While there’s still two months left on the astronomical calendar before the official start of start of spring, information from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows Banff has just experienced it’s driest meteorological winter on record.
Global Calgary meteorologist Tiffany Lizée said in southern Alberta, meteorological winter typically runs from Dec. 1 until Feb. 28.
“Meteorologists study the seasons based on temperature patterns, so the three coldest months of the year — December, January, and February — are defined as our meteorological winter,” said Lizée.
“Astronomical seasons are based on the Earth’s position relative to the Sun, marking the winter solstice in mid-December as the beginning of winter and the spring equinox in mid-March as the end, added Lizée.”
According to Environment Canada, the meteorological winter of 2024-25 saw just 15.8 mm of precipitation fall in Banff, compared to a normal amount of 59.9 mm.
That’s just 26 per cent of a normal year — making it the driest on record — and those records date back 134 years.
However, Banff’s average temperature of -7 fell well short of any records. It was only the 30th warmest winter on record.
Several other municipalities in southern Alberta also came close to breaking records for how dry it was.
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Red Deer, with just 18.8 mm of precipitation (26 per cent of normal) experienced its third driest meteorological winter on record and Calgary with just 9.8 mm of precipitation (29 per cent of normal) experienced its fourth-driest winter on record.
“February’s snowpack surveys show below-average or much-below-average conditions in most areas,” said Lizée. “While the eastern slopes of the Rockies have less snow than usual, the southern plains — including Lethbridge and the Cypress Hills — have had more precipitation than normal.”
Despite the dry conditions, things could change dramatically before the spring equinox because, despite this week’s warm weather, we are in what are typically the snowiest months of the year in southern Alberta.
“We do have some snow in the forecast for next week,” said Lizée. “March and April are often our snowiest months of the year in Calgary and Banff.”
The mountain town typically gets around 25 cm in March and 30 cm in April. However, with the sun being stronger and warmer, most of that snow melts quickly.
The most recent drought conditions maps from the federal and provincial governments show the far northwest and southwest parts of Alberta are experiencing the most severe drought conditions in the province.
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