Vancouver sits on Canada's Pacific coast in southwestern British Columbia, sheltered from the open ocean by Vancouver Island and backed by the Coast Mountains, at approximately 49.28°N, 123.12°W. It has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers — and is the only major Canadian city whose average temperature stays above freezing all winter. Warmed by Pacific currents, its climate resembles that of London or Seattle far more than the rest of Canada.

Summer, from June to August, is comfortably warm and notably dry, with July and August the warmest and driest months — average highs around 22–23°C with pleasant, low-humidity days. Rain becomes scarce as a summer high-pressure ridge settles in; July and August can go weeks without measurable rain, and July 2021 recorded none at all. Thunderstorms are rare. This is comfortably the best and sunniest time of year.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and rainy rather than cold, with January the coolest month — average highs around 7°C and lows near freezing. Hard frosts are uncommon and genuinely cold spells rare, though occasional Arctic outbreaks can briefly bring snow and temperatures below -10°C. Snow that does fall in the city usually melts within days as mild Pacific air returns. Cloud and drizzle dominate the season.

Vancouver is wet, receiving around 1,150–1,200 mm of rain a year at the airport and considerably more in the mountain-fringed northern suburbs, where totals can reach 1,600 mm or beyond thanks to orographic lift off the Coast Mountains. Roughly three-quarters of it falls in the cooler months from October to March, with November through January the wettest, while summer stays dry. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Vancouver's terrain makes it a region of microclimates: rainfall rises sharply with elevation toward the North Shore mountains, so the mountains just outside the city hold deep snow and support ski resorts within a short drive even as the city itself stays green and rainy. The mild, damp winters keep gardens flowering and cherry trees can begin blooming as early as February, a striking contrast with the frozen rest of the country.

To follow any single measurement in Vancouver more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.