Ottawa weather by month & the best time to visit
Canada · city break · continental climate
The best time to visit Ottawa is September — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 75/100), with August and July close behind. Ottawa averages about 2,034 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F and roughly 87 mm of rain in September.
When is the best time to visit Ottawa?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Ottawa is September, then August and July. The dullest month is January (0/100, 61 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Ottawa?
Ottawa gets a moderate 2,034 hours of sunshine a year. 75 Sunshine Score points separate September (75) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #120 of 242 destinations in Canada for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,024 hours. The year's 979 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | -6° / 21°F | -16° / 3°F | 61 mm | 1 |
| February | 0 | -5° / 23°F | -15° / 5°F | 55 mm | 2 |
| March | 0 | 2° / 36°F | -9° / 16°F | 64 mm | 3 |
| April | 19 | 11° / 52°F | -1° / 30°F | 85 mm | 4 |
| May | 69 | 19° / 66°F | 7° / 45°F | 85 mm | 5 |
| June | 72 | 23° / 73°F | 12° / 54°F | 104 mm | 6 |
| July | 73 | 26° / 79°F | 15° / 59°F | 98 mm | 6 |
| August | 74 | 25° / 77°F | 14° / 57°F | 88 mm | 6 |
| September | 75 | 21° / 70°F | 10° / 50°F | 87 mm | 4 |
| October | 30 | 13° / 55°F | 3° / 37°F | 99 mm | 2 |
| November | 0 | 5° / 41°F | -3° / 27°F | 73 mm | 1 |
| December | 0 | -3° / 27°F | -11° / 12°F | 80 mm | 1 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
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Ottawa: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Ottawa?
Ottawa is a city break in Canada with a continental climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Ottawa get a year?
Ottawa gets about 2,034 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around September.
When is the best time to visit Ottawa?
The sunniest time to visit Ottawa is September, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 75/100 (with August and July close behind). Expect daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F.
What is the least sunny month in Ottawa?
January is the least sunny month in Ottawa, scoring 0/100 with about 61 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Ottawa?
The typical midday UV index in Ottawa peaks around 6 (high) in June, easing to about 1 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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