Weather, Generally Speaking...
Having an idea of what the weather will be, good or bad, can help you plan for a day in the saddle... or to take a rest day huddled in the tent avoiding a storm.
During the approximate 5 month window of bicycle touring in Canada, temperatures will be summertime hot: anywhere between 5°C and 45°C. However, snow still might fall in the mountains in April or May, or in the Maritimes in the fall. The Prairies and central Canada have awesome summer thunderstorms - getting caught in a lightning storm, on a bike, on a highway, with no other tall structures around, probably isn't a good idea!
- See the Gear Talk page for suggestions on how to dress for Canadian weather
Wind Information
Having the wind at your back can be an extra 10km in that day's ride. On the flip side, a strong headwind can mean an unfortunate 10km day total. A common misconception is that wind patterns in Canada flow West to East. Not exactly true riding a bicycle. Here are links and maps showing wind patterns:
- Wind direction in the Rockies change day to day
- Chinook winds occur over the winter and die out around Calgary - Chinook winds and Alberta weather
- Prairies wind either blows up southwest or southeast (ref)
- The Great Lakes Region has wind going every which way (ref)
- Wind generally flows South-West down the St Lawrence River (ref)
- Maritime winds come up South-West (Boston's weather 2-3 days later)
Government of Canada Weather Information
US Wind Map
Global Wind Patterns
- Earth :: A Global Map of Wind, Weather, and Ocean Conditions - double-click on globe to zoom in over North America to see wind patterns.