Vancouver weather by month & the best time to visit
Canada · major city break · Mediterranean climate
The best time to visit Vancouver is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 84/100), with August and June close behind. Vancouver averages about 1,739 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F and roughly 26 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Vancouver is July, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 194 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Vancouver?
Vancouver isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,739 hours of sunshine a year. 84 Sunshine Score points separate July (84) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #211 of 242 destinations in Canada for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,024 hours. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around December, carries about 45% of the annual 1,285 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 3° / 37°F | 194 mm | 0 | 6° / 43°F |
| February | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 3° / 37°F | 103 mm | 1 | 7° / 45°F |
| March | 5 | 9° / 48°F | 5° / 41°F | 142 mm | 2 | 8° / 46°F |
| April | 24 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 87 mm | 3 | 10° / 50°F |
| May | 52 | 16° / 61°F | 10° / 50°F | 60 mm | 5 | 13° / 55°F |
| June | 74 | 19° / 66°F | 13° / 55°F | 46 mm | 5 | 16° / 61°F |
| July | 84 | 22° / 72°F | 15° / 59°F | 26 mm | 6 | 20° / 68°F |
| August | 83 | 22° / 72°F | 15° / 59°F | 33 mm | 5 | 20° / 68°F |
| September | 63 | 18° / 64°F | 13° / 55°F | 71 mm | 4 | 18° / 64°F |
| October | 26 | 13° / 55°F | 9° / 48°F | 140 mm | 2 | 13° / 55°F |
| November | 5 | 9° / 48°F | 6° / 43°F | 206 mm | 1 | 9° / 48°F |
| December | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 3° / 37°F | 177 mm | 0 | 8° / 46°F |
Sea temperature in Vancouver by month
The sea off Vancouver is warmest in July at around 20°C / 68°F, and coolest in January at 6°C / 43°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Vancouver compares month by month: Vancouver vs Victoria (British Columbia) · Vancouver vs Abbotsford · Vancouver vs Kelowna · Vancouver vs Nanaimo · all comparisons
Vancouver: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Vancouver?
Vancouver is a major city break in Canada with a Mediterranean climate — the sea reaches 20°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Vancouver get a year?
Vancouver gets about 1,739 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
The sunniest time to visit Vancouver is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 84/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F.
What is the least sunny month in Vancouver?
January is the least sunny month in Vancouver, scoring 0/100 with about 194 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Vancouver?
The sea in Vancouver ranges from about 6°C (January) to 20°C (July). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Vancouver?
The typical midday UV index in Vancouver peaks around 6 (high) in July, easing to about 0 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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