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CTV News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Calgary's rainy weather makes for third-wettest July on record
Monday brought an additional 22 to 25 mm of rain to the Calgary area, pushing the official precipitation total for the city to 162.1 mm for the month of July (July 1 – 28, 2025). According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), that makes this July the third wettest on record – and there are still three days to go. Monthly records have been kept for 142-years. As per the Canadian Climate Normals data (1991 – 2020), July is typically the second-wettest month of the year in Calgary, averaging 65.7 mm of precipitation or contributing about 15 per cent of the annual precipitation for the city. This July has measured nearly 100 mm of additional rain as compared to the normal amount expected for July. Calgary is known for its continental climate influences (large seasonal variations in temperatures throughout the year) and it relies heavily on the increased precipitation that occurs during its warmest months. On average, June is by far the wettest month in Calgary, with an average of 112.7 mm of precipitation. The months of May (average of 61.1 mm of precipitation) and August (average of 53.8 mm of precipitation) also contribute heavily to that annual average precipitation total of 445.4 mm. This winter and spring were drier than normal across the region, with the first 19-days of June largely continuing that trend. The final third of June was a very different story; by month's end, June 2025 recorded a precipitation total of 94.4 mm, down slightly compared to the monthly average. More than three quarters of June's rain this year (82.94 per cent) fell between June 20-30, 2025, a wet pattern that continued into July. A measurable amount of rain has fallen 16 out of the first 28 days in July, with a few significant rain events enhancing the overall precipitation total. Normally, in July, it will rain just shy of 13 days out of 31. Four of those days will include accumulations equal to or greater than five mm, two of those days will include accumulations equal to or greater than 10 mm, and (on average), there will be less than one day in July (0.2-days) with accumulations equal to or greater than 25 mm. According to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, as of July 28, there have been eight days so far this month with precipitation equal to or greater than five mm (four days more than normal), six days recorded precipitation equal to or greater than 10 mm (four days more than normal), and there were two days with precipitation measurements equal to or greater than 25 mm (1.79 more days than normal). The rainiest day this month was July 14, when 38.8 mm of rain was recorded at the official ECCC weather station at the Calgary International Airport. A soaking rainstorm that drenched Calgary from Sunday night into Monday caused flooding across the city, with emergency crews responding to submerged cars, backed-up traffic and overflowing parks. A soaking rainstorm that drenched Calgary from Sunday night into Monday caused flooding across the city, with emergency crews responding to submerged cars, backed-up traffic and overflowing parks. It typically takes a four-month period (123 days) to produce 66 per cent (293.3 mm) of the annual precipitation in Calgary (over the months of May, June, July and August). There has been 256.5 mm of precipitation (58 per cent of the annual total) that has fallen over 58 days, with the bulk of that occurring in just 39 days (between June 20 - July 28, 2025). This has obviously created some challenges as persistent, large-accumulation rain events often exceed the surface capacity to absorb water – or more simply – the ground becomes saturated when too much rain falls over too short of a period of time forcing excess water to be displaced. A soaking rainstorm that drenched Calgary from Sunday night into Monday caused flooding across the city, with emergency crews responding to submerged cars, backed-up traffic and overflowing parks. A soaking rainstorm that drenched Calgary from Sunday night into Monday caused flooding across the city, with emergency crews responding to submerged cars, backed-up traffic and overflowing parks. Not surprisingly, over the past six weeks water pooling, overland flooding, high water levels and early-morning dense fog events have all been observed in and around Calgary. The final days of July will bring a more stable weather pattern – as a dominant ridge of high pressure becomes the main weather-maker for B.C. and southern Alberta. Daytime highs across the region will sit in the mid-to high 20s on Tuesday, and around the high 20s to low 30s for Wednesday and Thursday. Calgary weather: Third-wettest July on record The final few days of July should remain dry in Calgary, meaning it is unlikely the city will climb the standings for precipitation records. According to ECCC, the second-wettest July on record was in 2016, with a total of 216.1 mm of rain, and the wettest July on record occurred in 1927 after 245.4 mm fell over the 31 days.
CTV News
21-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Calgary has seen more than 100 mm of rain in July, with more expected
As expected, there was a substantial amount of rain in the Calgary area over the weekend, with some communities recording more than 40 mm between Friday to Sunday. The rainfall total at the official Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) weather station at the YYC Calgary International Airport showed just under 50 mm from Thursday to Saturday. This precipitation comes on the heels of a wet end to June and a soggy start of July in Calgary – linked mostly to a few noteworthy rain events. Many of the storms in the Calgary area recently have included variable rainfall amounts (e.g. some communities have recorded higher totals than others), with the overall region trending toward a wetter than average month of July. According to ECCC, in the first 20-days of July, there has been 101.8 mm of rain recorded at the airport – 36.1 mm more than the average total for the entire month of July. It's even more significant given that July is typically the second-wettest month in Calgary. According to the Canadian Climate Normals data from ECCC (1991 to 2020), the wettest months in Calgary are June (average of 112.7 mm of precipitation), July (average of 65.7 mm of precipitation) and August (average of 53.8 mm of precipitation). Those three months are usually responsible for more than half of the annual precipitation in Calgary, or a combined 232.2 mm out of 445.4 mm annually. The precipitation total for June and July - up to and including July 20, 2025 - is already 196.2 mm, with most of that falling between June 20 and July 19. In some ways, this moisture is much needed for the Calgary area, given that both the winter and spring were unusually dry. However, the delivery or amount over duration of this summer's rain might eliminate some of the apparent benefits. June 2025 brought in 94.4 mm of rain to Calgary – a little shy of the monthly average of 112.7 mm. However, most this precipitation fell over a short period of time, meaning not all of that moisture would have been absorbed by an already saturated surface. More than two-thirds of June's rain was recorded over the last 10-days of the month, with most of that rain falling over a two-day period. July has had similar 'all or nothing' events – including this past weekend - and we are potentially heading into another. More rain is expected in central and southern Alberta this week – starting on Monday and Tuesday. More then 100 mm of rain in July so far 2 Two systems are expected to converge over south-central Alberta over the next 24-hours, making it difficult to pinpoint the locations that will see the highest accumulations, but it seems likely the bulk should land on the western side of the aforementioned area – extending from the U.S. border south of Lethbridge, north to Red Deer and east and west of Highway 2 and the QEII corridors. On the high end of precipitation estimates, there is the potential for another 30 to 50 mm of rain in Calgary over the next two days. On the low end, there is a chance of 15 to 30 mm of rain by Wednesday. More persistent rain is expected to start in Calgary by the late afternoon or early evening on Monday and continue through to Tuesday night. More then 100 mm of rain in July so far 3 Colder air will also be drawn into the province from the northern system, limiting Tuesday's daytime high to around 12-degrees below average for Calgary. In the higher elevations along the foothills, there is a chance of mixed precipitation and/or snow overnight Monday and early Tuesday as lows in that area could potentially sit close to 0 C.
