Weather In Calgary
This is a consideration page in the Calgary targeted journey.
Calgary experiences a semi-monsoonal humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwb) within eastern parts of the city and a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc) within western parts of the city due to an increase in elevation.[168] The city has warm, comfortable summers and freezing, dry (but like all of Alberta extremely variable[169]) winters. It falls into the NRC Plant Hardiness Zone 4a.[170] According to Environment Canada, average daily temperatures in Calgary range from 16.5 °C (61.7 °F) in July to −7.1 °C (19.2 °F) in January.[171]
Ice skating on the frozen stream in Bowness Park. Winters in Calgary are cold and dry, with temperatures dropping below −20 °C (−4 °F).
Winters are cold and the air temperature can drop to or below −20 °C (−4 °F) on average of 22 days of the year and −30 °C (−22 °F) on average of 3.7 days of the year, but are frequently broken up by warm, dry chinook winds that blow into Alberta over the mountains. These winds can raise the winter temperature by 20 °C (36 °F), and as much as 30 °C (54 °F) in just a few hours, and may last several days.[172] As well, Calgary's proximity to the Rocky Mountains affects winter temperatures with a mixture of lows and highs, and tends to result in a mild winter for a city in the Prairie Provinces. Temperatures are also affected by the wind chill factor; Calgary's average wind speed is 14.2 km/h (8.8 mph), one of the highest in Canadian cities.[173]
In summer, daytime temperatures range from 10 to 25 °C (50 to 77 °F) and exceed 30 °C (86 °F) an average of 5.1 days in June, July, and August, and occasionally as late as September or as early as May, and in winter drop below or at −30 °C (−22 °F) 3.7 days of the year. As a consequence of Calgary's high elevation and aridity, summer days are often comfortable and not humid unlike many other major cities in Canada. Summer evenings also tend to cool off, with monthly average low temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) throughout the summer months.[171]
Calgary has the most sunny days year round of Canada's 100 largest cities, with slightly over 332 days of sun;[171] it has on average 2,396 hours of sunshine annually,[171] with an average relative humidity of 55% in the winter and 45% in the summer (15:00 MST).[171]
Calgary International Airport in the northeastern section of the city receives an average of 418.8 mm (16.49 in) of precipitation annually, with 326.4 mm (12.85 in) of that occurring in the form of rain, and 128.8 cm (50.7 in) as snow.[171] The most rainfall occurs in June and the most snowfall in March.[171] Calgary has also recorded snow every month of the year.[174] It last snowed in July on July 15, 1999.[175]
Thunderstorms can be frequent and sometimes severe[176] with most of them occurring in the summer months. Calgary lies within Alberta's Hailstorm Alley and is prone to damaging hailstorms every few years. A hailstorm that struck Calgary on September 7, 1991, was one of the most destructive natural disasters in Canadian history, with over $400 million in damage.[177] Being west of the dry line on most occasions, tornadoes are rare in the region.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Calgary was 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) on August 10, 2018.[178] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −45.0 °C (−49.0 °F) on February 4, 1893.[171]
On November 15, 2021, Calgary City Council voted to declare a climate emergency. A climate emergency declaration is a resolution passed by a governing body such as a city council. It puts the local government on record in support of emergency action to respond to climate change, and recognizes the pace and scale of action needed.[179]
| hideClimate data for Calgary (Calgary International Airport) WMO ID: 71877; coordinates 51°06′50″N 114°01′13″W; elevation: 1,084.1 m (3,557 ft); 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1881-present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 17.3 | 21.9 | 25.2 | 27.2 | 31.6 | 37.0 | 36.9 | 36.0 | 32.9 | 28.7 | 22.2 | 19.4 | 37.0 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) | 22.6 (72.7) | 25.4 (77.7) | 29.4 (84.9) | 32.4 (90.3) | 36.3 (97.3) | 36.3 (97.3) | 36.7 (98.1) | 33.3 (91.9) | 29.4 (84.9) | 23.1 (73.6) | 19.5 (67.1) | 36.7 (98.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −0.9 (30.4) | 0.7 (33.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 11.2 (52.2) | 16.3 (61.3) | 19.8 (67.6) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.8 (73.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 11.7 (53.1) | 3.4 (38.1) | −0.8 (30.6) | 10.8 (51.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.1 (19.2) | −5.4 (22.3) | −1.6 (29.1) | 4.6 (40.3) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 16.5 (61.7) | 15.8 (60.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 5.2 (41.4) | −2.4 (27.7) | −6.8 (19.8) | 4.4 (39.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −13.2 (8.2) | −11.4 (11.5) | −7.5 (18.5) | −2 (28) | 3.1 (37.6) | 7.5 (45.5) | 9.8 (49.6) | 8.8 (47.8) | 4.1 (39.4) | −1.4 (29.5) | −8.2 (17.2) | −12.8 (9.0) | −1.9 (28.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −44.4 (−47.9) | −45 (−49) | −37.2 (−35.0) | −30 (−22) | −16.7 (1.9) | −3.3 (26.1) | −0.6 (30.9) | −3.2 (26.2) | −13.3 (8.1) | −25.7 (−14.3) | −35 (−31) | −42.8 (−45.0) | −45 (−49) |
| Record low wind chill | −52 | −53 | −45 | −37 | −24 | −6 | 0 | −4 | −12 | −34 | −48 | −55 | −55 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 9.4 (0.37) | 9.4 (0.37) | 17.8 (0.70) | 25.2 (0.99) | 56.8 (2.24) | 94.0 (3.70) | 65.5 (2.58) | 57.0 (2.24) | 45.1 (1.78) | 15.3 (0.60) | 13.1 (0.52) | 10.2 (0.40) | 418.8 (16.49) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.1 (0.00) | 2.2 (0.09) | 10.8 (0.43) | 46.1 (1.81) | 93.9 (3.70) | 65.5 (2.58) | 57.0 (2.24) | 41.7 (1.64) | 7.5 (0.30) | 1.5 (0.06) | 0.3 (0.01) | 326.7 (12.86) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 15.3 (6.0) | 14.5 (5.7) | 22.7 (8.9) | 18.8 (7.4) | 11.9 (4.7) | 0.1 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.9 (1.5) | 10.0 (3.9) | 16.6 (6.5) | 15.0 (5.9) | 128.8 (50.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.3 | 6.8 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 10.6 | 9.1 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 111.7 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.27 | 0.20 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 10.1 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 0.40 | 67.97 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.7 | 7.4 | 9.5 | 6.4 | 2.6 | 0.07 | 0.0 | 0.10 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 54.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 54.5 | 53.2 | 50.3 | 40.7 | 43.5 | 48.6 | 46.8 | 44.6 | 44.3 | 44.3 | 54.0 | 55.3 | 48.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 119.5 | 144.6 | 177.2 | 220.2 | 249.4 | 269.9 | 314.1 | 284.0 | 207.0 | 175.4 | 121.1 | 114.0 | 2,396.3 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 45.6 | 51.3 | 48.2 | 53.1 | 51.8 | 54.6 | 63.1 | 62.9 | 54.4 | 52.7 | 45.0 | 46.0 | 52.4 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[171] and Weather Atlas[180] | |||||||||||||
| hideClimate data for Springbank Hill (Calgary/Springbank Airport) WMO ID: 71860; coordinates 51°06′11″N 114°22′28″W; elevation: 1,200.9 m (3,940 ft); 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 15.7 | 21.3 | 22.9 | 25.7 | 30.6 | 31.9 | 34.1 | 34.0 | 31.0 | 26.4 | 20.5 | 17.1 | 34.1 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 22.1 (71.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 33.0 (91.4) | 31.0 (87.8) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.1 (89.8) | 30.6 (87.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 20.4 (68.7) | 17.9 (64.2) | 33.8 (92.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) | 0.0 (32.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 15.3 (59.5) | 18.8 (65.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.2 (70.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 11.0 (51.8) | 2.3 (36.1) | −0.6 (30.9) | 10.0 (50.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.2 (17.2) | −6.7 (19.9) | −2.7 (27.1) | 3.4 (38.1) | 8.1 (46.6) | 12.1 (53.8) | 14.8 (58.6) | 13.7 (56.7) | 9.5 (49.1) | 3.9 (39.0) | −3.8 (25.2) | −7 (19) | 3.1 (37.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −14.5 (5.9) | −13.4 (7.9) | −9.2 (15.4) | −3.8 (25.2) | 0.9 (33.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 7.4 (45.3) | 6.2 (43.2) | 1.9 (35.4) | −3.3 (26.1) | −9.9 (14.2) | −13.3 (8.1) | −3.8 (25.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.8 (−45.0) | −41.6 (−42.9) | −36.3 (−33.3) | −21.7 (−7.1) | −14.1 (6.6) | −6.1 (21.0) | −0.1 (31.8) | −5.9 (21.4) | −9.8 (14.4) | −29.1 (−20.4) | −36.5 (−33.7) | −41.6 (−42.9) | −42.8 (−45.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −56.0 | −56.0 | −48.0 | −27.0 | −20.0 | −10.0 | −4.0 | −8.0 | −14.0 | −38.0 | −48.0 | −57.0 | −57.0 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 9.9 (0.39) | 11.5 (0.45) | 17.6 (0.69) | 25.4 (1.00) | 61.1 (2.41) | 106.7 (4.20) | 66.9 (2.63) | 78.0 (3.07) | 50.3 (1.98) | 16.3 (0.64) | 16.3 (0.64) | 9.8 (0.39) | 469.8 (18.49) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.2 (0.01) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (0.02) | 9.3 (0.37) | 49.5 (1.95) | 106.7 (4.20) | 66.9 (2.63) | 78.0 (3.07) | 45.5 (1.79) | 7.0 (0.28) | 2.4 (0.09) | 0.3 (0.01) | 366.2 (14.42) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 12.7 (5.0) | 14.7 (5.8) | 21.7 (8.5) | 19.0 (7.5) | 12.4 (4.9) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 5.3 (2.1) | 11.6 (4.6) | 17.4 (6.9) | 12.4 (4.9) | 127.3 (50.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.8 | 5.7 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 11.6 | 14.5 | 12.8 | 12.4 | 9.4 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 106.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.17 | 0.04 | 0.48 | 3.5 | 9.7 | 14.5 | 12.8 | 12.3 | 8.8 | 4.3 | 0.91 | 0.23 | 67.73 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 6.0 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 1.4 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 45.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 58.6 | 56.0 | 50.3 | 43.3 | 45.7 | 50.8 | 48.2 | 49.2 | 47.8 | 46.5 | 57.1 | 60.4 | 51.2 |
| Source: Environment Canada[181] | |||||||||||||