Climate and average weather in North Cowichan
In North Cowichan, the summers are warm, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are cold, snowy, and mostly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in North Cowichan typically varies from 0°C to 23°C, and is rarely below -6°C or above 30°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while December is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit North Cowichan for warm-weather activities is from late June to mid September.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 23°
- Coldest
- Dec
- 0°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 213 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 27 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1429 mm
- 154 wet days
- Daylight
- 8.0–16.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 145 m
- 48.8°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 46% cloud
North Cowichan weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late June to mid September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in North Cowichan, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.0 months, from June 18 to September 16, with daily high temperatures above 19°C. The hottest month of the year in North Cowichan is August, with an average high of 23°C and low of 13°C.
The cool season lasts 3.9 months, from November 13 to March 10, with daily high temperatures below 8°C. The coldest month of the year in North Cowichan is December, with an average low of 0°C and high of 5°C.
Days typically run about 8°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 10°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| Avg low (°C) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | 0 |
| Feb | 7 | 1 |
| Mar | 9 | 2 |
| Apr | 12 | 4 |
| May | 16 | 8 |
| Jun | 19 | 10 |
| Jul | 23 | 13 |
| Aug | 23 | 13 |
| Sep | 19 | 10 |
| Oct | 13 | 6 |
| Nov | 8 | 3 |
| Dec | 5 | 0 |
How hot and cold North Cowichan really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -2°C (around January 1), with roughly 116 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| Air high (°C) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -2 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 1 | -2 |
| Air low (°C) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | 5 | -2 | 0 |
| Feb | 7 | 7 | -1 | 1 |
| Mar | 9 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Apr | 12 | 12 | 3 | 4 |
| May | 16 | 16 | 7 | 8 |
| Jun | 19 | 19 | 10 | 10 |
| Jul | 23 | 23 | 12 | 13 |
| Aug | 23 | 23 | 13 | 13 |
| Sep | 19 | 19 | 10 | 10 |
| Oct | 13 | 13 | 5 | 6 |
| Nov | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Dec | 5 | 5 | -2 | 0 |
Average hourly temperature in North Cowichan
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 23°C, and coldest before dawn in December, near 0°C.
North Cowichan weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5° / 0° | 213 | 17.8 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 7° / 1° | 133 | 14.4 | 6.3 | 9.8 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 9° / 2° | 157 | 17.4 | 6.6 | 11.6 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 12° / 4° | 110 | 15.6 | 1.7 | 13.4 | 2.8 |
| May | 16° / 8° | 70 | 11.4 | 0.1 | 15 | 5.0 |
| Jun | 19° / 10° | 52 | 9.3 | 0 | 15.9 | 6.2 |
| Jul | 23° / 13° | 27 | 5 | 0 | 15.5 | 7.8 |
| Aug | 23° / 13° | 39 | 5.1 | 0 | 14.2 | 7.9 |
| Sep | 19° / 10° | 66 | 8.7 | 0 | 12.4 | 6.5 |
| Oct | 13° / 6° | 140 | 13.7 | 0.2 | 10.5 | 3.4 |
| Nov | 8° / 3° | 212 | 18.1 | 3.8 | 8.9 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 5° / 0° | 210 | 17.7 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 0.1 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
North Cowichan gets about 1429 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.7 months, from around Oct 11 to May 2, peaking in November at about 61% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 30.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 213 mm over about 18 wet days; July is the driest, with 27 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 57 | 52 | 56 | 52 | 37 | 30 | 17 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 58 | 58 |
| Rain days | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 18 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 18 |
| Feb | 52 | 14 |
| Mar | 56 | 17 |
| Apr | 52 | 16 |
| May | 37 | 11 |
| Jun | 30 | 9 |
| Jul | 17 | 5 |
| Aug | 16 | 5 |
| Sep | 29 | 9 |
| Oct | 45 | 14 |
| Nov | 58 | 18 |
| Dec | 58 | 18 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, North Cowichan collects about 1429 mm of rain across 154 wet days — roughly 119 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 213 mm, while July is the driest at just 27 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 44% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 213 | 133 | 157 | 110 | 70 | 52 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 140 | 212 | 210 |
| Rain days | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 18 |
| Snow days | 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 213 | 18 | 7 |
| Feb | 133 | 14 | 6 |
| Mar | 157 | 17 | 7 |
| Apr | 110 | 16 | 2 |
| May | 70 | 11 | 0 |
| Jun | 52 | 9 | 0 |
| Jul | 27 | 5 | 0 |
| Aug | 39 | 5 | 0 |
| Sep | 66 | 9 | 0 |
| Oct | 140 | 14 | 0 |
| Nov | 212 | 18 | 4 |
| Dec | 210 | 18 | 9 |
Snow in North Cowichan
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
North Cowichan averages about 34 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 25 to Apr 28 — about 6.1 months.
December is snowiest, with roughly 8 days of snow and an estimated 56 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 181 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 36 | 36 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 56 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 36 |
| Feb | 6 | 36 |
| Mar | 7 | 30 |
| Apr | 2 | 5 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 1 |
| Nov | 4 | 18 |
| Dec | 9 | 56 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In North Cowichan, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 16 and lasts for 3.9 months, ending around October 11. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 63% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 12 and lasts for 8.1 months, ending around June 15. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 78% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 24 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 35 | 38 | 59 | 63 | 57 | 37 | 27 | 22 |
| Cloudier (%) | 76 | 70 | 73 | 70 | 65 | 62 | 41 | 37 | 43 | 63 | 73 | 78 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 76 |
| Feb | 30 | 70 |
| Mar | 27 | 73 |
| Apr | 30 | 70 |
| May | 35 | 65 |
| Jun | 38 | 62 |
| Jul | 59 | 41 |
| Aug | 63 | 37 |
| Sep | 57 | 43 |
| Oct | 37 | 63 |
| Nov | 27 | 73 |
| Dec | 22 | 78 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 19, brings about 16 hours of light; the shortest, around December 18, only 8 hours — a swing of roughly 8 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.5 | 9.8 | 11.6 | 13.4 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.4 | 10.5 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 8:10 | 7:34 | 6:38 | 5:32 | 4:40 | 4:17 | 4:33 | 5:13 | 5:58 | 6:44 | 7:33 | 8:09 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:38 | 5:25 | 6:11 | 6:58 | 7:42 | 8:13 | 8:08 | 7:24 | 6:20 | 5:16 | 4:27 | 4:13 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.5 | 8:10 | 4:38 |
| Feb | 9.8 | 7:34 | 5:25 |
| Mar | 11.6 | 6:38 | 6:11 |
| Apr | 13.4 | 5:32 | 6:58 |
| May | 15.0 | 4:40 | 7:42 |
| Jun | 15.9 | 4:17 | 8:13 |
| Jul | 15.5 | 4:33 | 8:08 |
| Aug | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:24 |
| Sep | 12.4 | 5:58 | 6:20 |
| Oct | 10.5 | 6:44 | 5:16 |
| Nov | 8.9 | 7:33 | 4:27 |
| Dec | 8.1 | 8:09 | 4:13 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
North Cowichan averages about 7 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 4 and 16 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.7 months, from around Jun 25 to Oct 15. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 13 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is December, down near 4 sunny days — about 65% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 5 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 5 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 5 | Gloomy |
| May | 6 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 6 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 13 | Mixed |
| Aug | 14 | Mixed |
| Sep | 12 | Mixed |
| Oct | 8 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 5 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 5 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In North Cowichan, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 0% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 84 | 80 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 98 | 2 |
| Jul | 84 | 16 |
| Aug | 80 | 20 |
| Sep | 93 | 7 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in North Cowichan is steady company: average speeds sit near 6 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | calm |
| Feb | 6 | calm |
| Mar | 7 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 6 | calm |
| Jul | 5 | calm |
| Aug | 5 | calm |
| Sep | 5 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 6 | calm |
| Dec | 6 | calm |
Hazard calendar for North Cowichan
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
North Cowichan's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit North Cowichan
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in North Cowichan throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late August, North Cowichan is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit North Cowichan for general outdoor tourist activities is from late June to mid September, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | ideal | good | poor | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.1 | poor |
| Feb | 0.7 | poor |
| Mar | 1.5 | poor |
| Apr | 2.8 | poor |
| May | 5.0 | fair |
| Jun | 6.2 | good |
| Jul | 7.8 | ideal |
| Aug | 7.9 | ideal |
| Sep | 6.4 | good |
| Oct | 3.4 | poor |
| Nov | 1.0 | poor |
| Dec | 0.1 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit North Cowichan for hot-weather activities is from mid July to late August, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for North Cowichan, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 23°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around December (highs near 5°C), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.
In August, North Cowichan sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.
Sea temperature near North Cowichan
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 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 (midday) in North Cowichan by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in North Cowichan peaks around July 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 19 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 | 4 | 5 | 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 | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | 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 |
Average hourly UV index in North Cowichan
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in July the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 4.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 2.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 0 |
| May | 7.5 | 2.5 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 8 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 7 | 1.5 |
| Sep | 4 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in North Cowichan by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in North Cowichan is worst in October — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 4 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) | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 4 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Good |
| Feb | 6 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 9 | Good |
| May | 9 | Good |
| Jun | 8 | Good |
| Jul | 8 | Good |
| Aug | 12 | Moderate |
| Sep | 10 | Good |
| Oct | 16 | Moderate |
| Nov | 12 | Good |
| Dec | 4 | Good |
Growing season
The growing season in North Cowichan typically lasts about 349 days, from around January 8 to December 22 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from April 5 to October 31.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 55 | 59 | 75 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 77 | 53 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 |
| Feb | 59 | 28 |
| Mar | 75 | 31 |
| Apr | 95 | 5 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 97 | 2 |
| Nov | 77 | 30 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. North Cowichan banks about 838 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 139 | 239 | 242 | 140 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 62 |
| Jun | 139 |
| Jul | 239 |
| Aug | 242 |
| Sep | 140 |
| Oct | 15 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
North Cowichan receives about 3.6 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 0.8 and 6.6 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.9 months, from around Mar 27 to Sep 23. The brightest month is July, averaging about 6.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 0.8 kWh/m² — roughly 87% less than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Level | Dim | Dim | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Dim | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.0 | Dim |
| Feb | 1.9 | Dim |
| Mar | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4.5 | Bright |
| May | 5.8 | Bright |
| Jun | 6.2 | Intense |
| Jul | 6.6 | Intense |
| Aug | 5.7 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.1 | Bright |
| Oct | 2.3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 1.1 | Dim |
| Dec | 0.8 | Dim |
Where is North Cowichan?
North Cowichan sits at 48.8°N, 123.7°W, 145 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Duncan, 7.0 km away.
Topography around North Cowichan
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of North Cowichan.
Within 3 km, the terrain around North Cowichan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 359 m around an average of 96 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,265 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,725 m.
The land around North Cowichan is covered by trees (73%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (63%) and water (23%) within 16 km, and water (47%) and trees (46%) 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 North Cowichan (48.8413°, -123.686°, elevation 145 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).