Season guide · Calgary · Canada
Calgary in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Unpredictable, with warm spells and late snowfalls; mountain skiing continues into spring while the city slowly greens. Expect highs up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around -8°C (18°F), with about 26 rainy days across March–May.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -8°C (18°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 26
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4°C (39°F) | -8°C (18°F) | 8 | 11.7 h | 2/5 |
| April | 11°C (52°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 8 | 13.8 h | 2/5 |
| May | 16°C (61°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 10 | 15.5 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 10°C (50°F) against a yearly 11°C (52°F), and 26 of the year's roughly 100 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- April: Calgary Expo — comic and entertainment convention (usually late April)
Good choices for spring
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Museum · East Village
Studio Bell, National Music Centre
This curved, terracotta-clad building houses Canada's National Music Centre, with a large collection of instruments and recording gear, including the Rolling Stones' mobile studio and the TONTO synthesizer.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
- Art
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Architecture · East Village
Calgary Central Library
Stand under the cedar-lined entrance arch for the best photo, then take the stairs up through the atrium.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Photo spot
Museum · Northeast Calgary
TELUS Spark Science Centre
Calgary's science centre has hands-on galleries on energy, the human body and engineering, a large creative-kids area, an outdoor Brainasium playground and a dome theatre.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Garden · Downtown
Devonian Gardens
Reach it through the +15 skywalks in winter without going outside.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Beltline and 17th Avenue
Lougheed House
A sandstone mansion built in 1891 for Senator James Lougheed, now a museum of Alberta's early history with restored rooms and exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Day trips in spring
- Banff (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — The mountain town inside Banff National Park has the Banff Gondola, the Upper Hot Springs, Bow Falls and the Fairmont Banff Springs.
- Canmore (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — Canmore sits just outside Banff National Park below the Three Sisters peaks, with hiking trails, the Canmore Nordic Centre from the 1988 Olympics and a walkable main street of cafés and restaurants.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Calgary?
It is a trade-off: Unpredictable, with warm spells and late snowfalls; mountain skiing continues into spring while the city slowly greens. The best months overall are June–September.
+What is the weather like in Calgary in spring?
Highs of up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around -8°C (18°F), with about 26 rainy days over the season.