General & Geography
With just under 1.3 million inhabitants, short for CAL by abbreviationfinder, Calgary is the fourth largest city in Canada. It covers an area of more than 800 km² and is the largest city in the government province of Alberta.
The nature reserve “Banff National Park” on the edge of the Rocky Mountains is in the immediate vicinity of the city. There are also three ski areas in Banff National Park.
Calgary itself is located on the North American prairie, but is already slightly hilly due to the so-called foothills (transition zone to the Rocky Mountains). The word Calgary originally comes from the Gaelic and means something like “beach on the meadow”.
This is because the city is located at the confluence of the Elbow River and the Bow River. From there the city spreads in all directions. The two Indian reservations of Eden Valley 216 and Tsuu T’ina 145 are also located in the province of Calgary.
In addition to English, the so-called Quebec French is spoken there.
Calgary is a very modern city with numerous skyscrapers.
Climate in Calgary
The climate in the Canadian metropolis is similar to the climate in Germany, but it is colder and drier. In the winter months from December – March the temperatures rarely exceed the freezing point. Permafrost in the double-digit minus range is not uncommon. These cold phases can, however, be interrupted at any time by the chinook, a warm blow-dryer-like wind from the Rocky Mountains.
Then temperatures can reach up to 20 ° C within a very short time, even in winter. The first snowstorms in the city can be expected from September. In the summer months from June to August are often just above 20 ° C. However, the nights are usually very cold.
Unfortunately, most of the precipitation falls in the summer months. In June there is an average of ten times as much rain as in January or February snow. Overall, however, the amount of precipitation is significantly lower than in Germany.
When is the best time to visit Calgary?
For winter sports and snow enthusiasts, the period from December to March is undoubtedly best for a vacation trip to Calgary. Vacationers who first want to get to know the city of Calgary better and then travel further through the Rocky Mountains prefer the warmer summer months in western Canada.
We therefore recommend the period from May to September as the best time to visit Calgary. Statistically speaking, the summer months have the most frequent showers, but overall they are blessed with many hours of sunshine and pleasant temperatures. The warmest months are July and August, they are also considered the high season in Alberta and British Columbia.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | -1 ° C | 1 ° C | 4 ° C | 11 ° C | 16 ° C | 20 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 18 ° C | 12 ° C | 3 ° C | -1 ° C |
| Night temperature | -13 ° C | -11 ° C | -8 ° C | -2 ° C | 3 ° C | 8 ° C | 10 ° C | 9 ° C | 4 ° C | -1 ° C | -8 ° C | -13 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 9 | 9 | 18 | 25 | 57 | 94 | 66 | 57 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 10 |
| Rainy days | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Hours of sunshine | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Sunrise | 8:30 | 7:50 | 7:50 | 6:40 | 5:45 | 5:20 | 5:35 | 6:20 | 7:10 | 8:00 | 7:50 | 8:30 |
| Sunset | 17:00 | 17:50 | 19:40 | 20:30 | 21:20 | 21:50 | 21:45 | 21:00 | 19:50 | 18:45 | 16:50 | 16:30 |
Temperatures
The average annual temperature is 4.4 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (16.5 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of -7.1 ° C.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 427 mm on 112 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. Snow is possible in all but June, July and August.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 10.1 hours of sunshine per day. In the annual mean, the sun shines an average of 6.6 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Sights and attractions
As a Canadian city, Calgary naturally has many attractions to offer. In any case, you should take the time to stroll through the Inglewood district. In addition to the best restaurants in town, there are also plenty of interesting shops there. Beer lovers get their money’s worth at “The Ship & Anchor”.
The Calgary Tower is the city’s landmark and main attraction. If you visit the metropolis in July, you should definitely watch the largest rodeo event in the world, the Calgary Stampede. Another highlight is a visit to Banff National Park, which is just over an hour’s drive away. The surrounding Rocky Mountains are of unique beauty.
Calgary weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 4 ° C and 16 ° C can be expected over the next three months. In Calgary, May is still the mildest, but March is noticeably colder..
In March, at about 9 days expected precipitation in April at about 9 days in May at about 11 days.
In the period from March to May , the sun shines an average of 6 to 8 hours a day. The sunniest weather in Calgary is May, but March is the sunniest month.
