Climate
The climate of Kamloops is semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSk) due to its rain shadow location. Because of milder winters and aridity, the area west of Kamloops in the lower Thompson River valley falls within Köppen climate classification BWk climate. Kamloops gets short cold snaps where temperatures can drop to around −30 °C (−22 °F) when Arctic air manages to cross the Rockies and Columbia Mountains into the Interior; this does not happen every winter but less often can lock in for weeks.
The January mean temperature is −4.2 °C (24 °F). That average sharply increases to 4 °C (39 °F) by February. The average number of cold days below −10 °C (14 °F) per year is 8 as recorded by Environment Canada.
Although Kamloops is located above 50° north latitude, summers are warm to hot with prevailing dry, and sunny weather. Daytime humidity is generally very low (less than 20%) which allows for substantial nighttime cooling. Occasional summer thunderstorms can create dry-lightning conditions, sometimes igniting forest fires which the area is prone to.
Spring and Fall are usually pleasant and dry but can be short in duration.
The city has spring and summer water restrictions: in effect only from May 1 to August 31.
Kamloops lies in the rain shadow leeward of the Coast Mountains and is biogeographically connected to similar semi-desert areas in the Okanagan region, and a much larger area covering the central/eastern portions of Washington, Oregon and intermontane areas of Nevada, Utah and Idaho in the US.
These areas of relatively similar climate have many distinctive native plants and animals in common, such as Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fragilis in this case), rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis), Black widow spiders and Lewis's Woodpecker.
| Climate data for Kamloops Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
22.8 (73.0) |
33.0 (91.4) |
37.2 (99.0) |
38.9 (102.0) |
40.6 (105.1) |
39.6 (103.3) |
34.6 (94.3) |
31.3 (88.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
40.6 (105.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
10.5 (50.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
21.3 (70.3) |
24.8 (76.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
22.0 (71.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
0.1 (32.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
14.4 (57.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−3 (26.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −7.6 (18.3) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
2.9 (37.2) |
7.5 (45.5) |
11.3 (52.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.2 (37.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −37.2 (−35.0) |
−28.3 (−18.9) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
1.1 (34.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−28.3 (−18.9) |
−36.1 (−33.0) |
−37.2 (−35.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 22.9 (0.902) |
14.4 (0.567) |
11.7 (0.461) |
14.6 (0.575) |
24.4 (0.961) |
35.2 (1.386) |
29.5 (1.161) |
29.1 (1.146) |
28.0 (1.102) |
16.2 (0.638) |
24.1 (0.949) |
28.9 (1.138) |
279.0 (10.984) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 5.4 (0.213) |
5.4 (0.213) |
8.6 (0.339) |
14.4 (0.567) |
24.4 (0.961) |
35.2 (1.386) |
29.5 (1.161) |
29.1 (1.146) |
28.0 (1.102) |
15.8 (0.622) |
13.7 (0.539) |
8.3 (0.327) |
217.9 (8.579) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 21.8 (8.58) |
11.3 (4.45) |
3.5 (1.38) |
0.3 (0.12) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.3 (0.12) |
12.2 (4.8) |
26.1 (10.28) |
75.5 (29.72) |
| % humidity | 71.2 | 61.9 | 43.7 | 35.4 | 35.9 | 36.4 | 34.2 | 35.9 | 42.2 | 52.2 | 65.5 | 70.7 | 48.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.1 | 8.0 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 107.1 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.2 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 81.8 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 9.2 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.38 | 4.3 | 9.1 | 30.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 58.3 | 91.3 | 156.8 | 201.5 | 250.6 | 255.0 | 310.0 | 286.6 | 212.0 | 140.0 | 65.2 | 47.4 | 2,074.6 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
| Hottest summer | Most days above 30 °C (86 °F) | Driest | Warmest spring | Fewest fog days | Most sunny days in warm months | Most growing degree days | Most days without precipitation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank among 100 largest Canadian cities | 1st | 1st | 2nd (next to Whitehorse) |
2nd (next to Chilliwack) |
2nd (next to Penticton) |
2nd (next to Portage la Prairie) |
3rd (next to Windsor and St. Catharines-Niagara) |
3rd (next to Medicine Hat and Lethbridge) |
|||||
| Value | 26.94 °C (80.5 °F) | 29.28 | 278.98 mm (10.98 in) | 9.65 °C (49.4 °F) | 7.28 | 148.93 | 2308.61 | 258.12 | |||||
| Data is for Kamloops Airport (YKA), in the city of Kamloops, 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west northwest of the town. | |||||||||||||
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