A recent article published July 2 2025 in Nature demonstrates something that many have suspected for a long time, the Plant Hardiness Zones for Canada have shifted dramatically due to the impacts of climate change.
The most up-to-date zones use data from 1991-2020, and when compared to the zones created using data from 1960-1991, across the board, regions zones have jumped up anywhere from half a zone to two full zones.
The Canadian hardiness zones are determined using a number of factors, including several temperature- and precipitation-related variables, as well as snow depth and wind speed. This is unlike the USDA hardiness zones, which is based on averaging annual extreme minimum temperatures over a period of time. You can learn more about how the zones are created at Canada's Plant Hardiness Site.
Take a look at the changes in British Columbia across the years:
Want to see which hardiness zone you're in? Head over to Canada's Plant Hardiness Site and search for your town. you'll be able to see your current zone as well as the previous one. How much has it changed?