What influences the weather in Banff National Park?
There are certain constants that continually affect Banff National Park’s weather: the Parkas latitude, the Pacific air from the west, the mountains that surround and fill the Park (particularly those of the Continental Divide), and the occasional spurt of continental air from the east. Like any place, the Parkas global latitude accounts indirectly for some of its weather patterns. In winter, the sun stays up for only a short while and hits the ground fairly obliquely, providing relatively little heat and keeping temperatures low. In summer, the sun stays in the sky for a relatively long period of time, but its rays hit the ground at a fairly oblique angle, diminishing its warming power. The prevailing westerly winds are perhaps the most influential factor in Banff’s weather. These winds bring moist Pacific air from the ocean, across British Columbia toward Banff National Park. As this moist air is forced up over mountain peaks, it cools. The cool temperature causes the moisture in the
