Best time to visit Calgary
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme cold overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Calgary
22 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Calgary YYC Airport: Hassle-free Private Transfer to Lake Louise - 2
Icefields Pkwy: Lake Louise | Bow | Peyto|Glacier - PRIVATE TOUR - 3
Calgary City Highlights 3 Hour Bike Tour, E-Bike Upgrade Avail. - 4
Calgary Street Art & Craft Beer 3 Hour Tasting Tour - 5
Drumheller & Hoodoos Day Trip from Calgary, Explore the Badlands - 6
Calgary YYC Airport: Affordable Shared Shuttle to Banff & Canmore - 7
Private Day Tours Baff and Yoho National Park - 8
Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Banff Tour from Calgary/Canmore/Banff - 9
Lake Louise Moraine Lake Day Trip from Banff Calgary Canmore - 10
Explore Banff National Park Premium Day Trip - 11
Discover Banff National Park - Premium Day Trip - 12
JasperColumbia Icefield,Bow,Peyto Lake from Calgary,Canmore,Banff - 13
Badlands Guided Small Group Tour: Calgary to Drumheller Dinosaurs - 14
Day of Dinosaurs & Hoodoos from Calgary to Drumheller Badlands - 15
Ridge Ride 2-Hour Horseback Trail Ride in Kananaskis - 16
Banff & Jasper: Ultimate Canadian Rockies Experience - 17
Ultimate Waterton National Park Adventure: Ranch, Bisons & Lakes - 18
Banff National Park and Lake Louise Small Group Tour - 19
Louise, Moraine, Emerald , Natural Bridge & Canyon Day Trip - 20
Explore 3 National Parks - Exclusive Small Group Tour - 21
YYC Calgary Private Shuttle to Canmore, Kananaskis & Banff - 22
Affordable Private Shuttle from Calgary to Banff Hotels
Last refreshed 2026-06-14.
Similar climatesEdmonton92% · Banff92% · Lake Minnewanka90%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Calgary (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Calgary's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -12–-2 | -8 | 5 | 61 | 12.2 | 65% | 19 | 139 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | -12–-1 | -6 | 7 | 99 | 14.1 | 59% | 19 | 149 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | -9–3 | -1 | 8 | 104 | 13.0 | 50% | 18 | 206 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | -3–10 | 5 | 7 | 94 | 13.4 | 39% | 19 | 235 | 4 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 4–16 | 13 | 11 | 130 | 11.8 | 43% | 19 | 260 | 5 | Quiet | 7 |
| Jun | 8–21 | 18 | 13 | 139 | 10.7 | 47% | 19 | 274 | 6 | Quiet | 8 |
| Jul | 12–24 | 23 | 11 | 80 | 7.3 | 51% | 17 | 316 | 6 | Quiet | 9 |
| Aug | 11–24 | 22 | 8 | 72 | 9.0 | 49% | 17 | 279 | 5 | Peak | 9 |
| Sep | 7–20 | 17 | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 46% | 17 | 233 | 4 | Busy | 9 |
| Oct | 0–11 | 8 | 6 | 90 | 15.0 | 52% | 18 | 175 | 2 | Quiet | 6 |
| Nov | -7–2 | -2 | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 60% | 19 | 124 | 1 | Busy | 5 |
| Dec | -11–-2 | -7 | 6 | 93 | 15.5 | 66% | 18 | 113 | 1 | Moderate | 4 |
UV Index in Calgary by Month
UV index in Calgary peaks at 6 (moderate) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in December.
Best months in detail
August
9/1011–24°C (feels 22°C) · 8 rain days (72h) · 279 sun hours · 49% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
July
9/1012–24°C · 11 rain days (80h) · 316 sun hours · 51% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
September
9/107–20°C (feels 17°C) · 5 rain days (52h) · 233 sun hours · 46% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/10-12–-2°C (feels -8°C) · 5 rain days (61h) · 139 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
4/10-12–-1°C (feels -6°C) · 7 rain days (99h) · 149 sun hours · 59% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
5/10-9–3°C (feels -1°C) · 8 rain days (104h) · 206 sun hours · 50% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
April
6/10-3–10°C (feels 5°C) · 7 rain days (94h) · 235 sun hours · 39% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
May
7/104–16°C (feels 13°C) · 11 rain days (130h) · 260 sun hours · 43% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
June
8/108–21°C (feels 18°C) · 13 rain days (139h) · 274 sun hours · 47% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
October
6/100–11°C (feels 8°C) · 6 rain days (90h) · 175 sun hours · 52% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)
November
5/10-7–2°C (feels -2°C) · 6 rain days (85h) · 124 sun hours · 60% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
4/10-11–-2°C (feels -7°C) · 6 rain days (93h) · 113 sun hours · 66% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)
Frequently asked questions about visiting Calgary
When is the best time to visit Calgary?
August is the highest-scoring month (9/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–24°C (8 rainy days). The top three months by score are August, July, September.
What is the worst time to visit Calgary?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10, capped by extreme cold). Typical conditions: -11–-2°C (6 rainy days).
Is Calgary too cold in winter?
3 months (January, February, December) cross our cold deal-breaker (apparent temperature below the cap). Doable with the right gear, but expect the climate score to be held down by the gate.
When are crowds lowest in Calgary?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in April and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Calgary have good weather but fewer tourists?
July (climate 9/10, crowd index 28) and June (climate 8/10, crowd index 14) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Calgary by month?
UV peaks at 6 (moderate) in July and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 3, Apr 4, May 5, Jun 6, Jul 6, Aug 5, Sep 4, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec 1.
What is the UV index in Calgary in July?
July is the peak UV month in Calgary, with a daily-peak UV index of 6 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Calgary on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. July is the worst case: typical days average UV 6 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 7 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, May, June, July, August, October. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Calgary bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 9 months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, December. The worst month is July with a typical-day mean of 16 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 29 µg/m³ (unhealthy) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.