AboutRob Janus Expertise I'm a resident of Victoria, and have been for 25 years. I'm happy to answer questions about
tourism, housing, local government, or similar things.
Experience Resident of the area for a quarter century. Writing a book about tourism in Victoria.
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Expert: Rob Janus Date: 5/31/2008 Subject: Victoria's Winters
Question hi, we live in central arkansas. Our winters are great-one day of snow then in 2 days it's gone. I'm crazy about Victoria, of course. We are retired and I'm wondering if you could describe the winters in Victoria. I've lived in northern colorado and hated winters there. I Know they're much milder but I'm still curious. Also, do the residents speak French or English? I am so envious of your living there. Thanks, Susan
Answer Hi Susan,
Thanks for your question. The winters in Victoria are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it's very mild compared to the rest of Canada. We usually only get snow once or twice over the season and then it's gone in a day or so. There are distinct micro-climates throughout the area too, and some (like my neighborhood) didn't even get any snowfall last year at all. Temperatures are usually in the 0 to 10 degrees celsius area (32 to 50 Fahrenheit) from November to March. That's the good news.
The bad news is that it's often quite rainy and usually very grey throughout the winter here. While we only get about half of the rain of Vancouver (thanks to our lack of mountains nearby) the lack of sunny days for weeks on end can take it's toll. I've heard of people moving here from the prairie provinces that apparently get "seasonal affected disorder" from the lack of sunshine. Some people even buy special full spectrum therapeutic lights to compensate for the lack of natural sunshine. Most people usually say that the summers in Victoria make up for the winters, since we have very long growing seasons (great for gardening) and warm, sunny weather for most of the summer and early fall.
As for the language, everyone speaks english. The only part of Canada that overwhelmingly speaks French is the province of Quebec. By the way, there are lots and lots of US expats here in Victoria, so you'll be among friends! :)
