Климат Канады

Canada is situated in the northern part of the North American continent. It is washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west, by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Arctic Ocean in the north. Because of it the climate of the country is very various.

The northern parts lie in subarctic and arctic climatic zones. Most of the northern islands are covered with ice. The bays between them are covered with ice for 9—10 months a year. This territory has a climate with very cold winters and short, cool summers. The average winter temperature is about 35 degrees below zero. The average summer temperature is about 4 degrees above zero.

It contrasts with the rest of the territory, where the climate is moderate. This part gets enough amounts of rainfall and heat. In the south there are large areas of fertile soils. The west of the country has a mild and humid climate thanks to a warm Pacific flow. The average winter temperature is about 4 degrees above zero. The average summer temperature is 21 degrees above zero.

In Canada there is a lot of snow. The country is famous for its ice storms, when snow instantly freezes forming a thick coat of ice on everything. In 1998 southern parts of Ontario and Quebec were left without electricity for many days because power lines crashed down from the weight of the ice.

Another natural phenomenon known in Canada as a wind chill factor can lower the temperature from 10 to 30 degrees within hours. A wind chill factor is caused by a high speed of the cold wind, which quickly lowers the temperature of the air. In southern Alberta, on the contrary, there is a warm wind factor (called Chinook) that can raise temperature by 20 degrees in an hour.