When to Go

Seasons vary dramatically in Newfoundland and Labrador. Most tourists visit between June and September, when the bogs and meadows turn into a colorful riot of wildflowers and greenery and the province is alive with festivals, fairs, and concerts. Temperatures hover between 24°C (75°F) and 29°C (85°F). In spring, icebergs float down from the north, and in late spring, whales arrive to hunt for food along the coast, staying until August. Fall is also popular: the weather is usually fine, hills and meadows are loaded with berries, and the woods are alive with moose, caribou, partridge, and rabbits. In winter, ski hills attract downhillers and snowboarders, forest trails hum with snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles taking anglers to lodges and lakes, and cross-country ski trails in provincial and national parks are oases of quiet.

This rocky island perched on the edge of the cold north Atlantic Ocean might be the only place in the world where you can have four seasons in one day and where the saying "If you don't like the weather out your front door, go look out the back door" rings true. St. John's is a weather champion in Canada. It holds the distinctions of being the foggiest, snowiest, wettest, windiest, and cloudiest of all major Canadian cities.