Are you wondering what it will really be like once you arrive here in Banff. You will be over whelmed by the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies and pristine environment.

Banff is a town with a population of approximately 8000 people. The town site is actually quite quaint and small with a bustling main street named Banff Avenue. Surrounded by several spectacular mountains and a gorgeous river running through the town, Banff will take your breath away.

Weather:

Banff has four distinct seasons and all are beautifully unique and gorgeous in their own way. Hopefully you will have the opportunity to see all the seasons but if you are not so lucky, then deciding on when you would like to visit will all depend on the type of weather you feel you want and can handle! The weather in the Rockies is always very unpredictable so keep in mind that the weather you want may not always be what you get! In the ever-changing climate of the Rockies it is important to be prepared for anything!

Winter:

Banff has a long winter season approximately 6 months long. Winter starts around the end of October until the end of March.  The months of December, January and February are the coldest.

BE PREPARED! You will want to have:

A winter coat

Gloves

Toque (Beanie, Wooly Hat)

Wool socks

Good walking shoes

Lots of sweater!

All of these items you can purchase in Banff when you arrive but remember it can be –30C when you step off that plane in Calgary so you may want to be prepared in advance.

Spring:

After a long winter spring is a refreshing change. As the suns strength gets stronger and the snow begins to melt many people begin wearing light coats or sweaters outside. Spring is generally from late March through April and May. If you will be visiting during this time you should pack for warm and cold weather as the evenings still plummet in temperature to –10C or colder and can rise to 17C as well. So as you can see it still isn’t warm enough to throw on the bikini!

I would bring:

Winter coat

Mitts

Toque

T-shirts

Good walking shoes

Shorts

Long pants

Light jacket (wind breaker)

Summer:

Summer in Banff is gorgeous! The wildlife is in full force and the whole place is green and fresh! Summer lasts from June until the start of September. Temperatures in the summer can be so diverse and actually all seasons in Banff are very unpredictable as we are in the ever-changing climate of the mountains. We can get temperatures here in the summer of up to 33C degrees and down to 10C degrees. Surprisingly enough this can even happen all in the same day! Now you are starting to get the picture. We also do get rain occasionally and the odd spectacular lightning storm. Camping in Banff is popular with tourists during these months and well worth it!

I would bring:

Wind breaker jacket

Mitts

Toque

Sweaters

Good walking shoes

Flip flops/Sandals

Bathing suit

Sunhat

Long pants

Shorts

T-shirts

Autumn / Fall:

As summer begins to leave us the smell of winter is in the air. You will know what I mean if you get the opportunity to experience fall in Banff. The fall usually happens through the end of September to the end of October. There is nothing better than putting on a warm wool sweater and sitting beside a fire sipping hot chocolate in Banff in the fall. The leaves on the trees turn bright yellows, oranges and reds and begin to fall to the ground. Beautiful. Temperatures around this time can vary extremely as summer to winter changes very quickly. Temperatures can be 20 degrees and plummet to –10 in only a few days. Be prepared.

I would bring:

Winter Jacket

Light Jacket (wind breaker)

Toque

Mitts

Wool Socks

Lots of sweaters

T-shirts

Shorts

Good walking shoes