
76.3 (3.004) |
72.6 (2.858) |
88.6 (3.488) |
105.2 (4.142) |
88.8 (3.496) |
109.4 (4.307) |
126.9 (4.996) |
1,100.1 (43.311) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 23.8 (0.937) |
19.9 (0.783) |
39.8 (1.567) |
61.6 (2.425) |
71.8 (2.827) |
76.3 (3.004) |
72.6 (2.858) |
88.6 (3.488) |
105.2 (4.142) |
86.5 (3.406) |
73.9 (2.909) |
32.9 (1.295) |
752.8 (29.638) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 110.9 (43.66) |
58.1 (22.87) |
37.6 (14.8) |
8.7 (3.43) |
0.2 (0.08) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.3 (0.91) |
33.5 (13.19) |
93.9 (36.97) |
347.2 (136.69) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 21.7 | 15.5 | 13.7 | 13.4 | 11.9 | 11.7 | 10.6 | 11.4 | 14.4 | 16.7 | 17.4 | 20.1 | 178.4 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.0 | 3.6 | 6.5 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.7 | 10.6 | 11.4 | 14.4 | 16.4 | 12.5 | 6.2 | 121.1 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 18.8 | 12.8 | 8.4 | 2.4 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.63 | 6.5 | 15.4 | 64.9 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
The city's downtown is located in a deep valley in the Niagara Escarpment.
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