Has it rained enough in Ottawa?
Rain soaked properly in 6 days ago, and the ground is still holding some of it.
Ottawa has had 27.4mm of rain in the last 30 days. A normal August here brings 97.2mm — and the driest August in the last 30 years still managed 51mm. This is drier than anything on that record.
Rain in Ottawa through a normal year
Across a normal year Ottawa gets about 1039.2mm of rain, most of it in June (105.8mm) and least in February (59.8mm).
That makes Ottawa one of the wetter places this site covers in Canada in August — 4th of 11, against Quebec City at the wet end (117.5mm) and Victoria at the dry end (20.4mm).
What that means for what you grow
- Pots and hanging basketsWorst hit, and first to suffer. Very little soil, fully exposed, and nothing to fall back on — in this weather they can empty in a day.
- Salad and leafy vegShallow-rooted and quick to bolt once they run dry. First priority of anything in the ground.
- Beds and bordersA long soak that reaches the roots is worth more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and is gone by lunchtime.
- Established shrubs and treesFine as they are. They draw from far deeper than a dry spell reaches.
Your own garden, not the town average
This page is worked out for Ottawa as a whole. Your garden has its own soil, its own shade and its own planting, and the front page will use your exact location instead.
Check my garden