When does the weather get better ...

I know this seem a stupid question but I'm planning a three week trip to canada shortly Vancouver and Ottawa and just wondered when the snow and really cold weather will be gone

I've just spent 6 weeks in Australia working and its been 40+ most days so I'm not expecting fantastic weather in Canada like Australia but just want to avoid lots of snow and really bad weather ( i hate the rain and cold )

Would i be better to hold off till April /May rather than visit in mid March

Thanks Paris

If you're coming to Vancouver, expect a lot of rain until at least the third week of March, and often into mid-April. May and June are the most beautiful months, here, with everything in bloom; rain showers tend to be shorter and lighter. There's usually very little rain for most of July, August tends to be bone-dry and we often have beautiful autumn weather from September through the third week of October. The rainy season gets underway in earnest about the beginning of November. We have more rainy days than clear ones for about five to five and a half months after that.

Actually, a good rule of thumb for Vancouver is to plan for rain, all the time. If it doesn't happen--celebrate!

While it rarely gets cold, temperature-wise, in Vancouver, the winter rains and damp provide a kind of cold that seeps into your bones. Cold can be easier to manage in Ontario and Quebec when there's lots of snow and -20°C or more.

If you want to ski in Whistler, there's usually lots of snow from November through early April. Parts of Blackcomb had snow into June last year, I think.