The climate on Salt Spring Island is one of Canada's mildest all year-round. The average daily temperature ranges from 3.5 degrees Celsius (38 degrees F) in January to 22.2 degrees Celsius (72 degrees F) in August. The cool ocean breeze has a moderating effect on the temperature of Salt Spring Island. This generally results in a warmer winter climate and a cooler summer climate. The following chart shows averages for temperature and precipitation for 2008. The data pertains to Victoria International Airport which is the closest area available on Environment Canada's website.
| Salt Spring Island Climate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Mean Max Temp °C | Mean Temp °C | Mean Min Temp °C | Total Precip mm |
| Jan | 6.6 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 93.5 |
| Feb | 9.3 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 41.8 |
| Mar | 9.4 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 52.3 |
| Apr | 11.2 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 46.7 |
| May | 16.8 | 12.2 | 7.6 | 15.6 |
| Jun | 19 | 14.2 | 9.3 | 27.2 |
| Jul | 21.8 | 16.3 | 10.8 | 10.5 |
| Aug | 22.2 | 16.9 | 11.6 | 37.2 |
| Sep | 19.8 | 14.3 | 8.8 | 19.6 |
| Oct | 13.1 | 9.3 | 5.4 | 51.5 |
| Nov | 11.3 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 127.1 |
| Dec | 4.6 | 1.8 | -1.1 | 139.3 |
| Sum | 662.3 | |||
| Avg | 13.8 | 9.6 | 5.3 | |
Source: www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
The annual precipitation is much less than other areas in BC because Salt Spring is situated in an area of the Southern Gulf Islands that is termed a 'rain shadow'. The Olympic Mountains act as a wall that protects the area from much of the rain that moves into the Pacific Northwest, hence the term rain shadow.
Like most other areas of South Western BC the weather can change from day to day and hour to hour. To check the current weather, marine forecast or tides, please visit the websites below: