St. John's is south of Vancouver and is at about at the same latitude as Seattle, Washington or Paris, France. However it is more affected by the cool Labrador current than the warmer Gulf Stream, which Ireland is warmed by despite being further north than Newfoundland. Hence from January to early March we get cooler temperatures and some snow suitable for cross-country skiing. The weather is colder than Vancouver but is still moderated by the ocean and has less extreme temperatures than Edmonton, Ottawa or other inland Canadian (and some US) cities. Also it is brighter here near winter solstice than Vancouver and Ireland.