What is the coldest temperature you have experienced?
 

As fellow Canadians, you know cold. It makes me laugh when people say it is cold where they live (i.e. Europe). They just do not know cold! We have been there in all weather - we're the ones wearing shorts when it is 10 Celsius when others are shivering in thick coats.

Anyway, the coldest temperature I experienced was three years ago when it was -50 Celsius but was -65 Celsius with windchill. Yikes! Makes me nearly ill to think about it.

"Sixty below" (Fahrenheit) in Fairbanks, Alaska.

It was -11 Celsius for the longest time, before going to Montreal in the winter. Then my coldest cold became -25 Celsius.

This will really date me, but way back when I was a young girl in school, in Edmonton, the only time that I remember that classes were cancelled and schools were closed was in 1964 when, in December, we had a blizzard with temperatures of -35.6C (minus 32F), but with a strong wind chill (blowing snow) to a temperature of -57C which is minus 71F !!! Brrrr!!! No-one could start their car then, and tires were frozen into square shapes (bumpy rides).
During the 1960's and 1970's, winters in Edmonton were very cold and snowy. The last decade has been very mild by comparison. Here it is the end of October the expected high temp for tomorrow is 22C (72F).

I don't believe in windchill.

Anyway, I was in Whitehorse one day at minus 40, which is, I believe, the same in degrees F and decrees C.

It was so cold that the windshield in a jet airplane cracked from the cold when the crew started it up, meaning some poor guy had to go up on a ladder and replace the glass. No hanger big enough for the plane.

I left there the same day in our own plane, and got back to Edmonton, where it was minus 45.

That's the worst I've seen, but I've been in Edmonton, REgina, and Winnipeg when it was awfully cold compared to Toronto.

Just back now in Toron to from walking the dog -- not even a jacket or seweater, it's so warm tonight.

BAK

I know I've experienced lows below -35C, but couldn't swear I've experienced -40 or lower. If someone knows of website that lists the daily lows for the past 38 years in Calgary (for free), I could be more definitive.

Of course, what one considers cold is relative. An acquaintance of mine moved from Calgary to Yellowknife for a few years. When he was back in Calgary during a cold spell (~ -25C) he was mocking those who thought that was cold. I believe his comment was something like:

"Cold?! you don't know cold until you've spent a winter in the Yukon!!"

- 10 in Edmonton and I thought I was gonna die.

BAK,

You don't believe in windchill, but do you believe in "but it's dry cold, and that's not as bad as a wet cold"?

BAK,

You don't believe in windchill, but do you believe in "but it's dry cold, and that's not as bad as a wet cold"?

:)

Wow BAK!! Didn't know you were in Edmonton in 1943 :-d !!

Minus 18 at Big White last January, a blue bird crystal clear day !! A great experience for an Aussie where it never get below zero at home !! ;)

I've lived in Montreal most of my life so
minus 35 C. is pretty cold, you scream as you hit the air coming out of your house.
Streets downtown become deserted, everyone uses the underground as much as possible.
We had no real cold spells last winter and it was amazingly pleasant.

O-H M-Y G-O-D!! You are scaring me. I live in Rio de Janeiro and have a trip planned for Dec/Jan, which means I'm dead!! I tried to change my plans, but had already bought the tickets... so, here I come! Leaving Rio's summer (40C , hot hot hot)

Many years ago in Glasgow Montana, -40 something F

I grew up in Winnipeg in the 60s and 70s, so experienced temps in the
-40s F pretty much every winter then, and I remember one day with a wind chill in the -50s F.

Then we moved to southern Ontario, where it is damp in the winter - and I was never so cold in my whole life!!!

Where I am now in the mountains in Alberta is milder than the prairies, but we still get down in the -30s C every winter, usually in January, and about every second year, the thermometer will dip to the -40s for a few nights. Thankfully, while we used to get a couple of cold snaps every winter that were each two or three weeks long, now it's often only one, and usually a week or less. There are benefits to global warming. :-)

As long as there is not much wind, I consider -20 C and up to be "nice" winter weather, suitable for my favourite outdoor winter sports - snowshoeing, xc skiing and outdoor skating.

Maybe there should be a thread for "what is the hottest temp"? I am thankful I live where it does not get too warm in the summer, anything above 80F and I melt! I do remember a hot spell in Winnipeg, about 1966 or 1967, where it hit above 100F for several days. That was before everyone had air conditioning!

-40F in Sudbury. I was waiting for a bus for 20 minutes and could hardly climb on when it arrived.

To mari_manso - it depends on where you are and luck as to how cold it will be. In January, the northern bits of any province and all bits of the territories are likely to be negative double digit something. However Southern Ontario and Southern British Columbia can actually be pretty mild (temperatures above zero) even in January.

If it's any comfort once it gets below -30 C - it is just so cold you won't really care if it gets colder because you will be a human popsicle by then anyway.
"Mon pays c'est l'hiver".

-40 oC without moisture is nothing compared to 2oC in Manchester UK whilst it pours down all day - try getting warm when you have been wet 3 times in a day!

I think -40 is colder then rain!

I have found that once is gets colder then -20 it just feels plain old cold, but if you bundle up right then you should be fine.
I think the worst I have had was in St. Andrew's NB, where the temp isn't as cold as Fredericton (where I am from) but because it is on the ocean, it just seems worse with the wind wiping off the bay. It made for many freezing walks to school when I went to college.

I've been in Manchester several times when it is 0 Celsius and it is NOTHING like -40. Cars won't start unless they've been plugged in several hours, your skin can freeze in 30 seconds, it is so cold it is painful and it's plain dangerous.

Give me sopping wet rain five times a day any day!! Lived in Glasgow for awhile.

markrosy,

I agree a wet -20 is uncomfortable, but even so, if your eyelids don't freeze together when you blink and it's hard to breathe because of all the frost on your nosehairs... well, it just isn't cold. ;)