Climate:

Calgary has a continental climate with long winters and dry, but variable and short summers and warm. The climate is strongly influenced by the elevation of the city and the proximity of the Rocky Mountains. While Calgary's cold winters can be very uncomfortable, from the Pacific Ocean regularly blow hot dry winds called Chinooks "during the winter months, giving city residents a respite to the cold. Sometimes these winds have pushed up the temperature over 15 ° C, and can last several days. The Chinooks are a regular feature as Calgary's winters that only one month (January 1950) failed to record melting of more than 100 years of meteorological observations. More than half of the winter days have a maximum temperature above 0 ° C. At times, winter temperatures can reach over 20 ° C.
Calgary is a city of extremes, and temperatures can vary from a record low of -45 ° C in 1893 to a maximum of 36 ° C in 1919. Although it is a less common, have been recorded in summer daytime temperatures above 30 ° C about four days a year. The temperature drops to -30 ° C on average about five days a year, however, periods of extreme cold do not last long. According to Environment Canada, the average temperature in Calgary range from an average of -10 ° C in January to 17 ° C in July.
Because of the high altitude of Calgary, summer evenings can be rather cold, the average summer minimum is 8 ° C and can be frozen all year round. There have been reports of snow even in July and August. With an average humidity of 55% in winter and 45% in summer, Calgary has a semiarid climate typical of other cities of the western Great Plains and Canadian Prairies. Unlike other cities further east, like Toronto, Montreal, or Winnipeg, humidity is almost never a factor during the summer in Calgary.
The city is one of the sunniest in Canada, with an average of 2,405 hours of sunshine a year. Calgary receives an average rainfall of 413 mm, of which 301 mm of rain are the remaining snow. Most of the precipitation falls from May to August and the month of June is that, on average, recorded the heaviest rainfall. In June 2005, Calgary fell 248 mm of rainfall, making it the wettest month in the history of the city. Droughts are not uncommon and can occur at any time of year.
In Calgary there are on average more than 20 storm days per year, mostly in summer. The city is situated on the edge of the "corridor of Alberta hail" and sometimes suffers heavy hail caused extensive damage. One of them occurred in September 1991, was one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Canada.20 21