Season guide · Montreal · Canada
Montreal in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
A slow thaw: March and April are slushy and grey, with sugar shack season as the highlight, and May brings green trees and the first terraces. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around -6°C (21°F), with about 34 rainy days across March–May.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -6°C (21°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 34
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 3°C (37°F) | -6°C (21°F) | 11 | 11.8 h | 1/5 |
| April | 11°C (52°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 11 | 13.5 h | 2/5 |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 12 | 14.9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 12°C (54°F), and 34 of the year's roughly 139 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Nuit blanche — all-night arts event during Montréal en Lumière (usually early March)
- March: St. Patrick's Day parade, one of North America's oldest (usually mid-March)
- March: Sugar shack season (usually March to April)
- April: Sugar shack season (usually until late April)
- May: Canadian Grand Prix — Formula 1 on Île Notre-Dame (usually late May or June)
- May: Festival TransAmériques — contemporary theatre and dance (usually late May to June)
Good choices for spring
Religious site · Old Montreal
Notre-Dame Basilica
Completed in 1829, this Gothic Revival basilica on Place d'Armes has a deep-blue vaulted ceiling scattered with gold stars, elaborate carved woodwork and a large Casavant organ.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Museum · Downtown
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Spend most of your time in the Quebec and Canadian art pavilion, and check the temporary exhibitions, which are often the highlight.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Iconic
Museum · Old Montreal
Pointe-à-Callière
Built over the spot where Montreal was founded in 1642, this archaeology and history museum takes visitors underground through excavated foundations, the city's first Catholic cemetery and a restored 19th-century stone sewer collector.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Zoo · Olympic Park
Montreal Biodôme
Start in the tropical forest to warm up in winter; it is a reliable rainy-day choice with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Downtown
Underground City (RÉSO)
The RÉSO is a network of about 32 km of tunnels and passages linking metro stations, shopping centres, offices, hotels and universities beneath downtown.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
- Food
Day trips in spring
- Quebec City (About 3–3.5 hours by train or car) — The walled old town of Quebec's capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the Château Frontenac above the St.
- Mont-Tremblant (About 1.5–2 hours by car) — The Laurentians' best-known resort has a car-free village of colourful buildings at the foot of a major ski mountain, with gondola rides, hiking and lake beaches in summer and Mont-Tremblant National Park nearby.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Montreal?
It is a trade-off: A slow thaw: March and April are slushy and grey, with sugar shack season as the highlight, and May brings green trees and the first terraces. The best months overall are June–October.
+What is the weather like in Montreal in spring?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around -6°C (21°F), with about 34 rainy days over the season.