Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
across the entire region, a natural heat conduction system that warms winters while the
oceankeepssummertemperaturesmild.VancouverandVictoriahavehalfthetemperature
range of inland prairies. Precipitation is strongly influenced by the lay of the land, which
means there is a large variation in rainfall across the region and even within the cities. For
example, in the far south of Vancouver, rainfall averages just 900 millimeters (35 inches)
annually, whereas North Vancouver, in the shadow of the North Shore Range, averages
2,400millimeters (94inches).Don'tbesurprisedifreportedrainfallinVancouverseemsa
lotlessthanwhatyouexperienceduringyourstay.Officialweatherobservationsaremade
atVancouverInternationalAirport,whichreceivesmuchlessprecipitationthandowntown
and half that of the North Shore.
Summer is by far the most popular time to visit Vancouver and Victoria. Daytime tem-
peratures in July and August average a pleasant 23°C (73°F), while the hottest day on re-
cord in Vancouver reached 33.3°C (92°F). In summer, city paths come alive with cyclists,
joggers,andin-lineskaters;thebeachesandoutdoorpoolswithswimmersandsunbathers;
and the nearby mountain parks with anglers, campers, and hikers.
Spring starts early in Victoria: Gardens burst with color in March and daffodils bloom
as early as late February. Temperatures through both spring and fall in both cities are nat-
urally cooler than in summer, but in many ways these are prime travel periods. June and
September are especially pleasant because crowds are minimal. The average daytime tem-
perature during both April and October is 14°C (57°F).
Vancouver'smainwinterdrawisasagatewaytomajoralpineresorts,includingWhist-
ler Blackcomb, which is open from early November, and three others within sight of the
city. Winter temperatures remain relatively mild (on a few occasions each year, snow does
fall in downtown Vancouver, but it melts quickly), with January's average high being 5°C
(41°F). Victoria's biggest wintertime attraction is that it doesn't feel like winter (well, to
other Canadians anyway).
PEAKS TO THE PACIFIC
The Metro Vancouver region holds a great variety of landforms. Most of the city is
laid outacross a massive coastal delta at the mouth ofthe Fraser River,created over
millionsofyearsassiltandsandwasheddownstream,slowlyfillingafjordthatori-
ginally extended inland more than 150 kilometers (93 miles). This gradual process
