Geographical location
Short for BC by abbreviationfinder, the Canadian province of British Columbia is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the northwest lies Alaska, north of the Yukon, east of Alberta and to the south the US states of Idaho, Montana and Washington border on British Columbia.
The capital of the province is Victoria. British Columbia has an area of 944,735 square kilometers and a population of 4.4 million. That is 4.8 inhabitants per square kilometer. The largest city in the English-speaking province is Vancouver. Vancouver is the economic center of the region.
In the east of the province there are four mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains. At 4663 meters, Mount Fair weather is the highest mountain in British Columbia and is located in the northwest. The Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia at 1,375 kilometers. It flows into the Pacific. The famous Vancouver Island is located off the coast.
Climate in British Columbia
There is an arctic climate in the north of the province. The annual average temperature in Fort Nelson is -1.0 ° C. In the months of December and January, mean temperatures can fall below -20 degrees Celsius. At 145 centimeters, northern British Columbia fell in 1999, the largest ever measured amount of snow per day. In the months of June, July and August, temperatures rise to up to 23 ° C during the day.
In the south and on Vancouver Island there is a warm, temperate climate due to the Kuroshio Current in the Pacific Ocean. In this region in British Columbia (Canada) daytime temperatures of around 20 ° C can be reached in summer. The amount of precipitation is pleasantly low in the summer months. In winter, temperatures around freezing point predominate in the south, especially at night, with regular snowfalls.
When to go to British Columbia
In the flat north-east of the province, the arctic climate is much less noticeable in the summer months of June, July and August. Temperatures climb up to 23 ° C during the day and drop to around 9 degrees at night. The best time to visit the Fort Nelson region is June, July and August.
The capital Victoria is located at the southernmost end of British Columbia and, like the popular travel destination Vancouver, has a warm, temperate climate. The daytime temperatures are usually positive all year round, but frost can still occur between November and March.
Summer is considered the best time to travel to British Columbia, the season starts around mid- May and runs until the beginning October. It gets particularly busy in July and August, and the Indian summer (usually at the end of September) also attracts numerous visitors. Winter is all about winter sports, especially the famous Whistler Blackcomb boot ski area between December and early March.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (British Columbia).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Vancouver | May, June, July, August and September |
| Victoria | May, June, July, August and September |
| Fort Nelson | June, July and August |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Vancouver (British Columbia)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 8 ° C | 9 ° C | 11 ° C | 15 ° C | 17 ° C | 21 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 20 ° C | 16 ° C | 10 ° C | 8 ° C |
| Night temperature | 1 ° C | 1 ° C | 3 ° C | 6 ° C | 9 ° C | 12 ° C | 14 ° C | 14 ° C | 11 ° C | 7 ° C | 3 ° C | 1 ° C |
| Water temperature | 8 ° C | 8 ° C | 8 ° C | 10 ° C | 11 ° C | 13 ° C | 14 ° C | 14 ° C | 13 ° C | 11 ° C | 9 ° C | 8 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 186 | 94 | 118 | 92 | 60 | 59 | 39 | 40 | 48 | 127 | 183 | 178 |
| Rainy days | 22 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 21st | 20 |
| Hours of sunshine | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Sunrise | 8:00 | 7:20 | 7:30 | 6:20 | 5:30 | 5:05 | 5:20 | 6:00 | 6:50 | 7:35 | 7:20 | 8:00 |
| Sunset | 16:40 | 17:30 | 19:15 | 20:05 | 20:50 | 21:20 | 21:15 | 20:30 | 19:25 | 18:25 | 16:30 | 16:15 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Vancouver is 11 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (18.5 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 4.5 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Vancouver is 14 ° C. That is hardly suitable for swimming.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1224 mm on 176 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of January, November and December are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 547 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. In the months of January, February, March, November and December is possible snowfall.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 10 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines 5.9 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following major towns are nearby and have similar climates: Surrey, Burnaby, Ladner, British Columbia, Richmond, Coquitlam, and Delta.
Highlights and attractions
British Columbia has a lot to offer in terms of activities in particular. The wide and rocky landscapes are ideal for hiking, mountaineering and climbing. You can go canoeing, boat trips or fishing in various waters. There are also opportunities to raft in white water. Many sports facilities can be visited from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler and Vancouver and some are even open to the public.
British Columbia weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between -1 ° C and 17 ° C can be expected over the next three months. May is the mildest in Vancouver, while Fort Nelson is noticeably colder in March. Temperatures in Vancouver are between 11 and 17 ° C, in Victoria between 10 and 16 ° C and in Fort Nelson between -1 and 17 ° C.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 8-11 ° C. So the weather is not suitable for swimming.
In March it rains depending on the region of 6 (Fort Nelson) to 19 days (Vancouver), in April to 5 (Fort Nelson) to 16 days (Vancouver) and in May to 7 (Fort Nelson) to 12 days (Vancouver).
In the period from March to May the sun shines on average between 4 and 9 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in Victoria in May, but with less sun you will have to get by in Vancouver in March.
