For those who may feel eager to get into the planting season , you'll want to wait a little bit longer. The general advice has always been to hold off until after the May long weekend before it is safe to plant, however, this year that may not ring true.
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The extended forecast indicates a tendency towards colder air affecting extensive regions of Canada during the latter part of May.
Milder-than-usual temperatures will prevail over most parts of Canada. the weekend ", extending into late May,” explains Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “Although temperatures may fluctuate occasionally, conditions are expected to remain generally below average from the Great Lakes region through to Atlantic Canada, as well as across British Columbia and the Yukon. However, the Prairie provinces should experience averages close to normal.”
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As colder air remains prevalent in May, numerous regions will continue to face the threat of frost or freezing temperatures even following the Victoria Day long weekend. This danger is particularly pronounced on cloudless nights when the warmth accumulated during the day readily dissipates into the atmosphere.
The individuals who are most vulnerable reside in rural areas within the aforementioned provinces. This encompasses portions of the Prairie region as well as extensive parts of Ontario, particularly the inland zones in the southern part. Nonetheless, it remains premature to pinpoint the exact locations and moments when these threats will occur.
Urban and suburban regions in the south tend to be considered safer options. This encompasses locations near the Great Lakes such as Toronto , or further south like Windsor , where there's a lower frost risks than those inland. Similar is true for B.C.’s coast like Vancouver and Victoria .
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While we may be eager to get to the summer weather and our plants in the ground, May 2025 might favour those who wait a little bit longer.
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For a better idea of planting in your area, here's a more detailed look at the average last date of spring frost .
British Columbia:
- Vancouver: March 19
- Comox: April 1
- Abbotsford: April 3
- Victoria: April 4
- Pitt Meadows: April 11
- Squamish: April 19
- Kamloops: April 25
- Penticton: April 30
- Quesnel: May 22
- Smithers: May 26
Alberta:
- Medicine Hat: May 12
- Cold Lake: May 19
- Calgary: May 21
- Lethbridge: May 21
- Grande Prairie: May 21
- Brooks: May 22
- Red Deer: May 22
- Edmonton: May 27
Saskatchewan:
- Saskatoon: May 19
- Assiniboia: May 20
- Kindersley: May 21
- Regina: May 23
- Prince Albert: May 24
Manitoba:
- Brandon: May 18
- Winnipeg: May 23
- Gimli: May 25
- Churchill: June 18
Ontario:
- Windsor: April 17
- Toronto: April 27
- Ottawa: April 29
- Hamilton: May 1
- London: May 3
- Sudbury: May 18
Quebec:
- Montreal: April 29
- Quebec City: May 10
- Maniwaki: May 16
- Val D’or: May 31
- Gaspe: June 4
Atlantic Canada:
- Yarmouth: April 28
- Fredericton: May 14
- Charlottetown: May 17
- Moncton: May 19
- Bathurst: May 20
- Sydney: May 22
- Miramichi: May 23
- St. John’s: May 28
- Gander: May 31
Using information from Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network
