Climate

Calgary has a dry, prairie-steppe type climate. Precipitation and humidity are low. Most of the little rainfall comes in late spring and early summer. Summer rain is vital for grasslands. Generally, there is not enough precipitation for trees to grow, except by rivers. Plants have adapted to these drought conditions by being small and growing extensive root systems.

Winters are long, cold, and sunny, with frequent snow; and summers are short, sunny, and glorious. Calgary has the highest number of sunny days of Canada’s largest cities, with over 332 days of sun per year. The northern location creates a stark difference between the city’s long summer days and short winter days.

Due to the open prairie location, there are few natural wind barriers. Calgary has a windy climate, year round. Calgary’s cold winters are punctuated by periods of warm, dry, westerly winds known as Chinooks that blow into the city from over the Rocky Mountains a few times a year. These winds bring warm air and are known to raise the temperature by 30° C in just a few hours. Chinooks are accompanied by dramatic cloud cover and powerful gusts.