The Cold
 

Hi I see today that Edmonton is currently -15C, and I know that it goes a lot lower, what I would like to know is how you cope with it? I know about wearing layers etc, does it get to a point when its just so cold you cant feel the difference?

Thanks Si

Re: The Cold
 

The cold is all about "layers". Have lots of them and you'll be fine. Seriously, -3 in the UK feels colder for me than -15 here in Kamloops.

Re: The Cold
 

When I lived in downtown Toronto I used to walk to work every day - I'd only consider taking the streetcar if it dropped below -10! As long as you wear the right clothes, it can actually be quite, erm, refreshing!

The worst thing about temperatures is the wind chill. A temp of -5 isn't a big deal, but -5 with a wind chill of -15... not much fun.

I think it was Billy Connelly who said there's no such thing as the wrong kind of weather, just the wrong kind of clothes! :D

Re: The Cold
 

-20 with the wind blowing might as well be -50 as far as I'm concerned.

The cold is OK...as long as its not windy. Its the wind that can make life miserable and limit outside activities. Hard to have fun if you cant feel your face anymore.

Indoors though its usually in the low +20s:thumbup:

Re: The Cold
 

My mother (almost 80) has just been with us for three weeks and the temperature here in Calgary wasn't above 0c the whole time. She arrived when it was about -26c and she didn't find that too bad (not much wind chill though). She was amazed that she could walk about outside (from car to mall/shop) in her fleece when the weather was -15c.

She even swept our deck for us in -19c :)

She has just gone back to the UK and finds it much colder there than she did here - she loved the sun and the dry air and found that generally she felt much warmer here than back at home.

For myself I find anything down to about -25c (with no windchill) is fine. Once it goes below that I seem to find it much, much colder.

I haven't really bought any special clothes since we got here (four years ago), I am still wearing much the same things as I did in England although I do wear more vest type thingies under my shirts now ;)

J :)

Re: The Cold
 

Hi,

I have just come back from Toronto. We were outside for 3 hours while at TO zoo in -15 with the windchill.

I looked for advice here before we left and layered up as advised! We actually found it completely fine. The only thing that felt a bit cold was my face.

I have found that since being back in the UK 2c feels colder than -10. It gets into your bones here whereas out there I found that it felt like more of a surface cold as it's dry.

It's really just a number and doesn't feel as cold as it sounds IMO.

Good luck!:)

Re: The Cold
 

I've just come back from a walk in the snow with the temp at minus 13, wearing layers. As usual when I get back I'm too hot. I need new gloves though my finger tips were cold. Mittens are best in this weather

Coming home from work on Saturday it was minus 20 with some god awful windchill I had so many layers on my coat hardly did up. If I fell over I would have bounced- which would be good as it would have been hard to stand up again with that lot on. The car seats were chuffing cold, I must buy one of those plug in car seat heaters

Re: The Cold
 

Although perhaps typical of the Ontario winter, -15 with windchill is a balmy spring day in Edmonton;)

As I said, down to around -20 isnt too bad, but once you are in the mid 20s or lower then its unpleasant however you look at it, and it doesnt really matter how much colder it gets after that, its just a question of how many fewer minutes it takes for exposed skin to freezes and frostbite to takes hold...

Re: The Cold
 

Well i think its cold in Toronto. Iain is right about the windchill - that is the killer. As for it just being a number, yes it is - and the lower it is the colder it is! I'll trade -10 for +2 anytime.

Re: The Cold
 

i was in Lethbridge in march 09,-5c with the sun shining ,i was walking around in a short sleeve shirt,when the sun dropped,then it felt cold,
today in England -2c feels really cold,extra layers needed today.
nice big warm hat and thick socks.........toasty

Re: The Cold
 

In the UK it is wet and damp and that makes it feel really cold compared to Calgary, where we are.
Anything up to -10 is not an issue and as its so dry you just need to make sure you have layers on and you will be quite warm.
The is one of things that family only really understand once they have visited as numbers such -10 or -15 or lower have a certain shock value to people who havent exprerienced life in Canada.

Re: The Cold
 

If its - 20C or below I find it hard to breathe, the windchill can be below that and my lungs are ok, but -20C air temp and I struggle.

Re: The Cold
 

I think this is really spot on. It's minus 15 in Edmonton today and sunny but as said before it is a very dry cold so doesn't feel as bad. I'll take the dog for a walk shortly with no problem.

I find if I step outside and my nose freezes inside, I know it's -20 or lower. Then it can be quite unpleasant. The thing I find in Edmonton is you can get such big differences in temperature day to day. I believe the forecast for the end of the week is about 3 degrees!:thumbup:

Re: The Cold
 

Those three in one jackets are pretty much essential. They keep the cold out superbly and you can still move in them.;)

-15 presents no problem unless you're standing around at a bus stop for 15 minutes or riding a bike and creating your own wind chill. :eek:

Very painful on the ears if they're not covered.

Give me 30 below over the bloody snow every time. Especially with the wet stuff we just had from early Saturday to late Sunday. I just did seven driveway clearances (as well as two separate clearances of the snowplow ridge) to avoid one big one and, boy, was it ever heavy!!

Re: The Cold
 

It was -6 this morning at work in uk and I was bloody cold, so I have my fingers crossed about the dry cold feeling warmer than uk temps theory being true.

Re: The Cold
 

What's the best value bet for outdoor gear? I've bought stuff from MEC in the past but it might not be cheapest.

Also, is there a sort of exchange system in place for kids stuff? When I was a kid in Ontario we used to be able to exchange skates when they were outgrown. Is there a similar culture for clothing in Canada?

Thanks BE! :unsure:

Re: The Cold
 

Marks Work Wearhouse is a good bet..not fancy, but functional and reasonable value. Otherwise Walmart etc will kit you out OK anyway, but often seem low on winter stock come February as they gear up to sell the spring stuff.

Play it again sports does used kids skates etc, although the local skating clubs are probably a better bet for decent quality skate swaps at the start of the season. Kijiji and craigslist too I suppose.

There are countless consignment stores for buying and selling on used kids stuff. Some of the stuff is really good. The school lost property is also a treasure trove at the end of the year, they just give all the unclaimed stuff to the St Vincent De Paul anyway, so they are happy to let us get first dibs...

Re: The Cold
 

Get a down jacket, 600+ fill will keep you toasty in extreme temps.

Re: The Cold
 

OP, to add context to the 'cold' debate, here the elementary school have outdoor play unless it is below -20. ;) It always make me laugh to wonder what our old playground mafia in the UK would have made of that...

Re: The Cold
 

There's something to be said for the benefit of acclimatizing as the winter begins. Most people here don't think of -15 as cold once winter is well under way. I skied at Strathcona Wilderness Centre yesterday and they were expecting a busy day because of the warm (-13) forecast. And you can do a lot with clothes - I skied Rabbit Hill at -42 a few weeks ago (might have been painful if it had been windy though).

Surely the worst winter weather of all is freezing rain.

Re: The Cold
 

It's hard to believe but damp cold exists in Canada as well. -10 and 90% humidity in Ottawa tonight. It doesn't feel too cold even to this former Winnipegger who was made soft by too much exposure to the dry variety.

BTW I found this on The Weather Network:

Soldiers exposed to severe cold in climate controlled cold chambers did not find damp cold any more penetrating than dry cold, and if you consider the physics of heat transfer, the differences between the two are negligible. But why then do the majority of Canadians prefer dry cold to damp cold? One's perception of comfort or discomfort while exposed to cold air depends on several factors but let's just consider the weather conditions. Cold, dry days have usually sunny skies, high pressure and light winds - weather that is much more pleasing than overcast skies and shivering wind chill. Also soaking up sun's rays only adds to your comfort. So there's good reason to believe that you'll be more comfortable in a dry cold than humid cold, but it's not because of the difference in humidity. Of course, all this assumes one is not perspiring, his or her clothes are dry and it's not raining.

Re: The Cold
 

For me, the reason why I prefer dry over damp is because I have arthritis in my back... it hurts worse when the humidity is high.

Re: The Cold
 

Hi all,

I was wondering if there is anyone who has asthma who can tell me how the cold weather affects it. Does it have an affect at all? If so is it exteme?
I only have mild asthma but it has got a little worse over the past couple of months and the doc reckons its the cold temps - this, to me, then means that if my asthma gets worse when the temp is between -2 and 2, it will be a hell of alot worse in -30!
Do you reckon this is the case?

Thanks
Linz

Re: The Cold
 

Most anecdotal evidence here says that people with asthma tend to have fewer attacks once they get here.... cant comment from personal experience though.

Re: The Cold
 

in laws were in Vancouver from Edmonton over the hols and they commented on it feeling colder here. It was minus 40 when they left! I think perhaps is more of a case of not being used to it.

Re: The Cold
 

My Mum and Dad just came back to Calgary after being in the UK (hants) for 3 weeks, Dad said it felt much colder in the UK than it does here....
Personally I think that with no wind anything -15 or above is fine especially when the sun is shining

Re: The Cold
 

Personally I think anything under 10c is bloody cold.

Re: The Cold
 

Begs the question why have anything to do with Canada doesnt it?:confused:

Re: The Cold
 

Sigh.....

Re: The Cold
 

It does rather, doesn't it. :rofl:

Okay I'll tolerate it down to 6, but that's it, I'm moaning after that.

I just got a pair of Sorrel snowboots and I live Vancouver. :)

Re: The Cold
 

Send them to someone in the UK who actually needs them!:ohmy:

Re: The Cold
 

It snowed a lot last year so I was getting prepared. I'd be happy if they stayed in the cupboard all year. I can recommend them though, very toasty and very grippy.

Re: The Cold
 

Craig Campbell speaks about what -40 is like at about 4:25

Re: The Cold
 

like him
:rofl::rofl: