To understand the climate in Nova Scotia,
you have to keep in mind that we are really quite far south.
Halifax is roughly on the same lattitude as Milano in Italy.
This means we get a hot sun.
If it were not for the cold waters of
the Northumberland current which flows from Greenland in the
north between Labrador and Newfoundland, we would have an even
milder climate. As it is, this current carries not only cold
water to our coast, but in spring, it also carries a lot of
pack ice which keeps us cool until the middle of May. this is
not to say that we don't (double negative here..) get fluke
sunny warm days even throughout winter.
As I write this at the end of March, the
crocuses are up everywhere, and daffodils and tulips will follow
in a few days. The trees have been in bud for about 6 weeks
but haven't started leafing out yet, and we haven't seen any
robins. For Canadians, the arrival of robins is 'the signal'
that Spring has arrived. To make up for our rather long winters
and later Springs, we have the most wonderful weather in the
fall, reasonably warm and very clear and sunny. I'm sure you've
seen pictures and heard about the famous Canadian autumn colors.
Well, I believe that Nova Scotia has the most beautiful colours
in the country! And...like so many parts of the world, our climate
is changing and getting much warmer.
Daylight in Canada, and especially
in Nova Scotia seems to be a lot brighter than in Europe. A
German friend who makes stained glass windows for churches both
here and in Germany has told me that he has to choose his colors
several shades darker when working for a Canadian project, compared
to what he would use in Germany, if he wants to achieve the
same effect. I guess I'm used to it, but I know of people who,
when they first arrived in Canada from Germany, had to wear
sunglasses for a long time, because the
clear, bright sunlight would bring tears to their eyes. The
air is wonderfully clean here.
You will love the smell of the salt from
the ocean!!! Most of the time, the sky is blue with not a cloud
in sight, and when there are clouds, they present a fascinating
spectacle, like a train of white balls extending all the way
to the horizon. I've not seen anything like it in any other
place I've lived.
While we have our share of coastal fog
and rain it never seems to last very long and we don't have
extremely grey and gloomy days here such as I've seen in central
Germany for weeks at a time.
The weather in Nova Scotia is quite
moderate. Not too hot in the summer. Temperatures here along
the Atlantic coast rarely go above 30 degrees on a hot summer
day. Actually living on the coast means that we have a very
varied climate. Lots of 'microclimates' depending on
where exactly you are.
This is quite normal for coastal regions.
For example, it might be foggy by the water on a summer day.
If you were to travel inland for a few kilometers (3 or 4, perhaps)
you would probably see the brightest and loveliest sunshine.
When you have a warm and sunny day on the coast, the regions
inland would have a hot day.
You've asked about the temperature
of the ocean. Along Canadian shores, both oceans (the Atlantic
in the east and the Pacific in the west) are rather cold. Here
in the east, the Gulf Stream, which flows north along the east
coast of the US makes a right turn and heads towards Europe
just before it reaches Nova Scotia. Some say it's the Northumberland
Current flowing south which drives a wedge between the coast
and the warm Gulf Stream waters.
The ocean water on our beaches
usually gets warm enough for swimming sometime in August. To
make up for that, there are literally hundreds of clean, warm
lakes everywhere you go, where one can swim much sooner. There
are nine lakes within the city limits of Dartmouth alone ! Did
you know that all bodies of water in Nova Scotia are public
property and accessible to everyone?
In the winter, the situation is
reversed. You might get a cold day inland (anything under 0
degrees is cold :-) while near the coast, it would probably
be a few degrees warmer as the ocean gives off the heat it stored
during the summer and acts like a warm water bottle. Just the
other day, Gail and I visited a friend in Amherst, near the
New Brunswick border. When we left Dartmouth, it was overcast
and close to 5 degrees, no snow anywhere on the ground. A few
kilometers on the other side of Truro the weather turned colder
and we drove through slush at first which gradually turned into
snow. By the time we reached Amherst, actually a little town
just this side of Amherst called Springhill, there was snow
everywhere, even on the roads.
Driving home the next morning, we went
through the same transition: snow at first and then bare ground
and finally, as we drove into Dartmouth, dry streets and temperatures
a few degrees above freezing. The coldest I have experienced
in Nova Scotia is minus 20 degrees Celcius at night. Such low
temperatures could occur in February, but they never last longer
than a few days.
We don't worry about cold too much. Houses
have very good heat, either oil or gas or electric. This is
true for all of Canada. Many houses, mainly in rural areas,
also have a backup system in the form of a wood burning stove
which will keep them warm in the event of a (rare) power failure.
Besides, wood heat is comfortable and smells nice. :-)
Other provinces have their own typical
weather profile. At the risk of being accused of generalization,
I will give you a short description of how I see the weather
/ climatic characteristics of the other provinces.
New Brunswick: Slightly more 'continental'.
This means somewhat colder winters and hotter summers. Lots
of snow in the winter due to it's relative proximity to the
major waether flows which travel north along the east coast
of North America.
Southern Quebec: Remember that
technically, Quebec extends very far north into subarctic and
even arctic regions. The south, centered around the region between
Quebec City and Montreal, is probably more relevant to most
people thinking about that province. Summers get much warmer
and definitively humid. Temperatures of 35 degrees with 90%
relative humidity are not uncommon. Winters can be cold and
provide lots of snow.
Southern Ontario: Like Quebec,
Ontario extends a considerable distance to the north, however,
the south, between Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, is probably most
relevant to newcomers. The winters tend to be a little colder
than in the maritimes, but the summers are very hot. Temperatures
in the high 30s are quite common, with high humidity and little
relief at night. Air conditioning is not a luxury.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the eastern
parts of Alberta: Summers are hot and the winters do get
very cold. Daytime temperatures of minus 35 Celcius are not
uncommon in late December and early January.
British Columbia: The eastern part
and the interior of that province is quite dry. Temeratures
are moderate and alpine. As one gets closer to the Pacific coast,
the climate becomes increasingly more humid, with rainforests
along the coast. The amount of rainfall on the western shores
can be quite high. In other words, there is lots of rain that
can lost for many days without much change. To compensate for
that, the coastal areas of southern BC do enjoy a very mild
winter, and an early spring.
After all this, I have to point out that
this account is not necessarily purely objective scientific
fact. Much of what I've said is based on selective impressions
and experiences. Gail may well want to argue the one point or
another. In the end, weather is really a very subjective thing
that is experienced in different ways by different people, not
least because of the way they are exposed to it in the course
of their days. Someone working outdoors certainly has a different
perception than someone who spends most days indoors in
an office or factory.
There is a saying that I've heard in different
places in this country. It goes like this:
"If you don't like the weather in
[add name of your region here], all you have to do is wait five
minutes!". Having spent time in southern California, the
land of perpetual sunshine and warmth, I've grown to appreciate
the four seasons, the green grass, the wind, the rain and even
the snow and ice of winter.
So much about the weather in Nova Scotia.
