Calgary weather in December

December in Calgary: freezing, dry, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Calgary🇨🇦 Canada · Rockies · City38
  1. 43Jan
  2. 41Feb
  3. 55Mar
  4. 72Apr
  5. 80May
  6. 84Jun
  7. 91Jul
  8. 94Aug
  9. 86Sep
  10. 68Oct
  11. 51Nov
  12. 38Dec

#12 of 12 months in Calgary · #1303 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 38/100 (tier F)

Days
0°C
Nights
-12°C
Wet days
4
Sun
5 h
Humidity
72%
Daylight
8 h
Calgary, Canada
Photo: Donovan Kelly · Pexels

Traveller notes on Calgary in December

Other months in Calgary

Regulars are specific this counts as genuinely unpredictable weather even by Alberta standards, Calgary singled out as getting hit worst by the freak spring snowstorms that can still show up this month despite an otherwise low overall snow chance. Our row backs that cool, genuinely wet read, 18C over 4.4C nights feeling as low as 2C, with 47.6mm of rain across 8.1 days and real snow, 3cm, still possible. Regulars are consistent the third and fourth weeks of the month into the first week of June are generally rated the safer stretch, sunshine, snow and rain all realistic within the same week regardless of when a trip lands. Layers built for a genuinely wide temperature swing remain the standard advice throughout. The record: 11.7 hours of sun, humidity 59 percent and AQI 54.
FreakSnowstormsHitCalgaryWorst · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June is the rainiest month of the year here, which regulars are careful to explain rather than apologise for: real downpours are unusual, the bad case is a day of showers, and it is entirely possible to get clear hot summer weather instead. Our 84.3mm across 11 days sits beside 12.6 hours of sun inside 16.5 of daylight, which is the same story. Days average 21.6C and nights fall to 8.3C on dry air - 62 percent humidity, a dew point of 5.2C - so the evening needs a layer whatever the afternoon did. The stampede is the second week of July, so June is the month before the city fills. The record: a 16 kph wind and AQI 47.
RainiestMonthNotAWetOne · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars make a claim that sounds like exaggeration and is not: there is snow at least once every September here, and nobody knows which day. Our row agrees, carrying 2.3cm for the month. The rest follows from the same instability - four seasons in a day, shorts one afternoon and a shovel the next, and chinooks bringing warm air over the mountains at unpredictable moments. Much of the month is genuinely fine at 15 to 20C, and our 19.5C days over 5.8C nights that feel like 3C bracket it. September beats October on the odds. Layers, always. The record: 27.3mm across 4.8 days, 9.6 hours of sun and AQI 41.
SnowAtLeastOnceEverySeptember · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
July is Calgary's warmest month and the one the Stampede sits in, and the forum's advice is built around a long day outdoors. Regulars give low-to-mid 20s by day - our row says 24.7C - cooling off properly at night, and tell people to be ready for rain regardless. So: shorts and a t-shirt for the grounds, layers that come off easily, a jacket or a sweater for the evening, rain gear in the bag, a hat, and footwear you can stand up in all day. Dress runs from full cowboy to shorts and tank tops and nobody minds either. The practical note they repeat is to carry water, because it is four dollars a bottle inside. The record: 11.2C nights that feel like 9C, 8.2 precipitation days carrying 63.4mm and 12.9 hours of sun.
LayersForTheEvening · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Calgary's card on the map.

Calgary climate normals — December

Daytime high0°C / 31°F🥶 freezing
Nighttime low-12°C / 11°F
Feels like (high)-5°C / 23°F
Rainfall17 mm / 0.7 in☀️ dry
Rainy days4 days
Humidity72%💧 humid
Dew point-11°C / 11°F
Sunshine5 h/day
Daylight8 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Snowfall23.4 cm / 9.2 in
Air quality (US AQI)35🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Calgary in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsZoolights and Christmas markets, Winter / Christmas break in Canada, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Calgary's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherCalgary's weather peaks July–September, best around August.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Calgary in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Chinook season

    1 Nov – 31 MarWind season

    Several times a winter a warm wind comes off the Rockies, an arch of cloud opens on the western horizon and the temperature climbs twenty degrees in a few hours. The snow goes, the ice rinks go with it, and half the city gets a headache.

  • Season

    Rockies ski season

    10 Nov – 15 May · usuallyBook early

    Calgary is the airport for Banff, Lake Louise and Sunshine, ninety minutes west, and their lifts run from mid-November into May. Sunshine Village usually holds out to the Victoria Day weekend. Source ↗

  • Holiday

    Zoolights and Christmas markets

    20 Nov – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

    The zoo's light walk runs from late November to early January and sells timed tickets that go early on weekends. It is the standard cold-evening outing here, so dress for standing still outdoors. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Calgary — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Calgary?

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Calgary in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Calgary?
December in Calgary: freezing, dry, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Calgary on SeasonMap's comfort score (38/100).
What is the weather like in Calgary in December?
In December, Calgary averages a daily high of -0.4°C and a low of -11.6°C, with about 16.6 mm of rain over roughly 4.3 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Calgary in December?
Calgary has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in December.
Does it snow in Calgary in December?
Calgary sees roughly 23.4 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Edmonton's Aurora season on 1 Sep – 10 Apr, and Banff's Ski season around 5 Nov – 18 May.