Banff has four distinct seasons and all are beautifully unique and gorgeous in their own way. In this ever-changing climate of the Rockies it is important to be prepared for anything!
Banff has a long winter season approximately 6 months long. Winter starts around the end of October until the end of March. The months of December, January and February are the coldest.
Be prepared! You will want to have:
You can purchase all of these items in Banff when you arrive, but remember: it can be –30º C when you step off that plane in Calgary. You should really prepare in advance.
After a long winter spring is a refreshing change. Spring is generally from late March through April and May. As the sun's strength gets stronger and the snow begins to melt, many people begin wearing light coats or sweaters outside. If you will be visiting during this time, you should pack for warm and cold weather as the evenings can still plummet to temperatures like –10º C or colder and yet rise to 17º C. As you can see, it still isn’t warm enough to throw on the bikini!
I would bring:
Summer in Banff is gorgeous! The wildlife is in full force and the whole place is green and fresh! Summer lasts from June until the start of September. Temperatures in the summer can be so diverse and actually all seasons in Banff are very unpredictable as we are in the ever-changing climate of the mountains. We can get temperatures here in the summer of up to 33º C, and down to 10º C. Surprisingly enough, this can even happen all in the same day!
Now you are starting to get the picture. We also do get rain occasionally and the odd spectacular lightning storm. Camping in Banff is popular with tourists during these months and well worth it!
As summer begins to leave us the smell of winter is in the air. You will know what I mean if you get the opportunity to experience fall in Banff. The fall usually happens from the end of September to the end of October. There is nothing better than putting on a warm wool sweater and sitting beside a fire sipping hot chocolate in Banf. The leaves on the trees turn bright yellows, oranges and reds and begin to fall to the ground. Beautiful! Temperatures around this time can vary extremely, just like the quick summer-to-winter changes. Temperatures can be 20º C and plummet to -10º C in only a few days. Be prepared.