Windsor, Ontario - Climate

Climate

Windsor has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with four distinct seasons. The mean annual temperature is 9.4 °C (49 °F), among the warmest in Canada primarily due to its hot summers. Some locations in coastal and lower mainland British Columbia have a slightly higher mean annual temperature due to milder winter conditions. The coldest month is January and the warmest month is July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Windsor was −29.1 °C (−20.4 °F) and the warmest was 40.2 °C (104.4 °F).

Summers are hot and humid, with a July average of 22.7 °C (73 °F)although the humidex reaches 30.0 °C (86.0 °F) or above 67 times in an average summer, and thunderstorms are common every 5 days or so. Winters are generally cold with a January average of −4.5 °C (23.9 °F) with occasional mild periods. Windsor is not located in the lake effect snowbelts, and snow cover is intermittent throughout the winter lasting 52 days of snow on the ground. Nevertheless, there are typically two to five major snowfall events each winter. Windsor has the highest number of days per year with lightning, haze, and daily maximum temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F) of cities in Canada. Windsor is also home to Canada's warmest fall, with highest average temperatures for the months of September, October and November . Precipitation is generally well-distributed throughout the year. There are on average 2,265 sunshine hours per year in Windsor.