It’s Rare, But It Can Snow in Victoria!
Yes, snow is rare in Victoria, particularly on the low lying coastal areas, but it does happen. On Dec 5 & 6th 2016 the city was practically shut down by less than 2 cm (less than 1″) of snow followed closely on the 9th by 10 cm (around 4″) with exclamations of ‘snowmageddon’ and ‘snowpocalypse’! There were runs on snow shovels at Canadian Tire and generators were selling out! However … a few hours later it was pretty much all gone as the temperature warmed up and the snow turned to rain! Disaster averted!
**January 4 & 5, 2020 – A significant snowfall came down overnight and the next day causing a lot of problems for cars, planes & ferries. The snow was accompanied by some feisty winds which only complicated matters!
While anyone from practically anywhere else in Canada has a great laugh at this, Victorians take their snowfall very seriously. However, to keep things in perspective, a significant snowfall of around 40 cms occurred in in 2014; and … in some very rare circumstances a truly remarkable event can take place, for example in 1996 177 cm (almost 6′) of snow fell on the city over a period of a couple of days. This is truly significant when you consider we only have around 5 snow plows in the city! If you would like to see more historical snowfall data, click this link: Victoria Snowfall Data
Keep in mind, around Victoria the amount of snow can vary greatly depending on where you are. A short drive up the penninsula or out to the Western Communities or even a small change in altitude and you can see dramatically different accumulations of snow.
When the snow does fall, Victoria can be transformed into a magical place and it’s worth getting out for some exploration!
Westsong Walkway looking towards Westbay
The West Song Walkway, Westbay
Macualay Pt Park. Esquimalt
Macaulay Point Park, Esquimalt
Kayaking Witty’s Lagoon
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Kayaking around Cole Island, Esquimalt Harbour
January 15, 2020 looking out over Island View Beach and Cordova Spit!
If you compare Victoria to the rest of Canada (especially East side like Ont., Quebec and Maritimes)-It’s like Paradise! You do not call a less than 2 inches ‘snow’. Maybe that is why it is so expensive and unaffordable!
Indeed! Although you should see the drivers here when we get that 2″ or less of snow. It’s like Armageddon … people begin stocking up food! We’re so spoiled. But … in 1996 we were on record as having the biggest snowfall in Canada … it was over our roof! So we DO get the odd snowfall!
I don’t know where you have been but i’ve lived here all my life and i know of only a handful of years it didn’t snow. look up the years 1968 to 1969,the early 1970’s,late 1970’s,November 1985 we had more than 40 centimeters,i know i’ve missed some years.
Thanks for your comments, we always love to hear from people! When we say snow is rare in Victoria, it really is on the basis of how much we get over the course of a winter and how long it persists. Indeed, most years we do get some amount of snow fall, sometimes over a couple of weeks during a freezing period and maybe a couple to a few times a year, but the snow here never lasts, even after the record snow storm of 1996. I would still consider that rare compared to many parts of the country who have persistent snow all winter long. We do mention in the article that the amount that we get and what may persists depends a lot on where you happen to live. Thanks again!
Snow is not rare at all in Victoria. It snows every winter.
Thanks for your comments, we always love to hear from people! When we say snow is rare in Victoria, it really is on the basis of how much we get over the course of a winter and how long it persists. Most years we do get some measurable snow fall, sometimes over a couple of weeks most often just over a couple of days. This may happen a couple to a few times a year, but it never lasts. Compare this to many parts of Canada where they have persistent snow all winter long. We do mention in the article that the amount that we get and what may persists depends a lot on where you happen to live. Thanks again for reading and commenting on the post!
I miss living in Ontario where the snow was so beautiful and the seasons so distinct..and the Great Lakes for swimming. Too much rain here, seasons aren’t so different, and it’s too cold to swim! I won’t swim in leech filled inland “lakes”. —sigh
Find a spa
Join a gym
Become a duck!!!
They love the rain
Is there a place in BC the snow does not fall at all or ever,tell me !!