Reading climate tables for your ride: maximum, minimum, rain and what they do not say
The same number means something different on the Atlantic and in the desert.
How to read normals, what they say about a ride and what they do not, with examples from Las Vegas, Banff, Tenerife and Rovaniemi.
What a table of normals is
A table of normals gives for each month the average over many years. NOAA and the Canadian weather service name the period 1991 to 2020 for their tables. A table therefore shows what to expect on average in a month, not what happens on your travel day. It applies to the station that measured, often an airport in the valley, not to the riding route on the mountain.
The four columns
Maximum: the mean daily maximum, that is the warmth in the afternoon. In July Las Vegas reaches 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit according to NOAA, about 40 degrees Celsius. In Banff the July maximum is 22.1 degrees Celsius according to Parks Canada. Minimum: the mean night minimum, that is the cool of the morning. Banff falls to minus 14.9 degrees Celsius in January, Las Vegas to 40.5 degrees Fahrenheit, about 5 degrees Celsius, in January. Precipitation: the mean monthly total. Orlando reaches 8.05 inches in June according to NOAA, about 204 millimetres, Miami 1.83 inches in January, about 46 millimetres. Daylight or sunshine hours: only some sources name them. Parks Canada gives 16.5 hours of daylight for Banff in June and 7.8 hours in December.
Three mistakes when reading
- The average hides the day. The table gives the maximum and the minimum separately. In Zion National Park day and night often differ by more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit, about 17 degrees Celsius, according to the National Park Service. A ride in the morning and a ride in the afternoon are two different rides there.
- The station is not the route. The values for Tenerife Sur (AEMET, 1981 to 2010) apply to the coast in the south, not to the Teide or the north. The mountains near Las Vegas are, according to a provider, much cooler than the valley; we read no figure for that.
- Rainy months are not rainy days. A month with much precipitation can consist of a few heavy downpours. The table shows the amount, not how it is distributed. Ask the provider what happens in rain.
Two places side by side
| Place | Source | January maximum | July maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, airport | NOAA | 58.5 °F (15 °C) | 104.5 °F (40 °C) |
| Banff, town | Parks Canada | minus 5.3 °C | 22.1 °C |
| Tenerife south, airport | AEMET | 21.7 °C | 27.7 °C |
| Rovaniemi, monthly mean 2025 | Visit Finland | mean minus 10 °C | mean 18.5 °C |
The Rovaniemi values are means of the year 2025, not normals, and cannot be compared with the other columns. The four places lie in different climate zones. No ranking follows from this, only a different view of the ride.
Questions for the provider
- At what time does the ride start, and how warm or cold is it then?
- Do you ride in heat, thunderstorm, rain or snow, and from when not any more?
- Is there water for horses and riders and shade on the route?
- Which clothing does the provider recommend for this season?
- Until when is cancellation free in bad weather?
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 (monthly), ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-monthly/1991-2020/access/ (stations Las Vegas McCarran USW00023169, Orlando International USW00012815, Miami International USW00012839). Original CSV read on 11 October 2026.
- Parks Canada, Banff National Park, Weather conditions, parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/securite-safety/meteo-weather (table for the town of Banff). Read on 11 October 2026.
- AEMET, Valores climatológicos normales, station Tenerife Sur Airport (C429I), normals 1981 to 2010, read on 11 October 2026 (see REGIONSSEITE_PREMIUM_KANAREN_BAUSTEINE_2026-10-11.md).
- National Park Service, Zion National Park, Weather and Climate, nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/weather-and-climate.htm (day and night often more than 30 °F apart). Read on 11 October 2026.
- Visit Finland, Weather and climate in Finland, visitfinland.com/en/practical-tips/climate-and-weather-in-finland/ (Rovaniemi monthly means 2025). Tourism marketing, named only as a statement of Visit Finland. Read on 11 October 2026.
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