Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, sits in the centre of the North American continent on the flat Canadian Prairies, far from any ocean, at approximately 49.90°N, 97.14°W. Its deeply continental position gives it one of the most extreme humid continental climates (Köppen Dfb) of any large city — warm summers and bitterly cold winters — with an enormous seasonal temperature range, plenty of sunshine, and relatively low precipitation.

Summer, from June to August, is warm to hot and pleasant, with July the warmest month — average highs around 26°C — and hot spells that can exceed 30–35°C. It is the wettest season, when most of the year's rain falls in heavy afternoon and evening thunderstorms, some severe enough to produce large hail or, occasionally, tornadoes across the surrounding prairies. Sunshine is abundant and the days are long.

Winter, from December to February, is long and bitterly cold, with January the coldest month — average highs around -13°C and lows near -22°C, and cold snaps driven by Arctic air that can plunge below -30°C, with dangerous wind chills. Snowfall is relatively light and dry, but it lies for months and is often blown into drifts by the wind across the open plains. Winnipeg is famously one of the coldest large cities on earth.

Winnipeg is fairly dry, receiving only around 520–550 mm of precipitation a year, with a strong summer maximum — most falls between May and September as thunderstorms — while winter precipitation is light and dry; the cold, dry Arctic air limits winter snowfall despite the long cold season. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Winnipeg's position at the continent's heart gives it a legendary climate of extremes: bitterly cold, wind-swept winters — earning it the nickname 'Winterpeg' — and warm, thundery summers, with one of the widest temperature ranges of any major city, from below -30°C to above 30°C. The flat, open prairie offers no shelter from the wind, which drives blizzards in winter and can spawn severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in summer.

To follow any single measurement in Winnipeg 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.