Editing Bas-Saint-Laurent (section)

=== Climate ===
[[File:St-Paul-pano.JPG|thumb|right|Winter in [[Saint-Paul-de-la-Croix, Quebec|Saint-Paul-de-la-Croix]]]]
Bas-Saint-Laurent, like the rest of Quebec, is a Nordic American territory. The Quebecois geographer [[Louis-Edmond Hamelin]] categorized the region in his pre-north area, second of the five zones of his map of [[nordicity]] zones.{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=31}}

The oceanic influence of the [[estuary]] of the [[Saint Lawrence River]] has a small influence on the climate of the region, making it more alike to the climate of meridional [[Quebec]],{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=46}} than with "Nordic" towns like [[La Sarre]] in [[Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality|Abitibi]] or [[Roberval, Quebec]] in [[Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean]], located at the same latitude than the town of [[Matane]].{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=30}} However, the climate of Bas-Saint-Laurent is of [[Continental climate|continental]] type, with a "great amplitude and no dry periods".{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=46}}

The French geographer [[Raoul Blanchard]] described the temperature variations between winter and summer as "brutal". During the winter, which lasts for five months, the cold freezes the lakes and rivers and transforms the estuary into a "vast prairie of ice".{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=46}}

The oceanic influence, while it mitigates the cold of the winters, cools the summers. The average temperature  in July in [[Rimouski]] inferior by 4 degrees to the one recorded in Quebec. To this, the wind of the north west adds humidity and cold.{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=47}}{{sfn|Portrait régional|2010|p=12}}

Rainfall is abundant and consistent throughout the year. The region currently receives annually {{convert|800|to|1200|mm|abbr=on}} of rainfall, of which between {{convert|250|and|360|cm|abbr=on}} is snow. The oceanic influence is less present inland, where slightly warmer temperatures in the summer and slightly colder in the winter are recorded.{{sfn|Fortin|Lechasseur|1993|p=47}}