Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, lies on the northern Canadian prairies along the North Saskatchewan River at approximately 53.55°N, 113.49°W — one of the northernmost major cities in North America. It has a cold continental prairie climate with long, cold winters and short, warm summers, a dry atmosphere and a very large annual temperature range. Its northerly latitude gives it dramatic seasonal swings in daylight.

Summer, from June to August, is short but warm and among the sunniest in Canada, with July the warmest month — average highs around 23°C and cool nights. The far-northern latitude means very long summer days, with light lingering late into the evening. It is the wettest season, when most of the year's rain falls as afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Winter is long, cold and dry, running from around November to March. January, the coldest month, averages highs near -6°C and lows around -15°C, and Arctic outbreaks can drive temperatures below -30°C. Lying further north than Calgary, Edmonton feels the chinook winds far less, so its snow cover is more consistent and its cold spells less often interrupted by mid-winter thaws. Winter days are short, with the low sun barely clearing the horizon in December.

Edmonton is dry, receiving around 450–500 mm of total precipitation a year, the bulk of it as summer rain that peaks in July and is crucial for the surrounding farmland. Winters are dry, with snow accumulating gradually and lying for months in the cold. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Edmonton's far-northern position produces striking seasonal contrasts in daylight — long, luminous summer evenings give way to short, dark winter days. It sits in a part of the prairies prone to severe summer storms; the catastrophic tornado of July 1987, remembered locally as 'Black Friday', remains one of the deadliest in Canadian history. The dry continental air makes both the summer heat and winter cold feel less piercing than the raw numbers suggest.

To follow any single measurement in Edmonton more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.