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Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:07 am
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Default Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Hi folks,

I have been offered a job working for one of the Oil/Gas companies in Calgary. Will be working downtown. I have read some of the threads on this site about the weather conditions. It can be the source of some debate.

Can I ask how people who live/work there dress during the winter? I have gloves, wool hat, layered wool coat, scarf.

How does one live with wearing thermals, e.g. they keep you warm outside, but do you not melt when in a warm office? Do people buy glove inserts, ski masks, snowboarding jackets for the winter, even if the commute to downtown is short?

Finally, boots. I intend to leave shoes in the office and wear boots. Any recommendations as to what to look for? Is there boots that will keep the toes warm even when the weather tries its very hardest to freeze them?

Finally being a hot-blooded single man, I intend to visit some Calgary nightspots. Does function reign over function, e.g. does everyone dress like an Eskimo?

Apologies for the stupid questions, haven't had to live in a cold weather climate, and have horrible visions of freezing to death while waiting for a taxi at Calgary Airport!
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:13 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Layers is the key.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:17 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff
Layers is the key.
Chickens? How do they help?
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:21 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by valona
Hi folks,

I have been offered a job working for one of the Oil/Gas companies in Calgary. Will be working downtown. I have read some of the threads on this site about the weather conditions. It can be the source of some debate.

Can I ask how people who live/work there dress during the winter? I have gloves, wool hat, layered wool coat, scarf.

How does one live with wearing thermals, e.g. they keep you warm outside, but do you not melt when in a warm office? Do people buy glove inserts, ski masks, snowboarding jackets for the winter, even if the commute to downtown is short?

Finally, boots. I intend to leave shoes in the office and wear boots. Any recommendations as to what to look for? Is there boots that will keep the toes warm even when the weather tries its very hardest to freeze them?

Finally being a hot-blooded single man, I intend to visit some Calgary nightspots. Does function reign over function, e.g. does everyone dress like an Eskimo?

Apologies for the stupid questions, haven't had to live in a cold weather climate, and have horrible visions of freezing to death while waiting for a taxi at Calgary Airport!
Downtown, people wear the same in the winter as they do in the summer (suits, jeans and t-shirts, dockers and short sleeves - whatever floats your boat).

Again, wait until you come over to view what you will need.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 2:26 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

How about a hat?
Attached Thumbnails Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.-portrait_in_10_gal_hat.jpg  

Last edited by Aviator; Oct 27th 2010 at 2:29 am.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 3:34 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

For general commuting, get yourself a decent coat and then add layers as required. Gloves, hat and scarf too. Will you drive (dress your car in snow tyres ), or hang around for the C-Train or buses?

Many people have boots/trainers for the actual commute if it involves much walking and then leave something cleaner/smarter at the office to change into, and that is true whether or not there is snow outside.

I can't think you'd need thermals for commuting, unless you plan to ride your mountain bike year-round. Thermals are for skiing/snowboarding and walking the dog!

Very few guys wear suits here, by the way - smartly casual for the most part, with an occasional tie thrown in for good measure. And many places have a very casual (jeans) for Fridays.

Will you be sent out in the field or be purely an office bod? Don't panic - even when it gets really cold, it rarely stays really cold.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 4:20 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by ann m
Don't panic - even when it gets really cold, it rarely stays really cold.
What Ann M said ^^^^^

Here is a link to the actual highs and lows for January this year of which there were 15 days were the high was above 0°C or freezing the warmest day was 11.8°C.

The coldest daily high was -12.9°C and the coldest overnight low was -26°C. Really it is not as bad as some would have you believe.

Calgary Daily Observational Data January 2010

You can look at other months just by clicking on the appropriate next or previous links at the top and bottom of the table.

Last edited by Steve_P; Oct 27th 2010 at 4:23 am.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 4:37 am
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

If you drive you don't have to worry so much.

I just wear a leather jacket in winter - no hats, gloves, winter boots or anything.

I do have heated seats in my car though!

If you are going downtown by C-Train get a decent jacket and maybe gloves and toque.

Last edited by iaink; Oct 27th 2010 at 12:41 pm. Reason: Once was enough...
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 12:38 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

I have a lovely long down puffa

You don't need thermals for walking about. But at some point you will need a good hat and mittens
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 12:40 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by valona
Apologies for the stupid questions, haven't had to live in a cold weather climate, and have horrible visions of freezing to death while waiting for a taxi at Calgary Airport!
I remembering thinking my kids would die of hypothermia enroute from the airport to rental car rank. We all survived the journey. Its not that bad, just unimaginable .
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:42 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by Steve_P
The coldest daily high was -12.9°C and the coldest overnight low was -26°C. Really it is not as bad as some would have you believe.
It's a dry kind of cold right?

AS others have said, you wont perish on the journey from airport to taxi rank / hire car pick up. Bring what you have from the UK, buy what else you need here.

Out here in the Far East where we largely have the wet kind of cold, I leave a pair of dress shoes at work and where boots/hikers for travel to and from work in the winter.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 1:47 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
It's a dry kind of cold right?
After you've been here for 47 years it's just f*n cold.

And the dry cold comment from others wears a bit thin.
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 2:13 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by Steve_P
After you've been here for 47 years it's just f*n cold.

And the dry cold comment from others wears a bit thin.
I wish it had been a "dry heat" this summer!
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 2:25 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

When it gets to around -15/20C I wear thermals under my clothes on the walk to the office (20 minutes) and then on arrival I take them off, some office towers have changing rooms for staff or a gym that you can access, we have lockers too so storing all the outdoor layers is not an issue. The cold itself may not be bad most of the time but the windchill bites.

I think there was one or two days this year when it was -30C, I think that was about as cold as it got. That's the exception though not the norm as others have also said.

If you park downtown (if you are lucky/rich enough to be able to afford to park within the +15 network even better!) I would still keep hat/gloves/scarf/coat in the car, you never know when you might need them.

Oh and I've seen plenty of girls wandering around in the evenings on their way out to restaurants, bars & clubs, and no they don't seem to let the weather dictate too much about lining up to get into their favourite night spots
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Old Oct 27th 2010, 5:39 pm
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Default Re: Climate in Calgary, what to wear, and where to buy it.

Originally Posted by triumphguy
If you drive you don't have to worry so much.

I just wear a leather jacket in winter - no hats, gloves, winter boots or anything.

I do have heated seats in my car though!

If you are going downtown by C-Train get a decent jacket and maybe gloves and toque.
If using the c-train, make you sure you take off the hat and gloves, loosen your scalf and unbutton your coat. The train is pretty packed at rush hour and I have seen many a person faint/collapse when they get too hot on the train

As others have said, wear what you would normally for winter in the UK. I usually have a change of shoes at the office so I don't walk around in snow boots all day though!
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