Environment and Climate Change Canada: Colder and snowier December than usual in Ottawa

Skaters skate along the Rideau Canal Skateway during the first official day of public skating on New Year’s Eve on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

It was an unusually chilly and snowy December in the capital, as the average temperature for the month was over 3 C colder than usual.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s monthly weather review for Ontario, the average temperature for December in 2025 was -9 C, 3.2 C lower than the average December temperature from 1991 to 2020, which was -5.8 C.

Ottawa also experienced 55 centimetres of snow, slightly higher than the average monthly snowfall of 50 centimetres.

Precipitation was lower than usual, with only 46 total millimetres in December, 63 per cent of the monthly average of 72 millimetres.

A silver lining to the cold weather was that the Rideau Canal Skateway opened in December for the first time since 2018.

The entire 7.8 kilometres of the skateway opened on Monday, the earliest full length opening since 2014.

January was off to a similarly chilly start, with multiple consecutive days in the double-digit negatives. However, a slight warming is on the way for Ottawa, with temperatures above 0 C expected by the week’s end.

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