Calgary, Alberta

:This page refers to the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. For other places with the name Calgary, see Calgary (disambiguation)

Climate

Although Calgary's winters can be downright cold, Environment Canada still ranks the city as having the 3rd most temperate climate in the country after Victoria and Vancouver. This is due in large part to the dry Chinook winds that routinely blow into the city from the Pacific Ocean during the winter months. These winds have been known to raise the winter temperature by up to 20°C and may last several days.

Related Topics:
Victoria - Vancouver - Chinook winds

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Nevertheless, Calgary is a city of extremes, and temperatures have ranged anywhere from a record low of −45°C in 1893 to a record high of +36°C in 1919. Although summer temperatures in the +30s are not all that uncommon, it rarely gets colder than −30°C, even in the dead of winter. On average the temperature ranges from a minimum −15°C in January to a maximum of 23°C in July and August.

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With an average relative humidity of 65% in the winter, Calgary is a dry city and receives very little rain or snow relative to other Canadian cities. Despite this, blizzards in the winter and thunder and hail storms in the summer are not uncommon. Calgary receives an average of 400mm (15.7in) of precipitation annually, with 301mm (11.8in) of that as rain, and the remainder as snow. Most of the precipitation occurs from May to August.

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The seasons in Calgary are generally:

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• Winter: November to mid-March.
• Spring: mid-March to May
• Summer: June to August
• Autumn: September to November

Other climate periods:

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• Heavy snowfall season: March to early May
• Heavy rainfall month: June (known to some locals as the "monsoon month")
• Thunderstorm/hail season: late May to early September
• Chinook season: late October to early April (its effect is most pronounced in the cooler months, though Chinooks can occur at any time.)