Highwood, Calgary: winter sun, snow and spring melt
Compared with 133 Calgary communities, Highwood gets less December sun than most along its residential streets (median under half an hour on December 21, city median 1.3 h), has more snow on the ground than most in March, and less spring ponding than most in a typical year (LandMood model, 2016–2025).
Highwood is a community built mostly in the 1950s, according to the City of Calgary.
Winter sun
On December 21, the ground along Highwood's residential streets gets a median of under half an hour of direct sun, less than the 1.3 h median across Calgary's communities (the 11th least sunny of 133).
On December 21, about 53% of Highwood's street-side ground gets under half an hour of direct sun (city median 40%).
Which way homes face
Streets here run in mixed directions (about 35% east–west, 25% north–south, the rest diagonal or curved), so homes face every way; which side gets the winter sun depends on the street.
Snow and spring melt
In March, about 79% of Highwood's street-side ground still holds 5 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 70%), the 21st snowiest of 133.
During spring melt, the model expects water to pool (1 cm or more) on about 3% of the street-side and open ground in Highwood (city median 5%).
Buying a home in Highwood: what winter looks like
If you are looking at homes in Highwood or thinking of living there, expect less winter sun than most of Calgary on the ground along its streets: a median of under half an hour of direct sun on December 21, against 1.3 h for the city.
Streets in Highwood run in mixed directions, so homes face every way. Which side of a home gets the winter sun, the front with the driveway or the back yard, depends on the street it is on.
Highwood has more snow on the ground in March than most communities and less 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 Highwood, two homes on the same street can differ more than Highwood 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 Highwood gets 1.5 h less direct sun on December 21 than neighbouring North Haven (0.2 h against 1.7 h).
| Community | Sun, Dec 21 (median) | 5 cm+ snow in March | Spring ponding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwood | 0.2 h | 79% | 3% |
| Cambrian Heights | 1.3 h | 71% | 3% |
| Highland Park | 1.0 h | 73% | 5% |
| North Haven | 1.7 h | 73% | 1% |
| Thorncliffe | 1.5 h | 67% | 2% |
Compared with the rest of Calgary
| Measure | Highwood | Calgary median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sun on Dec 21, street-side ground (median) | 0.2 h | 1.3 h | 123rd of 133 |
| Street-side ground with under 30 min of sun on Dec 21 | 53% | 40% | 11th of 133 |
| Street-side ground with 5 cm+ of snow in March | 79% | 70% | 21st of 133 |
| Ground where melt water pools in spring (1 cm+) | 3% | 5% | 97th of 133 |
| Residential streets running east–west | 35% | 42% | 106th 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 Highwood, Calgary get?
On December 21 the ground along residential streets in Highwood gets a median of under half an hour 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 Highwood face north or south?
Streets here run in mixed directions (about 35% east–west, 25% north–south, the rest diagonal or curved), so homes face every way; which side gets the winter sun depends on the street. Check a specific home on the map before you decide.
What should I check when buying a home in Highwood 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 Highwood's residential streets gets a median of under half an hour 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 Highwood?
In March, about 79% of Highwood's street-side ground still holds 5 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 70%), the 21st snowiest of 133. Shaded ground on the north side of houses and trees keeps snow longest.