Metro Vancouver Regional District topographic map

Winters in Greater Vancouver are the fourth-mildest of Canadian cities after nearby Victoria, Nanaimo and Duncan, all on Vancouver Island. Vancouver's growing season averages 237 days, from March 18 until November 10. Vancouver's 1981–2010 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone ranges from 8A to 9A depending on elevation…

Average elevation: 34 m

Average elevation: 17 m

The rain shadow effect of the island's mountains, as well as the mountains of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, creates wide variation in precipitation. The west coast is considerably wetter than the east coast. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6,650 mm (262 in) at Hucuktlis Lake on the west coast…

Average elevation: 411 m

Burnaby occupies 98.6 square kilometres (38.1 sq mi) and is located at the geographic centre of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. The regional district's government is located in Burnaby's Metrotown area. Situated between the city of Vancouver on the west and Port Moody, Coquitlam, and New Westminster on…

Average elevation: 59 m

Average elevation: 16 m

Average elevation: 47 m

A small ski resort featuring a single short lift has operated on Mount MacKenzie since the 1960s, and snowcat skiing was offered for higher altitudes. A strong movement pushed to expand the entire mountain into a single resort, and construction started in the early 2000s (decade).

Average elevation: 982 m

Kelowna is classified as a humid continental climate or an inland oceanic climate per the Köppen climate classification system due to its coldest month having an average temperature slightly above −3.0 °C (26.6 °F) and below 0 °C (32 °F), with dry, hot, sunny summers and cool, cloudy winters, and four…

Average elevation: 704 m

Average elevation: 384 m

Average elevation: 99 m

Average elevation: 240 m

Average elevation: 833 m

Average elevation: 28 m

Average elevation: 676 m

Like much of Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate type Cfb), experiencing mild temperatures and high precipitation; warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. However, compared to most other cities in the area, precipitation is especially heavy in Coquitlam due to its proximity to…

Average elevation: 190 m

Average elevation: 193 m

Average elevation: 675 m

Average elevation: 649 m

Average elevation: 38 m

Average elevation: 65 m

Average elevation: 587 m

Average elevation: 83 m

Average elevation: 64 m

Average elevation: 12 m

The western part of the district, the Stave Valley, is largely rural and forested but its watercourse is home to what was the largest hydroelectric project in British Columbia until the Bridge River Power Project opened in 1961. It was built by the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) to provide power to…

Average elevation: 345 m

Average elevation: 44 m

Average elevation: 685 m

Average elevation: 1,141 m

Average elevation: 844 m

Average elevation: 2 m

Average elevation: 1,025 m

Average elevation: 358 m

Average elevation: 833 m

Similar to the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, Oregon, the Fraser exploits a topographic cleft between two mountain ranges separating a more continental climate (in this case, that of the British Columbia Interior) from a milder climate near the coast. When an Arctic high-pressure area moves into the…

Average elevation: 865 m

Average elevation: 21 m

Average elevation: 13 m

Average elevation: 110 m

Average elevation: 996 m

Average elevation: 51 m

Average elevation: 26 m

Average elevation: 24 m

Average elevation: 185 m

Average elevation: 289 m

Average elevation: 650 m

Snowfalls are also more common than many parts of the City of Vancouver because of the area's higher altitude and the lack of an urban heat island due to less terrestrial development.

Average elevation: 58 m

Gabriola is about 14 kilometres (9 mi) long by 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) wide on average with a land area of 57.6 square kilometres (22.2 sq mi). The topography varies from flat sandy beaches at sea level to forested hills rising to 160 metres (525 ft) on Stoney Ridge in the centre of the island.

Average elevation: 26 m

Average elevation: 17 m

Average elevation: 258 m

Average elevation: 710 m

Average elevation: 8 m