Forest Lawn, Calgary: winter sun, snow and spring melt
Compared with 133 Calgary communities, Forest Lawn gets more December sun than most along its residential streets (median 2.0 h on December 21, city median 1.3 h), has about average snow on the ground in March, and more spring ponding than most in a typical year (LandMood model, 2016–2025).
Forest Lawn is a community built mostly in the 1950s, according to the City of Calgary.
Winter sun
On December 21, the ground along Forest Lawn's residential streets gets a median of 2.0 h of direct sun, more than the 1.3 h median across Calgary's communities (the 27th sunniest of 133).
On December 21, about 31% of Forest Lawn's street-side ground gets under half an hour of direct sun (city median 40%).
Which way homes face
Most residential streets here run north–south (about 69% of street length), so homes mostly face east or west, and front and back yards share the low winter sun more evenly.
Snow and spring melt
In March, about 66% of Forest Lawn's street-side ground still holds 5 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 70%).
During spring melt, the model expects water to pool (1 cm or more) on about 7% of the street-side and open ground in Forest Lawn (city median 5%), the 14th most prone to spring ponding of 133.
Buying a home in Forest Lawn: what winter looks like
If you are looking at homes in Forest Lawn or thinking of living there, expect more winter sun than most of Calgary on the ground along its streets: a median of 2.0 h of direct sun on December 21, against 1.3 h for the city.
Most streets in Forest Lawn run north–south, so homes mostly face east or west. Front and back yards share the low winter sun more evenly, and how much a driveway gets depends more on trees and the house next door.
Forest Lawn has about the typical amount of snow on the ground in March and more spring ponding than most in our model. Wherever a driveway or walk sits in shade, snow tends to stay longer, and melt water that runs across it in the day can refreeze at night.
Homes here are older, and older communities often have mature trees, which add shade in winter as well as summer.
At a viewing, check:
- which way the front of the house faces;
- whether the driveway and front steps are in shade around midday;
- where snow has piled up and where melt water has stood or refrozen;
- where the downspouts empty and whether the yard slopes away from the house.
The full list is in buying a house in Calgary in winter.
Within Forest Lawn, two homes on the same street can differ more than Forest Lawn differs from the rest of Calgary. Put the home you are looking at on the map to see its own front yard, back yard and driveway.
Compared with its neighbours
Along its residential streets Forest Lawn gets 0.3 h more direct sun on December 21 than neighbouring Dover (2.0 h against 1.7 h).
| Community | Sun, Dec 21 (median) | 5 cm+ snow in March | Spring ponding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lawn | 2.0 h | 66% | 7% |
| Dover | 1.7 h | 65% | 5% |
| Forest Heights | 2.0 h | 62% | 4% |
| Penbrooke Meadows | 1.8 h | 66% | 7% |
Compared with the rest of Calgary
| Measure | Forest Lawn | Calgary median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sun on Dec 21, street-side ground (median) | 2.0 h | 1.3 h | 27th of 133 |
| Street-side ground with under 30 min of sun on Dec 21 | 31% | 40% | 126th of 133 |
| Street-side ground with 5 cm+ of snow in March | 66% | 70% | 86th of 133 |
| Ground where melt water pools in spring (1 cm+) | 7% | 5% | 14th of 133 |
| Residential streets running east–west | 31% | 42% | 119th of 133 |
Rank 1 is the highest value among 133 residential communities with enough data. See which ones get the most and least December sun in the Calgary winter sun ranking.
How these numbers are made
LandMood follows the sun hour by hour over 1-metre public lidar of the real houses and trees (Natural Resources Canada) with ten years of weather (2016–2025). For this page we sampled the ground along residential streets (boulevards, front yards and driveways as a band, never a single home) and open ground away from buildings, across the whole community. Snow and water are modelled tendencies shown as shares and bands, not measurements.
Questions people ask
How much winter sun does Forest Lawn, Calgary get?
On December 21 the ground along residential streets in Forest Lawn gets a median of 2.0 h of direct sun in LandMood's model, against 1.3 h for the median community in Calgary. Individual homes vary with the direction they face, trees and neighbouring houses.
Do homes in Forest Lawn face north or south?
Most residential streets here run north–south (about 69% of street length), so homes mostly face east or west, and front and back yards share the low winter sun more evenly. Check a specific home on the map before you decide.
What should I check when buying a home in Forest Lawn in winter?
Check which way the front of the house faces, whether the driveway and front steps are in shade around midday, where snow piles up and melt water stands or refreezes, and where the downspouts empty. In LandMood's model the ground along Forest Lawn's residential streets gets a median of 2.0 h of direct sun on December 21 (city median 1.3 h), but two homes on the same street can differ more than that, so check the specific home on the map.
Does snow last long in Forest Lawn?
In March, about 66% of Forest Lawn's street-side ground still holds 5 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 70%). Shaded ground on the north side of houses and trees keeps snow longest.