Winter
Although it can and does snow at any time of the year, the first snow generally begins to fall in November. The average temperature during the winter months is around -12º C (6º F); however it is not unusual to have a two-week cold snap during December or January where temperatures plummet into the -30º C/F range. Fortunately Banff and areas west and south regularly receive a welcome weather phenomenon called a Chinook, where warm winds produce spring-like temperatures in a matter of hours, which can last for days or even weeks.