Climate of Moncton

The climate of Moncton is mostly maritime, typical of most cities located in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, but the climate demonstrates strong seasonal continental influences. Despite being less than 50 km (31 mi) from the Bay of Fundy and less than 30 km (19 mi) from the Northumberland Strait, the climate can seem more continental than maritime during the summer and winter seasons, whereas maritime influences tend to temper the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.

Seasons

Winter

Winter days are cold but generally sunny with solar radiation generating some warmth. Daytime high temperatures usually range just below the freezing point. Multiple short cold snaps typically occur each winter. Temperature lows can occasionally drop into the -20s (Celsius); however, temperatures colder than -23C are very rare. Similarly, there are typically occasional "January thaws" each winter when considerable snow melt can occur. Major snowfalls can result from nor'easter ocean storms moving up the east coast of North America, following the jet stream from the southeastern United States. Large amounts of precipitation can result from the counterclockwise rotation of these storms picking up moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and dumping it on southeastern New Brunswick as the storms pass by to the south and east of the region. This can be amplified locally by "sea effect" snow squall activity due to northeasterly winds passing over the nearby Gulf of St.