Turning the corner

One nice thing about this time of year, not only are the days getting longer but the temperatures are getting warmer.  Statistically, the coldest day of the year in Victoria is December 28, with an average high of 6.5 degrees.  Here we are on January 5, and the average temperature for this date is 7.3 (even though we were below average today).  The gradual warming will continue, with the average high temperature topping 8 degrees by January 26, 9 degrees by February 19, and 10 degrees by March 6.

The chart below, which shows the average daily high temperature in Victoria between November and March, illustrates this trend.  You can see that average temperatures fall off quickly in November, then level off during December.  There is a short period in late December when average termperatures reach the lowest level of the year.  There is a relatively sharp increase at the end of December and beginning of January when average temperatures jump from 6.5 to nearly 8 degrees, then a more gradual increase through the rest of January.  Temperatures start climbing more quickly again in February and March.

Victoria is actually pretty lucky in starting this warming trend so early in the winter.  In many places in eastern Canada, average temperatures don't start increasing until mid- to late-January.  In Toronto, for example, the mean temperature is -2.2 in December, -5.5 in January, and -4.5 in February.  In other words, January is the coldest month of the year, and February is 2 degrees colder than December.  In Victoria, December is the coldest month of the year, with a mean temperature of 5.3.  January is a bit milder, with a mean temperature of 5.9, and February is the mildest of the three winter months, with a mean temperature of 6.5 - 1.2 degrees warmer than December.

So count yourself lucky to be in Victoria.  It's early January and spring is just around the corner!