|
Weather and Wildlife
Banff established itself from humble beginnings as a 26 square hot
springs reserve. Banff National Park now consists of 6,641 square
kilometers of unparalleled Rocky Mountain scenery,
nestled in the
heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies.
Weather
While the weather is fairy unpredictable in Banff National Park,
it is possible to make some generalizations. July is the warmest
month, with average highs of 22°C in the Town of Banff. January is
the coldest month with average lows of -15°C, though the mercury can drop into the minus thirties. The relative dryness of the Rocky Mountain air in Banff, however, makes even extreme temperatures
more bearable. In winter, visitors must be especially careful of wind chill. A temperature of -20°C on the thermometer may feel like -30°C with the wind chill. Regardless of the season in the
Canadian Rockies, the temperature will fall about 1°C for every 200m of elevation gain.
The length of the day in Banff varies greatly throughout the year. Daylight can last as little as eight hours in December. At the end of June, the sun rises at 5:30 am and sets at 10:00 pm. Despite
the chilly climate, nearly two million visitors still flock to Banff National Park every year, a testament to the park' great beauty and impressive view of the Rocky Mountain peaks. In the summer,
most of the visitors are there for activities like hiking and rafting, but the winter in the Canadian Rockies offers its attractions as well, with skiing and snowboarding.
Click here to see the current weather forecast in Banff.
Wildlife
A proud feature of Banff National Park is the wide array of wildlife in its own backyard. It is home to large species of grizzly and black bears, mountain caribou, elk, moose and wolves. It's also
home to smaller habitat including marmots, pikas and Columbian ground squirrels, and a variety of birds, featuring the bald eagles and the endangered harlequin ducks. The best times of year to visit
Banff if you're looking for wildlife to view, are in early spring (April - May) or in fall (September - October).
