How to survive Canada’s winter: Just move to this frost-free city
While much of Canada battles sub-zero temperatures and endless snowfall, this city remains an anomaly—a mild oasis amid the country's frozen winter landscape.
A value of 1.3°C. That’s the lowest temperature recorded in Victoria, B.C. so far this winter, reached on the morning of Jan. 18. Are you jealous yet, Canada?
Let’s compare: While much of the country battles sub-zero temperatures and endless snowfall, Victoria remains an anomaly—a mild oasis amid Canada’s frozen winter landscape.
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A frost-free streak: How this winter stacks up
The most recent winter in Victoria to completely avoid freezing temperatures was back in 2002-03. That year, the thermometer dipped no lower than 0.2°C on Dec. 29, 2002. This winter, Victoria is flirting with a similar trend, continuing to stay comfortably above freezing.
But this isn’t just a one-off phenomenon.
Has Victoria ever gone an entire calendar year without hitting freezing? Yes! In 1999, the lowest temperature recorded was 0.4°C on Feb. 9, never dropping below the freezing mark for the entire year.
The Victoria magic: Why it stays so mild
What keeps Victoria so blissfully immune to the brutal cold gripping the rest of Canada? The answer lies in its geography and the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean.
The Gonzales weather station, which recorded the 1.3°C low, sits just 100 metres from Gonzales Bay–where the warm waters of the Pacific exert their influence.
Victoria’s strategic position on the Saanich Peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, ensures that milder ocean air generally dominates during the winter months.
Unlike the interior of Canada, where landlocked air masses can plunge temperatures into extremes, Victoria benefits from the Pacific Ocean heat content. The Pacific Ocean absorbs heat in the summer and releases it during the winter, creating a natural buffer against freezing temperatures.
The role of the jet stream
Victoria’s mild climate is also a product of the prevailing westerly winds, driven by Earth’s rotation and the temperature gradient between the equator and the poles. These winds funnel marine air into the region, keeping the winters much warmer than anywhere else in Canada.
However, this idyllic pattern can sometimes flip.
During an Arctic outflow—when high-pressure inland pushes Arctic air towards the ocean—Victoria can experience sharp drops in temperature. In the months of December in 2021 and 2022, for example, Gonzales recorded lows near -10°C, proving that even Victoria isn’t completely immune to Canada’s winter wrath!
The bottom line
Victoria’s occasional, frost-free winters make it a tempting escape for anyone dreaming of milder weather.
Just don’t forget that, on rare occasions, even this coastal gem gets a taste of Arctic chill. Until then, Greater Victoria remains the envy of a country buried in snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Thumbnail contains an image of a Victoria, B.C., lighthouse. Courtesy of Ferrantraite/Getty Images/535069255-170667a.
