Archery Vs Wind Speed and Time of Year

Q

"Hello!

What is the best time of year to do archery in Toronto? I am asking with respect to weather conditions.

- John W."

A

Hello John!

Ignoring rain, I think the biggest factor would be wind conditions - especially for shooting longer distances because the wind effects the arrow 4 times as much at 80 yards compared to 20 yards.

Judging by the average month to month wind speeds in Toronto (as well as a measurement of the average number of days with strong wind (52 kph or more) then the best month to do archery in Toronto is August.

I created the chart above using data from currentresults.com. The statistics below are likewise from the same website. If you want to check the wind, temperature, precipitation and humidity for other times of the year I recommend visiting the website. Other people reading this can also check their local weather conditions to see which is the best times of the year for them to practice if they want ideal conditions.

Temperature wise August's temperatures average between a high of 26 C and a low of 17 C.

Average precipitation during August is 81 mm, so there should be plenty of dry days.

Average humidity during August is 81% in the morning and 61% in the afternoon, which means the best time of day to go to the Toronto Archery Range is the afternoon or early evening.

Personally I like shooting during September and October. Sure it is slightly windier in September and October, but the temperature is more comfortable and there is less humidity in the afternoons.

Another factor, outside of wind conditions, is how busy it is at the archery range at different times during the week. The best time to go is a weekday morning or early afternoon. On weekends the range tends to get crowded.

Lastly I want to note that what you are asking for is basically when is the best time to get the ideal weather conditions in order to get more accuracy, however when doing archery outdoors the primary purpose really should be to learn how to adjust for wind / weather conditions. Thus you learn how to shoot regardless of whether it is raining, windy, snowing, foggy, cold, hot, humid or any other kind of conditions.

I personally love shooting at a moving target on a windy day. The smaller the moving target the better.