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Having moved from Calgary to Texas, I don't miss the weather at all.
People constantly ask how we deal with it here, and the stock line is "I don't have to shovel heat."
I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to wear a jacket when cool in three years. It's the first week of November, and I had to turn the furnace on this weekend. It will be off again, as it's expected to be in the 80's again this week.
I like being able to grill, golf and sit on my patio 52 weeks a year. No, I think after thirty something years of winter, I'm good.
I don't mind having some cold days, but winter in most of part of Canada is simply too long. A cold and snowy January and Febuary, although I don't like it, I can bear it. But those -20/-10C days in March and April is simply unbearable. I highly doubt anyone on earth would wake up on April 10 morning, walk into -15C air seeing the ground covered with 5 inch snow, and say "what a great day! I just love Canadian winters", especially after seeing the same thing for the past 4 months.
Right now in early-mid Nov, it is 0-10 celsius, which I don't think is bad at all considering the low humidity and lack of wind. If it dips below 0 in december, some -10C days in Jan/Feb and comes back to above zero in March and get back to 10C in April, that would not much nicer! Basically, some NYC-like winter is OK, but March/April are supposed to be part of SPRING!
Toronto isn't quite that bad thankfully.
Usually snow doesn't stick around here in November,
and by the last 2-4 days of March snow usually can't stick around.
Mar 21st is NOT the 1st day of Spring in Toronto,
but it normally feels like spring maybe a week later.
We have seen snowy winter start as early as Nov 9th though; a pattern typical of mid-December onward.
And that winter was nasty; ended a little late making for an exceptionally-long winter.
Early-Spring cold?
I've seen it as bad as Easter 2007 in late-March:
-High of -3 C
-Windchills never warming past either -8 C or -11 C
-icey remnants of snow shovelling on otherwise bare, ROCK-HARD ground.
-Low of -11 C
But yeah, nobody desires that kind of cold, that late in the year...
unless they are skiers/snowboarders trying to squeeze out what's left of the season.
Highs below freezing in April are exceptionally-scarce in Toronto.
They even have it in snow-removal contracts; no service after March 31st.
So if we do have a dump that needed clearing in April, it would be considered an emergency.
Don't forget heating costs!
I know someday I will definitely move to a place where owning a furnance is optional.
Compared to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, we actually have it good here.
We probably use the same % disposeable income on energy costs as people in Melbourne or Canberra
because our houses come with better insulation, multi-pane windows etc.
Many borderline-tropical climates and sub-tropical climates they are slack/cheap with building design.
As so many have told me
"...when it's cold outside, it's colder inside..."
(think how rotten some of their winter mornings must feel )
But if you could build a custom home there with Canadian-style insulation, you'd be laughing.
Compared to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, we actually have it good here.
We probably use the same % disposeable income on energy costs as people in Melbourne or Canberra
because our houses come with better insulation, multi-pane windows etc.
That's true. I live in a downtown condo, and so far because of good insulation I haven't felt the necessity to turn on the heater yet. I am hoping I won't need to before Decemeber
Compared to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, we actually have it good here.
We probably use the same % disposeable income on energy costs as people in Melbourne or Canberra
because our houses come with better insulation, multi-pane windows etc.
Many borderline-tropical climates and sub-tropical climates they are slack/cheap with building design.
As so many have told me
"...when it's cold outside, it's colder inside..."
(think how rotten some of their winter mornings must feel )
But if you could build a custom home there with Canadian-style insulation, you'd be laughing.
Yes this is so true. My heating bill sky rocketed in the winter due to poor insulation of my apartment. And yes 90% of the time is was warmer outside than inside. There were many times I left the front door open to heat up my apartment, lol.
Yes this is so true. My heating bill sky rocketed in the winter due to poor insulation of my apartment. And yes 90% of the time is was warmer outside than inside. There were many times I left the front door open to heat up my apartment, lol.
Where did you live?
I'm used to Canada's
...if there's even the faintest nip in the air, you can expect heating is on..."
Most buildings turn heat on sometime in September in Toronto and may turn off as early as May.
(set to a given temp on a thermostat )
I'm used to Canada's
...if there's even the faintest nip in the air, you can expect heating is on..."
Most buildings turn heat on sometime in September in Toronto and may turn off as early as May.
(set to a given temp on a thermostat )
Born and Raised in Toronto, but lived in Nashville, Tennessee for a few years for Graduate school.
I'm living in England where it pretty much rains all winter. On most days, I would take the snow in winter over rain any day. I don't miss the -30C days though!
Hot flashes changed how I feel about winter . Of course, we have that so-called dry cold they use to convince you -40 really isn't that bad.
I used to hate winter with a passion but then we used to have great summers. We haven't had a good summer here several years running now and this is the first time ever that I am wishing for winter and snow to put an end to memory of mud, disastrous crops, mosquitoes, standing water everywhere, and put a temporary end to some of the work that accompanies farming. I am dead tired.
There is still work in the winter, and the temperatures can make it uncomfortable and difficult, but it is still a chance to catch my breath.
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