Moving from Seattle to Vancouver
A climate comparison of two homes: Washington to British Columbia. The dates below come from the nearest official weather station to each place.
Climate Match
Your coldest month goes 2C colder, from 6C in December to 4C in December.
Seattle, WA to Vancouver, BC
The full comparison
| Measure | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldest month | 6C in December | 4C in December | 2C colder |
| Warmest month | 20C in August | 18C in July | 2C cooler |
| Frost-free season | 247 days | 237 days | 10 days shorter |
| Last spring frost | March 13 | March 18 | 5 days later |
Moving from Seattle to Vancouver reshapes the home year. Winters get 2C colder. Summers get 2C cooler. Your growing season is 10 days shorter. Most of your routine carries over.
What changes about the house
- Heating: expect a longer or deeper heating season. Service the furnace or boiler before the first cold snap, and budget for higher heating bills.
- Garden: a shorter season favors transplants, short-season varieties, and cold frames. Wait for soil to warm before direct sowing.
Season by season
Spring starts later
Your last spring frost moves from March 13 to March 18, 5 days later. Delay tender planting and spring openings.
Summers run cooler
The warmest month goes from 20C in August to 18C in July. Cooler peaks mean less cooling stress, but watch humidity and ventilation.
Winters turn harsher
Winter coldest month goes from 6C in December to 4C in December. Budget for more heating, snow removal, and ice-dam prevention.
Tools for both places
Moving from Seattle to Vancouver, answered
What is the biggest climate change from Seattle to Vancouver?
Your coldest month goes 2C colder, from 6C in December to 4C in December. That is the largest shift in the 30-year climate record.
How are these numbers computed?
From official 30-year climate normals at the nearest station to each place: Seattle Boeing Fld near Seattle and Vancouver Intl Airport near Vancouver. They are planning averages, not forecasts; local microclimates can run a week or two off the station record.
Does the comparison work in reverse?
Yes. Open the comparison tool and swap the two places; the deltas reverse direction but the match score stays the same.
Method and sources
Temperatures and frost dates are from the 30-year climate normals at Seattle Boeing Fld (near Seattle, WA) and Vancouver Intl Airport (near Vancouver, BC). Canadian data is from Environment and Climate Change Canada; United States data is from NOAA NCEI. These are planning averages, not forecasts. See the methodology page for the full calculation.