Published on Mar. 8, 2025, 12:08 AM
The town measured its driest winter out of 134 years of recordkeeping
A town that relies heavily on winter getaways didn’t get much winter this year.
Banff, the popular Alberta resort destination, just wrapped up its driest winter ever observed. Nabbing the number-one spot is no small feat, either, since weather records in Banff stretch back to the late 1800s.
DON'T MISS:Spring fever hits Canada in March, but snowstorms still lurk
A very dry winter
A cold February couldn’t salvage this winter for parts of Western Canada as an unusually warm and dry pattern gripped the region through much of the season.
Western Canada past 90 days precip anomaly
Banff just recorded its driest winter ever measured, according to data released by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Weather records use meteorological seasons, which follow the months rather than astronomical seasons.
The town only saw 26 per cent of its normal precipitation for the season—15.8 mm of precipitation, down from the usual 59.9 they’d measure between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. This was the least precipitation ever measured in Banff during the winter season since records began around 1891.
Calgary 2025 winter snowfall through March 7 2025
MUST SEE:What growing spring tourism in Banff park means for business and wildlife
Red Deer saw its third-driest winter on record, recording only 44 per cent of its normal winter precipitation. Folks in Calgary just saw the city’s fourth-driest winter since records began 141 years ago. The city only picked up 9.8 mm of precipitation throughout the season—just 29 per cent of normal.