Don’t you love the snow where you can sledge and ski down icy slopes, make snowmen, and enjoy the Christmas festivities? Well, Calgary in winter brings you all of that and more. It’s the most wonderful season in Calgary if you’re not bothered by a little cold and chilly weather. And no matter how cold it is, once you’ve read these super thrilling things you can do here in the winter season, you just wouldn’t want to sit in the blanket while everyone else is having fun outside! Whether travelling with family, honeymooning with bae, or backpacking across Canada, this winter wonderland will have awesome surprises for everyone! So, pick your Polaroids and leave immediately for a superb winter trip!
Weather In Calgary In Winter
Since Calgary is located in southern Alberta, it endures very cold winters. The snow here is usually deeper than 1 cm during the winter season. Its prairie-steppe type climate ensures people enjoy lots of sunshine even in winter. Sometimes, the city encounters dry prairie winds called Chinook that help thaw the snow and raise the temperature in Calgary in winter by about 30 degrees, bringing tremendous relief from the cold.
The maximum average daily temperature in Calgary in December and January is -1°C, while the minimum average during the same time is 15°C. Do keep this in mind if you wonder how cold Calgary is in winter while you’re packing for your trip.
Things To Do In Calgary In Winter
There are plenty of things to do in Calgary in the winter months you’ll never get bored in this city. See what you can do there in the cold.
- Holiday Train: See Canada’s Marvel!
- Christmas Festivities: Enjoy With The Locals!
- Edworthy Park: Go For A Hike!
- Chestermere Lake: Try ice skating!
- Airdrie: Check Out Festival Of Lights!
- Crescent Heights: Capture White Panoramas Of Calgary!
- Rosso Coffee Roasters: Snuggle Over Coffee!
- Glacier Skywalk: Take A Day Trip!
- Banff’s Hot Springs: Get Charged Up!
- Ghost Reservoir: Try Ice-fishing!
1. Holiday Train: See Canada’s Marvel!
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is a special programme initiated to raise money, food, and awareness for various food banks and hunger issues prevalent across Canada and the US. About a thousand meters long, this train has 14 rail cars lit up with colorful LED lights and a modified boxcar that has been transformed into a mobile stage for performances. It arrives in Calgary on specific dates every December and is a delightful spectacle to watch!
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2. Christmas Festivities: Enjoy With The Locals!
Want to taste the Christmas spirit of the city? Get to Light Up The Square on 2nd December and sing Christmas carols, enjoy sleigh rides, and help decorate the massive Christmas tree. The locals completely transformed this chic and urban village into the North Pole on this day, and it’ll be a delight to witness. You can also head to The CORE to check out all the gorgeous Christmas trees lit up to let you feel the holiday cheer. Also, don’t forget to see Calgary’s most extensive lights display at the Lions Festival of Lights, one of the best attractions in Calgary in winter.
3. Edworthy Park: Go For A Hike!
Located on the south shore of the Bow River, this park is a great place to visit Calgary in the winter months. Other than offering picturesque views of untouched nature covered in heaps of snow, this spot is excellent for activities like hiking and snowshoeing. And the fact that there won’t be many people around to disturb you will be a cherry on the cake! It’s the best place to embrace nature in its purest form, with a tad bit of snow.
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4. Chestermere Lake: Try Ice-Skating!
The 4.8 km long Chestermere Lake is one of the most fascinating lake areas in this city and is one of the best places to visit in Calgary. It is popular for its water activities, which is why it attracts a large number of people. In summer, you can go boating, wakeboarding, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, sailboating, and paddleboarding here. In winter, it’s a great place for ice skating, riding snowmobiles, and ice fishing.
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5. Airdrie: Check Out Festival Of Lights!
If you visit Calgary anywhere between the 1st and 31st of December, you must head to Nose Creek Park in Airdrie to witness this amazing attraction transformed into a fairyland! Attending this festival is one of the best things to do in Calgary. Their Festival of Lights is where you will find thousands of lights in the shapes of creative and bizarre art installations glowing brilliantly. You won’t need to struggle to locate this park at night as this lit paradise will be visible from far off. This attraction has no admission fee, but one needs to make a sure donation to enter.
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6. Crescent Heights: Capture White Panoramas Of Calgary!
A stroll or small hike to the Crescent Heights in Calgary during winter will bring you face-to-face with the city’s most spectacular views. Enveloped in a sheet of white, you will be mesmerized by the beauty of snow-covered downtown Calgary from this spot. Hardly any other place in or around this metropolitan will be able to provide you with stunning views from such a great angle. If you don’t want to go far for these views, you can head over to Sky 360 for a lavish dinner and some gorgeous white views of this city from the top that are almost as good as what you’ll get at Crescent Heights.
7. Rosso Coffee Roasters: Snuggle Over Coffee!
Need a break from the cold? Well, what’s better than a cup of steaming coffee to beat the biting temperature in Calgary in winter? Head over to Rosso Coffee Roasters and pick from their large selection of the finest coffee and some quick bites. This is one of the best Calgary winter activities that you ought to try. After all, there’s nothing better than cuddling up with a cup of coffee in the warm space of an adorable cafe. A cup of their delicious caffeine is bound to turn you into a coffee lover if you aren’t already!
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8. Glacier Skywalk: Take A Day Trip!
No trip to Canada is ever complete without visiting Banff National Park, especially when it turns breathtaking in winter. With a dash of snow and its waters frozen solid, it turns so unbelievably beautiful that it could give Narnia a run for its money! To enjoy the best views of this snowy paradise if you’re here on a day trip, you should get over the Glacier Skywalk, which offers stunning panoramic views of these hills, forests, and valleys.
9. Banff’s Hot Springs: Get Charged Up!
But the Glacier Skywalk isn’t the only reason you should take a trip to Banff National Park near Calgary. Get to the Banff Upper Hot Springs for a rejuvenating dip in soothingly hot water to combat the low temperatures. The Hot Springs of Banff are a blessing in disguise against the biting cold of this area, and are sure to wash off all your fatigue after a long drive or hike to this park. In addition, this place offers some enchanting vistas of the snow-capped Rockies. A jacuzzi with a view?
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10. Ghost Reservoir: Try Ice-fishing!
Fishing over ice is just as much fun as traditional fishing if you do it right. This outdoor activity is excellent for families with kids visiting Calgary in winter. And if this is your first ever ice fishing experience where you aren’t aware of the nuances around it, you can simply book any of the ice fishing tours in the city where the host will make all the arrangements, set up the equipment, and guide you on how to use it.
Calgary’s Ghost Reservoir (or Ghost Lake) is one of the best places for this fun activity. Here, you can catch a variety of trout fish, including Bull Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, CutThroat Trout, and Brown Trout. Other suitable places for ice fishing in Calgary are Chain Lakes Reservoir, Lake Newell, Eagle Lake, and Crawling Valley Reservoir.
How To Reach Calgary In Winter From India
There are no direct flights from any Indian city to the Calgary International Airport in downtown Calgary. You’d usually only find connecting flights to and from these destinations with layovers in Montreal, Amsterdam, or London. If you do not want to deal with layovers, you can fly to other cities in Canada, like Toronto and Vancouver, with direct flights from India and take a flight, train, or bus from there to reach Calgary.
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What are you still waiting for? Get off the couch, pack your snow boots, and fly away to Calgary in winter to have the most wonderful vacation of your life. So, plan an exciting trip to Canada with your loved ones. Don’t forget to try these things to do in Calgary in winter!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Calgary In Winter
What to do in Calgary when it’s cold?
The best activities to do in Calgary in the winter season are:
1. Ice Skating
2. Ice Hockey
3. Calgary’s skywalk maze
4. Visiting Calgary Tower
5. Skiing
How cold does it get in Calgary?
The temperature in winter in Calgary usually varies from 12°F to 75°F. The winter season in Calgary is usually characterized by freezing temperatures and dry winds.
What should I wear to Calgary in winter?
You need to insulate your body properly during winters. Make sure you carry the following things:
1. Bottoms that fit tightly to your body
2. Warm, puffy jackets
3. Woolen gloves
4. Toque – Canadian hat
5. Shell – Water-proof & wind-proof coat
6. Boots
What is the coldest month in Calgary?
February is known to be the coldest month in Calgary with temperature varying from –16.8 C to –24.5 C.
What is the best time to visit Calgary?
From late May to the end of September is considered to be the best time to visit Calgary. You may also visit Calgary during April and October. However, one should avoid visiting Calgary in winter as the weather is very unpredictable.
What is the snowiest month in Calgary?
March and April are the snowiest months in Calgary. You can plan your trip around these months if you wish to witness snowfall in Calgary.
Where is the warmest place in Canada in the winter?
Some of the warmest places to visit in winter in Canada include:
1. St. Catharines, Ontario
2. Victoria, British Columbia
3. Vancouver, British Columbia
4. Halifax, Nova Scotia
5. Kelowna, British Columbia
Which is the coldest city in Canada?
Saguenay is considered to be the coldest city in Canada. Other cities in Canada with the coldest day-time temperatures include:
1. Saguenay, Quebec
2. Winnipeg, Manitoba
3. Thunder Bay, Ontario
4. Edmonton, Alberta
5. Regina, Saskatchewan
All these cities in Canada have an average high temperature that is below 10 degrees Celsius.
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Kanika has 4 years of experience in writing blogs and marketing content for travel. And when she’s not writing, she’s either exploring new terrains in a different corner of the world, or out in the city freezing urban scenarios in her camera.
