Rain & bad weather, Vancouver

It was between 18-22C in the first part of July and rained a lot. Just be prepared with some sort of light jacket that is rain repellent. Not everyday was clouds and rain, we got some sun too! Just don't let the weather spoil it, we didn't!

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It's rare most winters for snow to hang around very long, but there is the odd year when snow which has fallen has stayed, causing traffic problems, transit problems, so the best way to get where you want to go, is on foot. This can be fun if you watch out for all the other yahoo's on the roads, and you leave yourself plenty of time for the journey..

I've been in Canada during January and believe me, for those ones who live in a hot place like I do, the cold weather of western Canada can be VERY, VERY COLD. Even if you see locals wearing shorts and looking at you like if you were in the north pole, make sure to buy termic clothing, take an umbrella, hat, gloves and scarf.

When driving onto Granville Island, on a Bicycle, Scooter or Motorcycle, basically anything on two wheels, you've got to be extra careful going across or over the rail tracks here, especially if it's been raining. Even though I was moving at less than 10 km and hour, when my front wheel hit that rail, I was down on the ground so fast, I almost didn't see it coming. I landed on my right side, (elbow and hip to be exact). I'm sitting here writing this in some pain, but what made things okay, was the amount of good people who rushed over to check on me. There must have been about six. My right foot was pinned beneath the bike, it took a little wriggling but I got it removed.
The scooter sustained minor damage to the mirror, but it will like myself, survive. I just know tomorrow, I'm really going to feel this one.

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When it snows in Vancouver, you'd better stay off certain steep hills, such as Oak Street. This is difficult on some vehicles when the weather is nice. And when it snows, forget about it. You can walk these hills, but what I've found that really help are these crampons that pull-over any shoe or boot you are wearing. They are called: Yak-Trax, and do they ever work well. I feel that I could almost RUN on ice or snow with these on my feet.

yes. the weather sucks. it rains almost all the time and its quite rare to actually see the sun. on the bright side though, people enjoy the sun a lot when it actually does come out. i wouldnt call this a tip though, but u always need an umbrella. another wierd thing ive noticed about this town is that no one seems to have air conditioners. even the ritzy condos in yaletown and the west end. i wasnt expecting to see these 500,000 apartments with no air conditioning. for all those who think vancouver doesnt get hot enough. yes it does. thats why hotels have ac

If you've done even the tiniest amount of research on Vancouver prior to reading this, you've probably heard all about Vancouver's rain. While a lot of people like to exaggerate about how rainy it gets in Vancouver, it should be noted that the rain falls more frequently between November and April than it does any other time of the year. What this means is that during the late fall until early spring, you're more likely to get cloudy, overcast days than sunny days. The actual rain isn't really all what it's hyped up to be. When it rains in Vancouver, it tends to be a gentle rain. Sometimes the rain comes down hard, but moreso in the winter months. Thunderstorms are very, very rare.

So knowing this, it's best to plan for at least some rain in Vancouver. However, this doesn't mean you have to bring rain boots or invest in waterproof rain jackets. If you plan to go hiking at all in Vancouver, a waterproof (Gore-tex) jacket, or a snowboarding jacket will definitely come in handy, but if you're just planning to walk around the city streets, any kind of jacket is fine... as long as you accompany it with an umbrella.

The myth goes that real Vancouverites don't use umbrellas... but Vancouver's becoming more fashionable than it once was, so more people are wearing soft fabric coats as opposed to hearty Goretex jackets, so umbrellas are certainly more useful in those cases.

In terms of shoes, as long as you're wearing a closed-toe shoe that won't get ruined if it gets wet, you'll be fine in Vancouver. Rubber rain boots aren't necessary. As long as you stay in the city, any shoe will do. Just try to avoid stepping in puddles!

Note that if you plan to go hiking in the local mountains, the rain tends to make the trails muddy, so a good waterproof shoe or boot will be essential. Even more important will be good traction. Waterproof shoes with smooth soles will be treacherous. Anything that will give you enough stability on slippery surfaces will be crucial for safe hikes on the local trails when it's wet outside.

When the snow hit the city then everything stops! The Yocals here just aren't used to the white stuff covering the city. Considering the rest of the country is used to extreme cold weather Vancouverites are an emabarrasment when it comes to life in the snow! Everything stops and commuters think that they can drive around in their summer tires which leads to scores ot accidents. Schools and government buildings close and the whiff of snow. Out on the street you will however see plenty of people snoballing, sledging and building snowmen!

Despite what Vancouverites might tell you, it does snow in the city ... once in a while, but not very often.

When it does my advice is to get the hell off the roads! Because the already incompetent Vancouver drivers will start driving even worse!! Accidents galore are destined to happen. They always do.

Instead put on some good boots and warm clothes, take a camera, and go on a nice walk down by the water.

If you come to Vancouver in the spring or the fall, chances are you'll encounter rain. I remember back in 1995, it rained for something like 97 days straight at Point Grey. Obviously, this can get a bit tiresome and depressing. So, bring a good rain jacket when you're visiting Vancouver: you never know when the rain will start again..