Climate & Weather

In fact, Parksville Qualicum Beach has been called “Canada’s Riveria” by the Globe and Mail newspaper. Temperatures on the coast, even in January, are usually above 0 °C (32 °F). During the summer season, temperatures average 21-24 °C (70-75 °F).

The rain shadow effect of local mountains (including Mount Arrowsmith, southwest of Parksville Qualicum Beach), as well as the mountains of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, creates wide variation in precipitation.

The rain shadow effect means the west coast of the Island is much wetter than the east coast. The average yearly precipitation ranges from 6,650 millimetres (260 in) at Henderson Lake on the west coast (the wettest place in North America) to only 635 millimetres (25 in) at the Saanich Peninsula in Greater Victoria. Rainfall is heaviest in the autumn and winter and snow is rare at low altitudes.

A weather feature to note is the Mediterranean-like dryness that residents and visitors alike enjoy in latitudes as high as 50°N. This is part of the reason why Parksville Qualicum Beach is known as “Canada’s Riviera”. Only in the extreme northern part of the Island near Port Hardy is the driest summer month’s rainfall as much as 20% of the wet winter months. The west coast regions of other continents at similar latitudes normally have even rainfall distribution throughout the year.