Downtown Vancouver in Spring
In spring (March, April and May), Downtown Vancouver sees average daytime highs around 12°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 544 mm of precipitation over about 49 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 7°C in early March to 17°C by late May. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels dry.
Spring is Downtown Vancouver's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Downtown Vancouver's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 12°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 5°C
- Precipitation
- 544 mm
- 49 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.9
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Mar · Apr · May
Temperature in Downtown Vancouver in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 7°C in early March to 17°C by late May.
A typical spring day in Downtown Vancouver reaches about 12°C and drops to 5°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is May, the coolest March.
How spring really feels in Downtown Vancouver
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 11 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in spring is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Downtown Vancouver weather by month
How the three spring months (March, April and May) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5° / 1° | 316 | 19 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 7° / 1° | 189 | 15.4 | 5.9 | 9.8 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 9° / 3° | 252 | 19.2 | 5.9 | 11.5 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 12° / 5° | 175 | 16.9 | 1.3 | 13.4 | 2.7 |
| May | 16° / 8° | 117 | 12.5 | 0.1 | 15.1 | 4.6 |
| Jun | 18° / 11° | 94 | 11.5 | 0 | 15.9 | 5.6 |
| Jul | 21° / 13° | 53 | 6.6 | 0 | 15.6 | 7.3 |
| Aug | 22° / 13° | 73 | 7.4 | 0 | 14.2 | 7.2 |
| Sep | 18° / 11° | 125 | 10.2 | 0 | 12.4 | 5.9 |
| Oct | 13° / 7° | 246 | 16.3 | 0.1 | 10.5 | 3.0 |
| Nov | 8° / 4° | 349 | 19.9 | 3.5 | 8.9 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 5° / 1° | 307 | 19.3 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 0.1 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Downtown Vancouver gets around 544 mm of rain and snow over 49 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 7 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min in early March to 15 h 42 min by late May. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 4.2 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Downtown Vancouver
In spring, Downtown Vancouver overlaps its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Downtown Vancouver's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is spring a good time to visit Downtown Vancouver?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Downtown Vancouver.
What to pack for Downtown Vancouver in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Downtown Vancouver sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 5°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 49 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Downtown Vancouver in Spring
The nearest coast averages about 10°C across spring — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 16°C and coldest in January near 7°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Bracing |
| Feb | 7 | Bracing |
| Mar | 8 | Bracing |
| Apr | 10 | Bracing |
| May | 12 | Bracing |
| Jun | 14 | Bracing |
| Jul | 16 | Cool |
| Aug | 16 | Cool |
| Sep | 14 | Bracing |
| Oct | 11 | Bracing |
| Nov | 9 | Bracing |
| Dec | 8 | Bracing |
UV index in Downtown Vancouver in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Downtown Vancouver peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 1 | Low |
| Mar | 3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4 | Moderate |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 6 | High |
| Sep | 4 | Moderate |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 1 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Air quality in Downtown Vancouver in Spring
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where spring falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Downtown Vancouver is worst in August — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 9 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Moderate |
| Feb | 13 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 16 | Moderate |
| May | 17 | Moderate |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 15 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 14 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Downtown Vancouver?
Downtown Vancouver sits at 49.3°N, 123.1°W, 14 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is West End, 1.0 km away.
Topography around Downtown Vancouver
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Downtown Vancouver.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Downtown Vancouver has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 90 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,466 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,632 m.
The land around Downtown Vancouver is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and water (36%) within 3 km, trees (42%), water (28%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 16 km, and trees (51%) and water (31%) within 80 km.
Canada travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 83% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $55,698
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.7 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 97%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 2
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 5.3
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Downtown Vancouver (49.2828°, -123.1193°, elevation 14 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.