Geography and Climate
North Bay is located approximately 330 kilometres (210 mi) north of Toronto, and differs in geography from Southern Ontario in that North Bay is situated on the Canadian Shield. This gives rise to a different and more rugged landscape.
North Bay is geographically unique in that it straddles both the Ottawa River watershed to the east and the Great Lakes Basin to the west. The city's urban core is located between Lake Nipissing and the smaller Trout Lake.
North Bay, critically situated at the junctions of Highway 11 and Highway 17, remains a major transportation centre for Northern Ontario. It is the southern terminus of the Ontario Northland Railway, and is served by the Jack Garland Airport.
The area of North Bay contains a number of ancient volcanic pipes, including the Manitou Islands and Callander Bay and many exposed dykes and five named batholiths (Timber Lake, Mulock, West Arm, Powassan and Bonfield).
The climate in North Bay is common to most places in Northern Ontario. North Bay tends to be a less humid climate than that found in Southern Ontario due somewhat to the distance from the Great Lakes and less warm than some other locations in Northern Ontario due to cooling from Lake Nipissing. On May 31, 2002, a tornado caused minor damage near the city. Two more tornadoes touched down on Lake Nipissing on August 20, 2009. This storm was a part of a chain of tornadoes that caused large amounts of damage in other parts of Ontario. The first weather box shows climate normals for the airport, at an elevation of 358 masl, while the second box shows the climate normals for the city proper, at an elevation of 201 masl.
| Climate data for North Bay Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.9 (75.0) |
29.9 (85.8) |
31.6 (88.9) |
33.3 (91.9) |
35.4 (95.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.3 (91.9) |
26.7 (80.1) |
20.0 (68.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
35.4 (95.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −8 (17.6) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
0.2 (32.4) |
8.4 (47.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.8 (74.8) |
22.3 (72.1) |
16.9 (62.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
8.6 (47.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13 (9) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
3.3 (37.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
17.3 (63.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
5.9 (42.6) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −18 (−0.4) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
5.5 (41.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −40 (−40.0) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−36.7 (−34.1) |
−21.1 (−6.0) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
2.6 (36.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−23.9 (−11.0) |
−36.7 (−34.1) |
−40 (−40.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 67.6 (2.661) |
52.6 (2.071) |
65.4 (2.575) |
67.2 (2.646) |
87.6 (3.449) |
95.2 (3.748) |
100.1 (3.941) |
100.1 (3.941) |
113.5 (4.469) |
97.6 (3.843) |
89.9 (3.539) |
70.9 (2.791) |
1,007.7 (39.673) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 16.9 (0.665) |
9.6 (0.378) |
31.9 (1.256) |
51.4 (2.024) |
85.5 (3.366) |
95.2 (3.748) |
100.1 (3.941) |
100.1 (3.941) |
113.3 (4.461) |
92.2 (3.63) |
58.6 (2.307) |
19.9 (0.783) |
774.7 (30.5) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 63.0 (24.8) |
52.2 (20.55) |
38.0 (14.96) |
16.2 (6.38) |
2.1 (0.83) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.08) |
5.5 (2.17) |
35.0 (13.78) |
61.3 (24.13) |
273.5 (107.68) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.8 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 13.9 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 14.1 | 14.5 | 17.0 | 19.2 | 176.5 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.3 | 2.2 | 5.4 | 9.0 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 14.0 | 12.9 | 9.0 | 4.3 | 111.3 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 18.1 | 13.9 | 11.4 | 6.5 | 0.77 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0.23 | 2.9 | 11.2 | 17.4 | 82.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 91.9 | 119.0 | 147.5 | 193.2 | 246.3 | 250.3 | 271.0 | 226.6 | 151.3 | 119.1 | 67.6 | 73.7 | 1,957.5 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for North Bay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
27.2 (81.0) |
28.9 (84.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
34.4 (93.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
1.7 (35.1) |
9.5 (49.1) |
17.8 (64.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
25.2 (77.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −17.8 (0.0) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
5.7 (42.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
12.7 (54.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −44.4 (−47.9) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
−37.2 (−35.0) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
0 (32) |
−5 (23.0) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 67.3 (2.65) |
58.3 (2.295) |
58 (2.28) |
64.4 (2.535) |
67.8 (2.669) |
75.2 (2.961) |
93.7 (3.689) |
96.6 (3.803) |
101.9 (4.012) |
79.2 (3.118) |
76.2 (3) |
71.9 (2.831) |
910.5 (35.846) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 8.1 (0.319) |
9.6 (0.378) |
28.8 (1.134) |
53.5 (2.106) |
67.1 (2.642) |
75.2 (2.961) |
93.7 (3.689) |
96.9 (3.815) |
101.9 (4.012) |
77.3 (3.043) |
51.8 (2.039) |
18.4 (0.724) |
682.3 (26.862) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 58.9 (23.19) |
48.8 (19.21) |
29.9 (11.77) |
10.6 (4.17) |
0.7 (0.28) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.9 (0.75) |
24.4 (9.61) |
53.5 (21.06) |
228.7 (90.04) |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: North Bay, Ontario
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