How Cold does it generally get?
 

Hi,

My husband and I are thinking of leaving the UK, our first choice was Australia but we don't score enough points. Our second/third choice is Canada and New Zealand, they only worry we have is how cold does it actually get mid winter in Canada? Can you still carry on as you would anywhere??

Thanks,

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

I'm not the expert since it all depends where in Canada you live and I've not been here that long.

But my experience of Calgary so far has been the we have had a week of -20C ish at the begining of December. It was +20C the week before, so this did come as a bit of a shock, but once I learnt to dress properly it wasn't a problem (jeans are no use at all when it gets that cold :( ). It may be cold, but it's not depressing here. You get beautiful blue skies that make you feel good just looking outside. The air is very dry here and subjectively this seems to make the temperatures seem less bad that they axctually are. I've started walking around in light clothing outdoors when its around 0C, doesn't feel cold at all.

But, my colleagues have been taking great delight in telling me about the -30C to -40C delights that we should have had by now (this is apparently a very mild Winter, it was +15C on Xmax day and +12C yesterday due to the warm Chinook winds that come from the Rockies). The impression that I get, at least here in Calgary is that you might get a week or two of these very low temperatures then you get a week or so of respite due to the Chinooks. I'm sure those who have lived here longer will correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Posidrive has given you a very good reply, and he is quite correct in what he is saying. It also appears that whether through global warming or whatever the winters in Canada seem to warming up.

Here is a link to Environment Canada's Climate Normals 1971-2000 website you can pick a province and then a location within that province or simply type in the the name of a city or town and it will give you the averages by month for temperature (highs and overnight lows), precipitation and winds and even hours of sunshine for at least some locations.

I've included the link to the Calgary averages just to give you an idea.

Cheers
Steve

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

You need to be more specific about where in Canada. It is a huge country, with wide-ranging weather patterns. You cannot compare east with west, north with south. Once you can define an area I'm sure you'll get lots of response.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Thank you all for your responses, we don't really know where we would go to be honest, it would depend on where the work is to start. We are going to 'emigrate show' in sandown in March, so will hopefully get some more info. Can any of you recommend agents to use or did you get your visas independently (sorry for so many questions, we have only just started looking into going to Canada)

Thanks.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

First of all Cold is not the issue, it's activity choices.
- 42c with the wind chill over the weekend wasn't a problem when walking the dog in the woods. (no wind so only -28c) With an ordinary Canadian Winter coat ($79 ) and a fleece and a hat and gloves Jeans and soccer trainers the hour long walk was really nice.

Now if I walk on the open tracks I wear $20 winter pants and $35 winter boots.

Friends play spongee ( ice hockey without skates and a softer ball, until it freezes) and have no problems. Games are only stopped if it goes below -38c without a wind chill.

Kids are either on the frozen ponds or sliding down the hills ( ok river banks) or playing indoor soccer or movies or.....

The most important thing for you to work on when making a huge life change is what you see yourselves doing.

I.E
are you working to live - find Your location - hobbies first
or are you living to work - find a job first.

Why is this important?

If your hobby - life is deep sea fishing you'll be unhappy in Winnipeg with whatever job you get.
If your an avid sports player a small villiage may not have a team to play on.

Enjoy finding about yourselves and hope you have a lot of question for everyone here.

All the best.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

If you don't like to live day in day out cold through winter then maybe Vancouver area of BC is for you. There are very few days when it goes below 0c. Vancouver Island is the mildest. One piece of warning though it rains a lot! Fraser Valley to the east of Vancouver is a bit like the seasons they have in Manchester. In downtown Vancouver and Fraser valley it does not snow much either, but if you want snow and skiing then the slopes are only a short drive away. :)

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Montreal: The average daytime HIGH in Jan is -5 C, the average LOW is -15...

these are averages. Last year, we had -33 C in the city, and it can blow a gale at these temperatures also. This year, it's +2 C and raining. Most cities in Canada have a wide variance on the temperatures due to prevailing winds coming right across the continent from either the north, or the south. As a general note, the effects of this are worse the further east you go, only slightly moderated by the atlantic (this side it's a LOT cooler at the same latitude).

The only exception is Vancouver, which is 'maritime'; tempered (and soaked) by Pacific moisture.

If you can find entertainment by way of the ski slopes and frozen rivers that cover much of Canada during December-April, you'll do fine here.. if you don't you will get bored of the snow and cold very quickly.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Why not wait and try and get enough points to go to Oz? Whats the point in going to a country you dont really want to go to? A country you OBVIOUSLY havent even researched properly? You couldnt have chosen three more geographically and climatically different countries if you'd tried.
My suggestion is go away research Canada and NZ properly and come back when you actually know something about the place.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Mr Cassidy is on that thin edge you get when you are waiting for your visas to appear and wondering what the hell you are doing :p

Seriously though, if you were wanting Australia primarily because it is warm, then Canada may not be for you.
In my opinion, Australians and Canadians as people are poles apart themselves quite apart from geographically.

There are lots of places where you can find out about different parts of the country, and indeed the world, but maybe you do need to decide what it is you are looking for first. eh?

Besides, Canada points are a barrier to some people as well, and you should realise that the application processing is currently taking about 4 years.

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

Thanks for your reply Butch Cassidy, we have just started to research Canada, which is why I am asking the questions as silly as they may sound.

Thanks for all the replys we've received, they have been really helpful, especially the websites! :)

Re: How Cold does it generally get?
 

I spent last winter in Saskatchewan and although I liked the sun, the temperature was just really impractical and even when I left at the end of April it was still cold and snowing, I flew down to visit people in Virginia USA before coming back to the UK and just to see greenery and colours instead of white and grey was so nice and I hadn't even noticed I'd missed it before. Everything to do with outside was a chore or sometimes I just didn't do it (for example I was trying to find a store and gave up after being outside for about 10mins I was so cold, even with boots, thermals, 2 coats etc) but at the time I was fairly happy because I would remind myself of it being grey and cloudy in the UK which I hated.

This winter I have spent in the UK and even though the skys have been greyer I actually find it more colourful than the blue sky grey buildings and white ground that you are met with for months in canada, I wouldn't change it at all, it's so nice to just be able to put on a jacket and go out... and to even go out at all. I had guests over and we toured london etc visitng places and just going on walks which I couldn't do last winter. It's the small things like not having to rush from one building to the other and actually having time to talk and look around whilst your out.

I guess some people are made for the cold, I certainly am not and am glad to be back in the UK.