I.

Introduction

Edmonton, city, capital of the province of Alberta, Canada, and its largest metropolitan center. Edmonton is situated in central Alberta at a historic crossroads of water, land, and air routes. Its high latitude (53° north) and interior location produce winters that are long, cold, and relatively dry. The average daily temperature range in January is -17° C to -8° C (1° F to 17° F), and the average range in July is 12° C to 23° C (54° F to 73° F). The average precipitation is 461 mm (18.1 in). Precipitation mainly falls in summer, which produces excellent growing conditions for grain, oilseed, and pasture.