Canmore weather in December

In December, Canmore sees average daytime highs of -9°C and overnight lows near -17°C, with 24 mm of precipitation across 6.4 wet days and about 7.8 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -8°C in the first days to -10°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 hours at the start of December to 7 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Canmore's 5th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Canmore's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-9°
12th warmest
Overnight low
-17°
1st coldest
Precipitation
24 mm
6.4 wet days
Daylight
7 h 42 min
8:47 AM – 4:29 PM
Cloud cover
64%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.11 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Canmore is town in Alberta, Canada.

Density
202/km²
people per km²
Founded
1884

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about -8°C in the first days to -10°C by the end.

A typical December day in Canmore reaches about -9°C in the afternoon and slips back to -17°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -18°C and -2°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-30°-20°-10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-8-15
2-8-16
3-8-16
4-8-16
5-8-16
6-8-16
7-9-16
8-9-16
9-9-16
10-9-16
11-9-16
12-9-16
13-9-16
14-9-16
15-9-16
16-9-16
17-9-16
18-9-17
19-9-17
20-10-17
21-10-17
22-10-17
23-10-17
24-10-17
25-10-17
26-10-17
27-10-17
28-10-17
29-10-17
30-10-17
31-10-17

How December really feels in Canmore

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Canmore weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-9° / -16°256.98.18.20.0
Feb-7° / -15°236.17.49.60.0
Mar-2° / -12°419.911.311.50.0
Apr / -7°5811.310.913.50.0
May / -3°8212.9815.31.3
Jun13° / 11917316.23.0
Jul18° / 8414.50.515.95.3
Aug18° / 7912.30.814.45.5
Sep12° / 6410.44.512.43.3
Oct / -6°428.17.610.40.3
Nov-4° / -12°388.19.38.70.0
Dec-9° / -17°246.47.67.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24258
34357
44357
54258
64258
74357
84159
94159
104060
113961
123961
133862
143763
153763
163763
173763
183763
193763
203763
213763
223763
233763
243763
253862
263862
273862
283862
293862
303862
313763

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Canmore gets around 24 mm of rain and snow over 6.4 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 21% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12227
22226
32126
42125
52025
62024
72024
82023
91923
101923
111923
122023
132023
142024
152024
162124
172124
182124
192125
202225
212225
222225
232226
242226
252226
262226
272226
282226
292327
302327
312328

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 9 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 hours at the start of December to 7 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:31 AM to 8:53 AM, and sunset from 4:32 PM to 4:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.08:314:32
28.08:324:31
38.08:334:31
47.98:354:30
57.98:364:30
67.98:374:29
77.88:384:29
87.88:394:29
97.88:404:29
107.88:414:28
117.88:424:28
127.78:434:28
137.78:444:28
147.78:454:28
157.78:464:28
167.78:474:29
177.78:474:29
187.78:484:29
197.78:494:29
207.78:494:30
217.78:504:30
227.78:504:30
237.78:514:31
247.78:514:31
257.78:514:32
267.78:524:33
277.78:524:33
287.78:524:34
297.78:524:35
307.78:524:36
317.78:534:37

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.11 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.11 kWh/m² to a high of 6.57 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.11 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.2Dim
31.2Dim
41.2Dim
51.2Dim
61.1Dim
71.1Dim
81.1Dim
91.1Dim
101.1Dim
111.1Dim
121.1Dim
131.1Dim
141.1Dim
151.1Dim
161.1Dim
171.1Dim
181.1Dim
191.1Dim
201.1Dim
211.1Dim
221.1Dim
231.1Dim
241.1Dim
251.1Dim
261.1Dim
271.1Dim
281.1Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Canmore

In seasonPeak

None of Canmore's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Canmore's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Canmore?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Canmore.

What to pack for Canmore in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Canmore sees daytime highs around -9°C and nights near -17°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Canmore in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Canmore peaks around July 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 16UV 8Dec 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Canmore in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Canmore is worst in August — around 64 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 25.7× the cleanest month (January, 3 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateUnhealthyGoodModerateGoodAug 1559 µg/m³Jan 103 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan3Good
Feb4Good
Mar5Good
Apr6Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul31Moderate
Aug64Unhealthy
Sep14Moderate
Oct8Good
Nov29Moderate
Dec3Good
Location & terrain

Where is Canmore?

Canmore sits at 51.1°N, 115.4°W, 0 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Banff, 18 km away.

Topography around Canmore

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Canmore.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Canmore has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 677 m around an average of 1,405 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,793 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,762 m.

The land around Canmore is covered by trees (67%) within 3 km, trees (61%) and bare terrain (30%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) within 80 km.

3 km
677 m
16 km
1,793 m
80 km
2,762 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Banff 18 km · Cochrane 63 km · Tuscany 77 km · Edgemont 84 km · Evanston 86 km · Calgary 89 km · Panorama Hills 89 km · Evergreen 89 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Canmore (51.0834°, -115.3521°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).