Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

By the same token lets not pretend it's a frozen waste land from October to May. :frown:

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Winter 2007/2008 - easy. About two really, really cold weeks and several chinooks to melt it all again. Cleared the drive about 7 times in total. Didn't see what all the fuss was about. Roads nearly always clear. Not much hassle.

Winter 2008/2009 - sense of humour failure. Snowed early December and just stayed, and kept snowing a bit more, and bit more. Someone stole our chinooks. Cleared the drive about 20 times. Not great quantities of snow like the Tronno folks report - just consistent. Clearing of highways and city streets in Calgary abysmal. Not amusing to wear four layers to walk a reluctant dog. Most people reported it was the coldest winter for 30 years. Or maybe it just felt like it.

I've got my fingers crossed for an easy one this year (please). Several chinooks required (but the freeze-thaw plays havoc with your plants - Zone 3a by the way).

Disclaimer - despite the car thermometer reading -34, the blue skies do help enormously. Honest :D

Edit: With a good opportunity for employment, I might consider Kelowna if I had to ! Weigh that up with 40 degrees in the summer. Extra air-con versus extra heating, mmmmm. Another edit - I never thought I be complaining about the heat in Calgary - I think the summers here are great.

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

I didnt think I was.

Im just saying that arguing that a million people "survive" it and you can go skiing so its all good is not necessarily the most constructive reply to the original question.

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Not necessarily you.:p


I think you'll find the word "survive" was used sarcastically. ;)

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

If as you say, you find the blue skies help immensely then Kelowna may not be for you. Lots of overcast in the winter with the cloud below the surrounding mountain tops.

Like living in a bowl with the lid on it. :(

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Mmm, I've hear that before Steve - never visited in the winter, but the weather channel shows me lots of clouds for the interior. Pah! :D

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Not everyone is a keen gardener. What I like about Calgary is that the first grass-cut of the year in in late May, and the last one will probably be next week. :D

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Now that's my kinda gardening !!!!:thumbup:

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

I got there in 2002 ... we arrived in a snowstorm in October 2001 and had snow every month through to the first week of June ... they've been drier and milder since then.

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Last winter was my first in Canada. We were in Calgary and, by many accounts it was a particularly bad one both with regards to temperature and snowfall.

Honestly, it wasn't that bad, in fact it was fine! We were wrapped up really warm and managed to walk to school (about 30mins return) all winter with the exception of 2 - 3 particularly cold ones. In fact most days we'd get home and my kids would ask to stay out to play. They only ever complained about being too hot - apparently I overdid the wrapping up somewhat.


The clear blue skies are great, give me cold and bright over damp and dull any day.

We also took up skiing, which made winter fun and something we're all looking forward to again.

MrsDV

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Not even going to try and defend Calgary (I LOVE it btw).

But depending on what factors are most important to you, play with this site
http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/city.cfm

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

Last year Vancouver was bitterly cold with lots of snow. I had to buy a fur hat and some really warm boots. Hoping they stay in the cupboard this winter. :thumbup:

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

I agree with Ann M - this last winter was endless as we had no chinooks to get rid of the white stuff :eek:

We are 2 hours south of Calgary and although we get the snow dumps like anyone else we also seem to be a few degrees warmer and get better chinooks than Calgary.

The blue skies here in Southern Alberta and your temperature thingy could read -30 but if you look at the endless blue skies you would think it was the height of summer and they do lift your spirits too:thumbup:

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

We agree with both of those sentiments. For the original poster, our daily weather blog might be useful to have a scroll back through. Is it scientific?...err, no! But it's an honest, subjective account of how we experience the weather on a day to day basis in Calgary and surrounds.
http://weatherwatchab.blogspot.com/

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary winters.....brrrrr!!!
 

I don't think the winters in Calgary are as bad as some make out. Yes it is cold, but at least it is a DRY cold. I am not particually keen on the chinooks because they melt all the snow, turn it to slush and then that freezes and ends up like an ice-rink. but the cold isn't that bad really.

I have honestly felt colder in the UK because of the damp that seems to seep into your bones.

And as someone said above, the blue skies are a bonus.