How much snow do Kingsville, Wheatley, and Leamington, Ontario get?
These Lake Erie towns average about 80 to 100 cm of snow a year, roughly half of what Cambridge and the Waterloo Region get, and less than half of London, Ontario.

Watch the full video below, or keep reading for the real numbers.

So many times, we’d leave Cambridge with two feet of snow in the driveway. By the time we got past Highgate, it was starting to thin out. By Tilbury, there was less again. And by the time we pulled into Wheatley? No snow. None. Two hours and fifteen minutes down the road, and it was like a completely different winter.

I made that move myself, from Cambridge to Wheatley, so this topic is personal. If you’re thinking about relocating to Kingsville, Wheatley, or Leamington, here are the real snowfall numbers, why this corner of southwestern Ontario gets so much less snow, and what winter here actually feels like.

The Real Snowfall Numbers

Here’s how the Lake Erie shore compares with other Ontario cities, based on Environment Canada’s Canadian Climate Normals:

So when I say we get about half the snow I used to shovel in Cambridge, the numbers back it up. And compared with London, it’s less than half.

It’s Not Just How Much Snow Falls, It’s How Long It Stays

Here’s what surprises most people. Down here, we’ll get a snowfall, and a lot of the time it’s gone within a few days. You’re not staring at the same dirty snowbanks from December to March.

Why Does This Area Get So Much Less Snow?

We’re only a couple of hours from Cambridge and London, so why the big difference? Three reasons:

• We’re at the southern tip of Canada. Kingsville is known as Canada’s southernmost town, and Point Pelee National Park is the southern tip of mainland Canada. We sit at roughly the same latitude as Rome, Barcelona, and Chicago.
• Lake Erie takes the edge off. Living right on the water moderates the cold through much of the winter.
• We miss most of the lake-effect snow. The big snow bands you hear about on the news mostly hit areas north and east of us, like London and the snowbelt. We’re usually on the lucky side.

One quirk I’ve noticed: these three towns are only minutes apart, but the snow doesn’t always agree. Sometimes Leamington gets hit and Wheatley misses it completely, and sometimes it’s the other way around.

The Honest Version: It’s Not Florida

I don’t want anyone moving here expecting no winter at all. January is our coldest month. In Kingsville, the average high sits just below zero, and the average low is around minus seven. We still get cold snaps, grey days, wind off the lake, and the odd storm.

Winters here also vary a lot from year to year. There’s a creek behind our house in Wheatley. Most winters, the kids were lucky to skate on it at all. One year it froze for one day, another year three days, and one year a whole week. Last winter was unusually cold, though. That creek stayed frozen for over a month, and it was actually too cold to go out and skate on it.

Fog Days Instead of Snow Days

Being right on Lake Erie, we get thick fog, especially in spring and fall. When it’s dense enough, the morning school buses in Essex County get cancelled. It’s like a snow day, just without the snow, and usually just for the morning.

A Longer Golf Season

Milder weather means golf courses tend to open earlier in spring and stay open later into fall. If you golf, you get more of it. Leamington has Erie Shores, Kingsville has Kingsville Golf and Country Club, and Wheatley has Talbot Trail.

What to Do in Winter in Kingsville, Wheatley, and Leamington

• Fantasy of Lights in Kingsville: It kicks off in November and lights up the whole town for the holidays.
• Wheatley Sharks hockey: Wednesday nights, grab a coffee, sit in the stands, and you’ll see half the town there.
• Tobogganing at Two Creeks: After a good snowfall, the big hill at Two Creeks in Wheatley is usually full of kids sliding.
• Outdoor skating: In the winters when local creeks freeze, you’ll find pickup hockey games and people out skating.
• Winter walks at Point Pelee: The park is open year-round, and a quiet winter walk with the trails almost to yourself is something special.

Who Is Winter Here Really For?

If you’re coming from the GTA, Ottawa, London, or the Waterloo Region and you’re tired of shovelling and driving in snow for four months a year, you’re going to love it here. If you’re retiring and want to stay active outdoors longer, walking, golfing, and getting out on the lake, this area gives you a longer season to do it.

But if you’re dreaming of no winter at all, this isn’t it. For our family, the move from Cambridge brought fewer white-knuckle drives, less shovelling, and more time outside. It was one of the biggest quality-of-life changes we made.

Trying to decide which town fits you best? Watch my video 3 Lake Erie Towns, 15 Minutes Apart: Who Leamington, Kingsville and Wheatley Are Really For.