CELPIP Vocabulary for Weather and Seasons

The Celpip Plus team

Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria

Updated October 4, 202613 min read

Weather & Seasons collocations for CELPIP

Weather shapes daily life in Canada, so it turns up in CELPIP prompts on almost any subject. Writing Task 1 may ask you to email a friend to postpone a camping trip, or a landlord about a window damaged in a storm. Writing Task 2 surveys may ask whether a city should spend more on snow clearing or on summer cooling centres. In Speaking, Task 3, Describing a Scene, may show a snowy street or a crowded beach on a hot day; Task 2, Talking about a Personal Experience, may ask about a time the weather ruined your plans; and Task 4, Making Predictions, may ask what happens next as storm clouds roll in. These collocations help you describe conditions, seasons and their effects precisely.

Verb + noun collocations

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
brace for a storm	prepare for a storm you know is coming	Residents braced for the storm after the weather warning was issued.
check the forecast	look at the predicted weather	I always check the forecast before planning a hike.
beat the heat	find relief from very hot weather	We went to the lake to beat the heat last weekend.
endure a drought	get through a long period without rain	Farmers in the area endured a drought that lasted most of the summer.
escape the cold	get away from cold weather, often by travelling	Many retirees escape the cold by spending January and February down south.
weather a storm	get through a storm without serious damage	The old barn has weathered every storm for sixty years.
welcome spring	be happy to see spring arrive	After five months of snow, we were ready to welcome spring with a picnic.
shovel the driveway	clear snow from a driveway with a shovel	I had to shovel the driveway twice before work this morning.
predict the weather	say what the weather will be	Meteorologists use satellites and computer models to predict the weather.
brave the elements	go outside despite harsh weather	The hikers braved the elements to reach the summit.
enjoy the sunshine	take pleasure in sunny weather	Families gathered in the park to enjoy the sunshine.
survive the winter	get through winter successfully	Not every plant survives the winter without protection.

Adjective + noun collocations

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
bitterly cold	extremely cold, harsh	It was bitterly cold on the walk to the bus stop.
scorching heat	extremely hot conditions	The scorching heat made outdoor work impossible by noon.
torrential rain	very heavy rain	Torrential rain flooded several streets downtown.
a mild winter	a winter that is not very cold	We had a mild winter this year, with barely any snow.
unseasonably warm	warmer than usual for the time of year	It's been unseasonably warm for early November.
crisp fall air	cool, fresh air in the fall	I love the crisp fall air on my morning walks.
a humid summer	a summer with a lot of moisture in the air	The humid summer made every activity feel exhausting.
freezing temperatures	temperatures at or below zero	Freezing temperatures are expected overnight.
gusty winds	strong wind that comes in sudden bursts	Gusty winds knocked over several patio chairs.
an overcast sky	a sky completely covered in cloud	The overcast sky made the afternoon feel gloomy.
sweltering heat	hot, heavy heat that makes you uncomfortable	Tourists struggled in the sweltering heat.
clear skies	a sky with little or no cloud	Clear skies are forecast for the long weekend.

Phrasal verbs

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
clear up	(weather) become fine after rain or cloud	The sky cleared up just before the picnic started.
cloud over	become covered with clouds	The sky clouded over quickly before the storm hit.
warm up	become warmer	Temperatures will warm up by the weekend.
cool down	become cooler	It cools down quickly after sunset in the mountains.
die down	(wind or a storm) become weaker	The wind died down by early evening.
set in	(weather or a season) begin and continue	Winter set in early this year.
let up	(rain or snow) become lighter or stop	The rain finally let up after three hours.
roll in	(fog or a storm) arrive and spread over an area	Fog rolled in from the coast overnight.
blow over	(a storm) pass and come to an end	The storm blew over before it reached the city.
freeze over	become covered in ice	The lake usually freezes over by January.
dry out	lose its moisture	The soil dried out after weeks without rain.
brighten up	become sunnier	It should brighten up by the afternoon.
layer up	wear several layers of clothing against the cold	If you're not used to the cold, layer up before you go out.

Formal and spoken phrases for weather and seasons

These phrases belong to weather situations. Use the formal ones in a Writing Task 1 email about a cancelled event or storm damage, or in a Writing Task 2 survey response about seasonal services, and the spoken ones when you describe the weather in Speaking.

Formal phrases for Writing

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
due to adverse weather conditions	because of bad weather (formal)	The flight was delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
as a result of the prolonged drought	because of a long dry period	As a result of the prolonged drought, water restrictions were introduced.
in light of the forecast	considering the predicted weather	In light of the forecast, organizers postponed the outdoor concert.
given the unpredictable weather	considering how changeable the weather is	Given the unpredictable weather, we recommend booking an indoor venue as a backup.
as winter approaches	as the cold season gets closer	As winter approaches, the city is preparing its snow-clearing equipment.
weather-related disruptions	problems caused by weather	Weather-related disruptions affected transit across the province.
seasonal fluctuations in temperature	regular changes in temperature through the year	Seasonal fluctuations in temperature affect household energy use.
extreme weather events	severe storms, heat waves and similar events	Extreme weather events have become more frequent in recent years.
current weather conditions	the weather as it is right now	Given current weather conditions, the outdoor part of the event has been cancelled.
climate-related concerns	worries connected to the climate	Climate-related concerns are influencing how new neighbourhoods are planned.

Spoken phrases for Speaking

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
it's freezing out there	it is very cold outside	Grab a coat. It's freezing out there today.
what a scorcher	what an extremely hot day	What a scorcher! I was soaked in sweat just walking to work.
the weather's been all over the place	the weather has been very changeable	The weather's been all over the place this spring: sun, then hail.
I can't stand this humidity	I really dislike humid weather	I can't stand this humidity. My shirt sticks to me all day.
it's finally warming up	warmer weather is arriving at last	It's finally warming up after such a long winter.
we got hit by a storm	a storm reached us	We got hit by a storm halfway through the camping trip.
it was pouring rain	it was raining very heavily	It was pouring rain the entire drive home.
the forecast says	the weather report predicts	The forecast says we might get snow this weekend.
it's supposed to clear up later	the weather is expected to improve	It's supposed to clear up later, so let's wait before we cancel.
I'm not a fan of this weather	I don't like this weather	Honestly, I'm not a fan of this weather. It's too grey for me.
it feels like summer already	it is much warmer than expected	It feels like summer already, and it's only April.
bundle up	put on lots of warm clothes	Bundle up before you head out. The wind is brutal.

Connectors such as "consequently" and chunks such as "looking back" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.

Worked examples

Writing Task 1: Postponing a camping trip

Prompt: You and a friend have planned a camping trip for this weekend, but the weather forecast is bad. Write an email to your friend. In your email:

explain why you want to postpone the trip;
suggest a new plan;
ask your friend to do something to help.

Hi Tom,

I've been checking the forecast for our camping trip. I know we were both looking forward to it, but I think we should postpone it. There's a weather warning for torrential rain on Saturday, with gusty winds overnight and freezing temperatures by Sunday morning. Our tent barely survived a light shower last fall, so I really don't think it would weather a storm like this one.

Instead, how about the following weekend? The long-range forecast shows clear skies and daytime highs around fifteen degrees, which would be perfect for hiking. If the rain lets up early this Sunday, we could still do a short day hike, but I'd rather not sleep outside.

Could you call the campground and ask whether they can move our reservation? You made the booking, so they'll probably need to speak to you. If they charge a change fee, I'm happy to pay half. Could you also check whether your brother is still free to come next weekend?

Thanks, and sorry about the change of plans!

Sami

The email answers the three bullets in order, gives specific weather details as reasons, and makes two clear requests.

Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene

Prompt: Describe the picture of a residential street on the morning after a snowstorm.

In this picture, I can see a quiet residential street on the morning after a big snowstorm. The storm seems to have blown over, because the sky is clearing up and the sun is coming out, but there's deep snow everywhere.

In the front, a man in a red parka is shovelling his driveway. He looks tired, and there's already a huge pile of snow beside him. Next to him, two kids are bundled up in snowsuits and building a snowman on the front lawn.

In the middle of the street, a city plow is clearing the road. Beside it, a man is scraping ice off his car's windshield, so it must be bitterly cold.

On the right, an older woman is walking her dog. She's wearing tall boots and a thick scarf, so she's clearly ready to brave the elements. Overall, it looks like a typical Canadian winter morning.

The answer moves from the sky to the front, middle and right of the picture, and each person gets an action and a detail, which fills the 60 seconds.

CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways

CLB 7 version: It rained very much in the morning, and then the weather became good.

CLB 9 version: It was pouring rain all morning, but it cleared up just before lunch.

What changed: "rained very much" became the spoken phrase "pouring rain", and "the weather became good" became the phrasal verb "clear up".

Common mistakes

"It makes cold today" → It's cold today. English uses "it is" for weather, not "it makes" (a direct translation from French or Spanish).
"It's raining strong" → It's raining hard or It's raining heavily.
"The temperature is cold" → The temperature is low or It's cold. Temperatures are high or low; the weather is hot or cold.
"We went to the lake to win the heat" → to beat the heat.
"The farmers passed a drought" → The farmers endured a drought or got through a drought. "Pass" is a direct translation in several languages.
"It's very freezing" or "very torrential rain" → It's absolutely freezing or torrential rain. Strong adjectives like "freezing" and "torrential" don't take "very".
"Bitterly hot" → scorching heat or sweltering heat. "Bitterly" goes with cold, not heat.
"Gusty rain" → gusty winds, or heavy rain for rain.
"The weather cleared off" → The weather cleared up. "Clear off" means removing things from a surface, or telling someone rudely to leave.
"The storm blew away" (meaning it passed) → The storm blew over. "Blow away" means wind carrying something off.
"There were weather problems with the buses" (in a formal email) → There were weather-related disruptions to bus service.
"The weather's been everywhere" → The weather's been all over the place. The idiom is fixed.
"I can't support this humidity" → I can't stand this humidity.
"What a scorcher!" or "Bundle up!" (in a formal email to a manager or landlord) → save these for Speaking or a friendly email. In formal writing, describe the weather plainly: The temperature reached 34 degrees.

Practise

Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
Writing Task 1 practice: write an email that changes plans because of the weather, using at least five collocations from this page.
Speaking Task 3 practice: describe a winter or summer scene using "bundle up", "clear up" and "brave the elements".

vocabulary

CELPIP Vocabulary for Weather and Seasons

The Celpip Plus team

Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria

Updated October 4, 202613 min read

Weather & Seasons collocations for CELPIP

Verb + noun collocations

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
brace for a storm	prepare for a storm you know is coming	Residents braced for the storm after the weather warning was issued.
check the forecast	look at the predicted weather	I always check the forecast before planning a hike.
beat the heat	find relief from very hot weather	We went to the lake to beat the heat last weekend.
endure a drought	get through a long period without rain	Farmers in the area endured a drought that lasted most of the summer.
escape the cold	get away from cold weather, often by travelling	Many retirees escape the cold by spending January and February down south.
weather a storm	get through a storm without serious damage	The old barn has weathered every storm for sixty years.
welcome spring	be happy to see spring arrive	After five months of snow, we were ready to welcome spring with a picnic.
shovel the driveway	clear snow from a driveway with a shovel	I had to shovel the driveway twice before work this morning.
predict the weather	say what the weather will be	Meteorologists use satellites and computer models to predict the weather.
brave the elements	go outside despite harsh weather	The hikers braved the elements to reach the summit.
enjoy the sunshine	take pleasure in sunny weather	Families gathered in the park to enjoy the sunshine.
survive the winter	get through winter successfully	Not every plant survives the winter without protection.

Adjective + noun collocations

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
bitterly cold	extremely cold, harsh	It was bitterly cold on the walk to the bus stop.
scorching heat	extremely hot conditions	The scorching heat made outdoor work impossible by noon.
torrential rain	very heavy rain	Torrential rain flooded several streets downtown.
a mild winter	a winter that is not very cold	We had a mild winter this year, with barely any snow.
unseasonably warm	warmer than usual for the time of year	It's been unseasonably warm for early November.
crisp fall air	cool, fresh air in the fall	I love the crisp fall air on my morning walks.
a humid summer	a summer with a lot of moisture in the air	The humid summer made every activity feel exhausting.
freezing temperatures	temperatures at or below zero	Freezing temperatures are expected overnight.
gusty winds	strong wind that comes in sudden bursts	Gusty winds knocked over several patio chairs.
an overcast sky	a sky completely covered in cloud	The overcast sky made the afternoon feel gloomy.
sweltering heat	hot, heavy heat that makes you uncomfortable	Tourists struggled in the sweltering heat.
clear skies	a sky with little or no cloud	Clear skies are forecast for the long weekend.

Phrasal verbs

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
clear up	(weather) become fine after rain or cloud	The sky cleared up just before the picnic started.
cloud over	become covered with clouds	The sky clouded over quickly before the storm hit.
warm up	become warmer	Temperatures will warm up by the weekend.
cool down	become cooler	It cools down quickly after sunset in the mountains.
die down	(wind or a storm) become weaker	The wind died down by early evening.
set in	(weather or a season) begin and continue	Winter set in early this year.
let up	(rain or snow) become lighter or stop	The rain finally let up after three hours.
roll in	(fog or a storm) arrive and spread over an area	Fog rolled in from the coast overnight.
blow over	(a storm) pass and come to an end	The storm blew over before it reached the city.
freeze over	become covered in ice	The lake usually freezes over by January.
dry out	lose its moisture	The soil dried out after weeks without rain.
brighten up	become sunnier	It should brighten up by the afternoon.
layer up	wear several layers of clothing against the cold	If you're not used to the cold, layer up before you go out.

Formal and spoken phrases for weather and seasons

Formal phrases for Writing

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
due to adverse weather conditions	because of bad weather (formal)	The flight was delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
as a result of the prolonged drought	because of a long dry period	As a result of the prolonged drought, water restrictions were introduced.
in light of the forecast	considering the predicted weather	In light of the forecast, organizers postponed the outdoor concert.
given the unpredictable weather	considering how changeable the weather is	Given the unpredictable weather, we recommend booking an indoor venue as a backup.
as winter approaches	as the cold season gets closer	As winter approaches, the city is preparing its snow-clearing equipment.
weather-related disruptions	problems caused by weather	Weather-related disruptions affected transit across the province.
seasonal fluctuations in temperature	regular changes in temperature through the year	Seasonal fluctuations in temperature affect household energy use.
extreme weather events	severe storms, heat waves and similar events	Extreme weather events have become more frequent in recent years.
current weather conditions	the weather as it is right now	Given current weather conditions, the outdoor part of the event has been cancelled.
climate-related concerns	worries connected to the climate	Climate-related concerns are influencing how new neighbourhoods are planned.

Spoken phrases for Speaking

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
it's freezing out there	it is very cold outside	Grab a coat. It's freezing out there today.
what a scorcher	what an extremely hot day	What a scorcher! I was soaked in sweat just walking to work.
the weather's been all over the place	the weather has been very changeable	The weather's been all over the place this spring: sun, then hail.
I can't stand this humidity	I really dislike humid weather	I can't stand this humidity. My shirt sticks to me all day.
it's finally warming up	warmer weather is arriving at last	It's finally warming up after such a long winter.
we got hit by a storm	a storm reached us	We got hit by a storm halfway through the camping trip.
it was pouring rain	it was raining very heavily	It was pouring rain the entire drive home.
the forecast says	the weather report predicts	The forecast says we might get snow this weekend.
it's supposed to clear up later	the weather is expected to improve	It's supposed to clear up later, so let's wait before we cancel.
I'm not a fan of this weather	I don't like this weather	Honestly, I'm not a fan of this weather. It's too grey for me.
it feels like summer already	it is much warmer than expected	It feels like summer already, and it's only April.
bundle up	put on lots of warm clothes	Bundle up before you head out. The wind is brutal.

Worked examples

Writing Task 1: Postponing a camping trip

Prompt: You and a friend have planned a camping trip for this weekend, but the weather forecast is bad. Write an email to your friend. In your email:

explain why you want to postpone the trip;
suggest a new plan;
ask your friend to do something to help.

Hi Tom,

I've been checking the forecast for our camping trip. I know we were both looking forward to it, but I think we should postpone it. There's a weather warning for torrential rain on Saturday, with gusty winds overnight and freezing temperatures by Sunday morning. Our tent barely survived a light shower last fall, so I really don't think it would weather a storm like this one.

Instead, how about the following weekend? The long-range forecast shows clear skies and daytime highs around fifteen degrees, which would be perfect for hiking. If the rain lets up early this Sunday, we could still do a short day hike, but I'd rather not sleep outside.

Could you call the campground and ask whether they can move our reservation? You made the booking, so they'll probably need to speak to you. If they charge a change fee, I'm happy to pay half. Could you also check whether your brother is still free to come next weekend?

Thanks, and sorry about the change of plans!

Sami

The email answers the three bullets in order, gives specific weather details as reasons, and makes two clear requests.

Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene

Prompt: Describe the picture of a residential street on the morning after a snowstorm.

In this picture, I can see a quiet residential street on the morning after a big snowstorm. The storm seems to have blown over, because the sky is clearing up and the sun is coming out, but there's deep snow everywhere.

In the front, a man in a red parka is shovelling his driveway. He looks tired, and there's already a huge pile of snow beside him. Next to him, two kids are bundled up in snowsuits and building a snowman on the front lawn.

In the middle of the street, a city plow is clearing the road. Beside it, a man is scraping ice off his car's windshield, so it must be bitterly cold.

On the right, an older woman is walking her dog. She's wearing tall boots and a thick scarf, so she's clearly ready to brave the elements. Overall, it looks like a typical Canadian winter morning.

The answer moves from the sky to the front, middle and right of the picture, and each person gets an action and a detail, which fills the 60 seconds.

CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways

CLB 7 version: It rained very much in the morning, and then the weather became good.

CLB 9 version: It was pouring rain all morning, but it cleared up just before lunch.

What changed: "rained very much" became the spoken phrase "pouring rain", and "the weather became good" became the phrasal verb "clear up".

Common mistakes

"It makes cold today" → It's cold today. English uses "it is" for weather, not "it makes" (a direct translation from French or Spanish).
"It's raining strong" → It's raining hard or It's raining heavily.
"The temperature is cold" → The temperature is low or It's cold. Temperatures are high or low; the weather is hot or cold.
"We went to the lake to win the heat" → to beat the heat.
"The farmers passed a drought" → The farmers endured a drought or got through a drought. "Pass" is a direct translation in several languages.
"It's very freezing" or "very torrential rain" → It's absolutely freezing or torrential rain. Strong adjectives like "freezing" and "torrential" don't take "very".
"Bitterly hot" → scorching heat or sweltering heat. "Bitterly" goes with cold, not heat.
"Gusty rain" → gusty winds, or heavy rain for rain.
"The weather cleared off" → The weather cleared up. "Clear off" means removing things from a surface, or telling someone rudely to leave.
"The storm blew away" (meaning it passed) → The storm blew over. "Blow away" means wind carrying something off.
"There were weather problems with the buses" (in a formal email) → There were weather-related disruptions to bus service.
"The weather's been everywhere" → The weather's been all over the place. The idiom is fixed.
"I can't support this humidity" → I can't stand this humidity.
"What a scorcher!" or "Bundle up!" (in a formal email to a manager or landlord) → save these for Speaking or a friendly email. In formal writing, describe the weather plainly: The temperature reached 34 degrees.

Practise

Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
Writing Task 1 practice: write an email that changes plans because of the weather, using at least five collocations from this page.
Speaking Task 3 practice: describe a winter or summer scene using "bundle up", "clear up" and "brave the elements".