City in Ontario, Canada
Ottawa
Canada's capital, where the Rideau Canal freezes into a skating rink and snow lies for most of the winter.
Ottawa snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Ottawa pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Ottawa?
When does it snow in Ottawa?
In Ottawa, snow falls on about 8 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from November to April.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 days | 8 days | 5 days | 3 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 4 days | 7 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Ottawa month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 | 25% | −12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F) |
| February | 8 | 24% | −12 to −1 °C (10 to 30 °F) |
| March | 5 | 13% | −6 to 4 °C (21 to 39 °F) |
| April | 3 | 7% | 0 to 11 °C (32 to 52 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 8 to 19 °C (46 to 66 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 14 to 24 °C (57 to 75 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 17 to 27 °C (63 to 81 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 17 to 26 °C (63 to 79 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 13 to 22 °C (55 to 72 °F) |
| October | <1 | 1% | 7 to 15 °C (45 to 59 °F) |
| November | 4 | 9% | −1 to 6 °C (30 to 43 °F) |
| December | 7 | 20% | −7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F) |
Snow in Ottawa in November
In November, Ottawa gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 9% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 6 °C (30 to 43 °F).
Snow in Ottawa in December
In December, Ottawa gets snow on about 7 days, and the month brings about 20% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F).
Snow in Ottawa in January
In January, Ottawa gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 25% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −12 to −3 °C (10 to 27 °F).
Snow in Ottawa in February
In February, Ottawa gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 24% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −12 to −1 °C (10 to 30 °F).
Snow in Ottawa in March
In March, Ottawa gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 4 °C (21 to 39 °F).
Snow in Ottawa in April
In April, Ottawa gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 7% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 11 °C (32 to 52 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Ottawa?
Of the last ten winters in Ottawa, 2022/23 was the snowiest, about 29% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 18% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 16 February 2016.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 123% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 93% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 112% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 90% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 82% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 88% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 129% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 88% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 100% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 95% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Ottawa
Does Ottawa have snow at Christmas?
Ottawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 7 of those years.
Does Ottawa have snow at New Year?
Ottawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.
Does Ottawa have snow in mid-February?
Ottawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.
Does Ottawa have snow at Easter?
Ottawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in none of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Ottawa?
It snows on about 35 days a year in Ottawa, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 8 days.
What is the snowiest month in Ottawa?
January is the snowiest month in Ottawa, bringing about 25% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Ottawa?
Of the last ten winters in Ottawa, 2022/23 was the snowiest, about 29% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 18% below average.
How cold does Ottawa get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Ottawa, with average daily lows of −12 °C (10 °F) and highs of −3 °C (27 °F).
Snow forecasts near Ottawa
Nearest ski resorts to Ottawa
Sources: Ottawa on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates