Climate Ontario
As in many other parts of the country, the province of Ontario is subject to wide temperature variations: long, harsh winters (down to -25°C) and short, warm summers (20-30°C or more), characteristic of a continental climate with a wide temperature range. But because of its vast expanse, temperatures and precipitation differ from region to region, from the Great Lakes in the south to the shores of Hudson Bay in northern Ontario. The result is four distinct seasons, with cool, rainy, warm and wet weather, the occasional excessive snowfall in winter, and the charm of Ontario's forests as they turn flamboyant colours in the fall. However, it is winter that makes a lasting impression, especially on visitors and expatriates. Snow, cold and wind can make you fear the worst, but not only do you get used to it, but above all you enjoy it, provided you are well dressed.
Ontario's climate
The presence of water bodies to the north and south gives Ontario a temperate climate in the south and a subarctic climate in the north.
Around the Great Lakes, in the southwestern part of the province and under the Niagara Escarpment, summer is dominated by plenty of sunshine and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Thunderstorms can be particularly severe during the passage of cold fronts. The area between Chatham and Windsor is the warmest area in the province during the summer months.
During the month of October - in the middle of the colourful season - the Indian summer, after the first frosts, sometimes offers a few days of respite and warm weather. It is the last wink of the sun, an embassy of summer come to gloat before the arrival of the great cold.
Winter is milder here and snowfall often turns into freezing rain or rain. At the Quebec border, the average temperature in the middle of winter is -10°C, while it rises a few degrees in the southwestern part of the province. But the Great Lakes region is also known as the "Snow Belt," areas exposed to westerly winds where snowfalls and squalls are frequent and often heavy.
The farther north you go, especially in the sub-Arctic climate, the cooler the summer temperatures and the more severe the winters, with very marked temperature differences.Wind chill and humidex: what are they?
In Ontario, if you check the weather news or an app like WeatherMedia, you'll see that there are always two temperatures: current and felt. But what is this famous "felt temperature"? It's actually a feeling rather than a measurable data. It takes into account two factors: wind chill (WFC) in winter and humidex in summer.
In the case of the wind chill, it is the sensation of cold caused by the wind and felt on exposed skin. Humidex takes into account the humidity level in the air. In both cases, they are used to measure the level of discomfort and risk to the body.
In the near future, however, these two indices may be replaced by the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). It does not combine temperature with any other factor, but rather integrates four: temperature, air humidity, wind speed, and sunshine, the amount of solar radiation we receive.
