Snow Day is almost every day during a Canadian winter

Snow days are extraordinary events in more temperate climes, a once or twice a year dusting in some places, and a lifetime event in others. Here in Canada, almost every day is a snow day in January, February and well into March or April—and sometimes even May. For 1.8% of Canada’s landmass, every day is a snow day year-round.

If you love snow, Canada is the place to be.

In 2020, just over 178 000 square kilometres of Canada’s land was covered by year-round snow and ice, comparable to the size of Uruguay. Just under half (49.8%) of the Arctic Cordillera ecozone was covered by snow year-round in 2020. This value will be closely examined over the coming years given the changing climate.

Further south, 6 344 square kilometres of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and Central British Columbia (the Montane Cordillera ecozone) was covered by snow year-round, an area 10 times the size of the city of Toronto.

Snow will be a part of everyday life for most Canadians in the weeks and months ahead—so why not embrace it!

Every two years, we ask Canadian households if they participate in outdoor activities close to home. In 2023, just over three in four Canadian households (77%) reported participating in outdoor activities close to home, a share that has held relatively steady since 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Skating ranked number one for winter activities close to home, reported by 1 in 10 Canadian households in 2023, followed by tobogganing and sliding (7%).

Perhaps surprisingly, Canada’s national pastimes of ice hockey, broomball and curling (6%) ranked third in terms of outdoor activities reported close to home, tied with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing (6%).

Snow and ice got you down. If you can’t beat it, eat it. In 2024, Canadian dairy producers churned out 177,309 kilolitres of hard ice cream, enough to fill 71 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Snow also has its downside, especially when it comes to navigating slippery roads and sidewalks.

In 2022, among the 8 million Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and over, approximately 4.5 million (56%) experienced one or more barriers to accessibility in public spaces at least sometimes during the 12 months prior to the Canadian Survey on Disability.

The leading barrier cited was “sidewalks when covered in ice or snow,” reported by over one-third (36%) of respondents.