Fall in Vancouver

Why Fall Weather in Vancouver is the Best

Christine Beyleveldt // Editor-in-Chief

Fall isn’t exactly a season in Vancouver. But it’s still the best time of year because the transition period from beach weather to white Christmases doesn’t abide by any rules.

For instance, Starbucks released its fall icon – the pumpkin spice latte – in August this year, but the maple leaves are only now starting to show the first twinges of red and it’s already October. We still have beautiful blue skies and sunshine despite the rapidly decreasing hours of daylight. In Vancouver, fall is a mashup between winter-like mornings and summer-like afternoons, and the only downside is that you’ll find yourself pulling a scarf and pair of boots out of your closet in the morning only to start overheating when the afternoon sun peeks through the clouds.

Vancouver is known for having an exceedingly mild climate. This city exists in a delicate balance between too hot and too cold – to the envy of the rest of Canada at times. Humidity stinks, but so does an icy blast. If you’ve been to the East Coast in the dead of winter, you’ll know that stepping outside into the chill will literally cause your nostril hairs to freeze. And unlike our friends in the Rockies who get their first snowfall just after Labour Day, the worst we have to contend with is grey skies and relentless rain – the very same rain most Vancouverites spend all summer wishing for to douse the forest fires that have become a common occurrence. It’s like rain is a part of our West Coast identity, and we don’t know who we are without it.

Although with a decided chill in the air and the crunch of colourful leaves underfoot, fall presents the perfect excuse to curl up inside with a piping hot cup of apple cider. But it’s not too cold to enjoy the outdoors for a while longer. There’s nothing quite as nice as the smell of fresh rain on the hot pavement after it stops pouring. It’s also peak rainbow season. So enjoy the perfectly in-between weather while it lasts.

Public Service Announcement: Fall Sucks

Freya Wasteneys // Features Editor

Welcome to another bullshit fall – a time where half of the population can’t stop talking about how much they like the season, while the rest of us wallow in self-pity that comes with facing reality. 

In Vancouver, this time of year is essentially weather purgatory. It’s not hot enough to walk around in shorts, not cold enough to bundle up in layers and not consistent enough to confidently walk out the door without a rain jacket. In constant anticipation of a downpour, I spend way too much of my precious time sifting through various cute, oversized wool sweaters, only to throw my hands up in despair. I then opt for the boring practical thing I wore the day before (and every other day this week), because hey, at least it still fits under my Gore-Tex. Gone are my dreams of looking like that girl with no head on Pinterest. 

Maybe if I believed in umbrellas, this season wouldn’t be so bad. But sadly umbrellas are the devil. When they aren’t flipped inside out, or soaking wet, they are cumbersome, clunky and uncool.   

It’s not just the rain though. Even the temperature is awkward. Give me hot or give me cold, none of this namby-pamby in-between stuff. There’s a reason we like our beverages either scalding hot or freezing cold. Imagine getting a lukewarm drink at a coffee shop. Where is the satisfaction in that? Exactly, there’s no amount of satisfaction. Unless you’re a toddler with mouth sensitivity issues, most normal humans like their drinks on one end of the extreme.  

Ten degrees and rain is ultimately the most shitty since it’s still too warm to snow in the mountains, but too cold and wet to do any of the other fun outside things. I just end up with mild hypothermia every day. Oh, and after being pressed against cold (yet oddly sweaty?) people on the bus, I then have to dry all my soggy clothes by hanging them on all available apartment surfaces. If I were to associate a smell and a colour with fall in Vancouver it would probably be mold and grey.  

It’s sort of like those times when I get really excited about having a bath. I imagine reading my book, listening to music, lighting candles and watching a bath bomb fizz in the water… and it always ends up being a bit of a letdown. My book gets wet, the water gets cold, the weirdest songs get played on shuffle, my bath bomb leaves a sticky residue and I splash water around the room as I try to create the perfect relaxing and aesthetic experience. The same can be said about frolicking in piles of leaves, wearing infinity scarves, visiting pumpkin patches and drinking pumpkin spice lattes. It’s wet, cold, awkward, weird and tastes of disappointment and regret.  

It’s a good thing I enjoy complaining so much, otherwise this season would have zero redeeming qualities.