Canada - weather in May

May is the last month of spring in Canada.
Average temperatures are below freezing only in the extreme north, where the climate is arctic (see Alert), while they are around freezing in areas having a subarctic climate (see Inuvik, Churchill). In the south, the average temperature exceeds freezing even at night, however, at the beginning of the month it can still drop to about 0 °C (32 °F) in the main cities of the south (see Toronto, Montreal), and below freezing in the southwest, in the Great Prairies (see Edmonton, Calgary, Regina), where it can still snow at the beginning of the month.
Precipitation is weak in the vast cold areas of the center and north, where it can still occur in the form of snow. In the south, the rains increase compared to the previous months, especially in the south-west, in the Great Prairies (see Edmonton, Calgary, Regina), where they were scarce in the cold months. In the east (in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, see Saint John's), where temperatures increase slowly, also because a cold current flows on the Atlantic Ocean, rainfall is still frequent, and sometimes it can still snow, especially at the beginning of the month.
However, the days are getting longer, and in the far north, in the Arctic area (see Alert), the sun is always above the horizon.
Furthermore, during the month, the first hot days can occur in the inland areas of the south, with temperatures close to 30 °C (86 °F) and sometimes higher, during which thunderstorms can break out.




See also: Canada, the weather in April - June
The climate of Canada