Original OKGN Data · Updated Weekly
Okanagan Freeze-Thaw Tracker
Every winter, Okanagan concrete is pried apart by water that freezes, expands, and thaws — over and over. So we count it. Here is how many freeze-thaw cycles the Valley has logged so far in 2026, city by city, from Environment Canada-aligned temperature records.
Freeze-Thaw Cycles in 2026 · Four Okanagan Cities
160
Combined across Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Summerland. Data through August 18, 2026.
By City · 2026 to date
Freeze-Thaw Cycles, City by City
Each number is a running tally for 2026: one count for every day that city crossed the freezing point (daytime high above 0°C, overnight low at or below it). Vernon leads so far with 46 cycles.
Updated weekly. Data currently runs through August 18, 2026 (last refreshed August 24, 2026); the temperature archive lags real time by a few days. Cycles are dormant through summer and resume with the first fall frosts.
The Long-Term Picture
A Typical Okanagan Winter, by City
Year-to-year totals move around, but the long-term climate normals show the same story: the Okanagan crosses freezing more than 100 days a year in every city we serve, with Kelowna carrying the heaviest freeze-thaw load.
Methodology & Sources
How We Count Freeze-Thaw Cycles
We count one freeze-thaw cycle for each calendar day where the daily maximum temperature rose above 0°C and the daily minimum fell to or below 0°C. That crossing of the freezing point — not how cold it gets — is what fractures concrete: water in the slab's pores freezes, expands about 9%, and forces micro-cracks wider.
Temperatures come from the Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis archive, which aligns with Environment and Climate Change Canada station climatology, sampled at each city's coordinates in the America/Vancouver time zone. We track the four Okanagan cities with their own weather stations — Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Summerland. The counts are refreshed weekly and currently run through August 18, 2026.
This is original data compiled by OKGN Concrete Sealing. You are welcome to cite or reference it with attribution to OKGN Concrete Sealing (okgnconcretesealing.com). For the underlying climate normals behind each city, see our Okanagan freeze-thaw damage guide.
FAQ
Okanagan Freeze-Thaw Questions
How many freeze-thaw cycles has the Okanagan had in 2026?
As of August 18, 2026, the Okanagan has recorded 160 freeze-thaw cycles so far in 2026, counted across four cities with their own weather stations — Kelowna (44), Vernon (46), Penticton (32) and Summerland (38). A freeze-thaw cycle is a day the temperature rose above 0°C and then fell back to or below it — the exact action that fractures concrete. OKGN updates these counts weekly from Environment Canada-aligned daily temperature records.
What counts as a freeze-thaw cycle?
We count one freeze-thaw cycle for each calendar day where the daily maximum temperature rose above 0°C and the daily minimum fell to or below 0°C. That crossing of the freezing point is what does the damage: water in the concrete's pores freezes, expands about 9%, and pushes the surface apart. A day that stays frozen all day, or never freezes at all, isn't a cycle — which is why a milder city like Penticton logs fewer cycles than Kelowna even though both get cold.
Which city gets the most freeze-thaw cycles?
Over the long term, Kelowna carries the heaviest freeze-thaw load in the Okanagan — about 69 cycles a year on the Climate Atlas of Canada baseline, driven by winters that hover right around 0°C. In any single year the ranking can shift: so far in 2026, the leader among our four tracked stations is Vernon with 46 cycles. That year-to-year variation is exactly why a live tracker tells you more than a long-term average.
Why does the freeze-thaw count matter for my concrete?
Freeze-thaw is the single biggest driver of concrete damage in the Okanagan. Each cycle is one more chance for water inside the slab to freeze and wedge micro-cracks wider — over enough cycles you get surface scaling, then pitting, then spalling that exposes the aggregate and rebar. A penetrating sealer fills the pores so water can't get in and freeze in the first place, which is why it's the most effective protection in this climate.
Where does this data come from and how often is it updated?
The counts are computed from daily maximum and minimum temperatures for each city's location, drawn from the Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis archive, which aligns with Environment and Climate Change Canada station climatology. OKGN refreshes the tracker weekly; the data currently runs through August 18, 2026 (the archive lags real time by a few days). This is original data compiled by OKGN Concrete Sealing and free to cite with attribution.
Get ahead of the next freeze-thaw season
Every cycle above works on unsealed concrete. A penetrating sealer stops water from getting in and freezing — the one thing that actually breaks the cycle. Book a free, no-obligation on-site assessment across the Okanagan.