Reaction To -50°C Extreme Weather In Canada

[@mustwereallydothis]

Driving at 50 below, (and I mean legitimately 50 below, not including the windchill factor) is a very unique experience. Especially for the first mile or so. When we park our cars, the tires develop a flattened area where they contact the ground. At those temperatures the rubber freezes in that shape and only rounds out again after you drive for a mile or so. It sounds and feels like you're driving a car straight off of the set of the Flintstones movie.

[@ralph819]

Surprisingly, a minus 20 to minus 30 day in Alberta can be really pleasant. Quite often the sun shines brightly, reflects of the snow and there is no wind. There are 100s of kilometers of trails through Edmonton's river valley and to hike through them on a cold January day is really sublime.

[@MsK-xm7vw]

There’s nothing better than Kananaskis in the winter ❣️🇨🇦

[@conniepurdy9869]

Saskatchewan, too! ☀️🌞

[@sheldonlabossiere477]

And hear twigs snapping from quite the distance very crisply. Colder it is, the further sound travels.

[@MsK-xm7vw]

@@conniepurdy9869 I spent two months of winter in Rosetown, nicknamed Saskatchewan ‘Saskaberia’ and couldn’t wait to get back to Alberta! 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@DaveGIS123]

The snow on a cold day can be very beautiful, with sun glinting off snow crystals like diamonds.

[@danchesney631]

Canadians understand that they live in a country where the weather can kill you for half of the year. This is humbling for many & makes them tend to be nice to others just in case they need help in times of trouble.

[@WaiferThyme]

We are used to extreme cold warnings and wearing many many many layers.

[@mustwereallydothis]

One of my favorite memories from being out in that sort of weather is the time I came upon a stalled vehicle with a mother and her two children inside. Before I could even stop my car, three vehicles had stopped, the occupants had gotten out and began pushing her car to a safe location while the people in another vehicle swooped in, unbuckled her kids and rushed them all into their truck. Within three minutes, they were all driving off. I didn't see anyone say a single word. Everyone knew what needed to be done and simply did it without hesitation. There are no, "somebody else's problems" in that sort of weather. If you're there, you help or people may die. It's as simple as that.

[@WarrenChurch-mq1tv]

Lived in Fort McMurray for 33 years, worked a night shift at one of the oil sands mines -51 with a 30 km per hour added to the wind chill. Longest shift in my life.

[@WarrenChurch-mq1tv]

@@mustwereallydothisfirst rule of the north, you stop and help in any circumstance, it’s life and death.

[@mustwereallydothis]

@@WarrenChurch-mq1tv OMFG! They made you work outside in that?!?! I know they pay well and all but was it really worth it?

[@alanhyland5697]

You know it's cold when your nostrils freeze shut.

[@nolanharriott4574]

Or when you have take your gloves off to use your fingers to melt the ice off your eyelashes to open your eyes. And your eyes are watering because of the cold air blowing into them.

[@davidleaman6801]

You also know that you're on the coast. They only do that in the wet cold. I'm from New Brunswick and I've been living in Alberta and BC for quite a while now. The wet cold is much worse because it goes to the Bone.

[@Ryan-yi5ro]

​@@davidleaman6801Take plus ten and rain in Vancouver over minus 50 any day.

[@wendymarples8388]

@@davidleaman6801 Absolutely true. I was colder going to university in Vancouver where it was above freezing and raining than I was in central BC at -40. I also referred to the damp cold being cold to the bone rather than just the skin.

[@StephenJDunn1982]

or your balls not come out till spring

[@Shan_Dalamani]

In Canada you learn to dress in layers of various fabrics that trap heat but keep the moisture away from your body. You need your outerwear to be strong enough to not let the wind blow through it. I have two pairs of gloves - one light and the other heavier. Depending on the temperature and wind, I might wear one or the other, and on the coldest days I wear all three. I also have a toque - never go head uncovered in this weather. You also need layers on the bed as well. One thing I found is that putting a layer of newspapers between the blankets helps to trap body heat so my legs and feet aren't as cold. The blankets crinkle a bit when you move, but keeping warm is more important (and this actually is a practical use for all those annoying flyers). If you have a cat or dog and don't let them sleep with you, you're missing out on a source of heat. A cat's normal body temperature is several degrees higher than a human's. One cat = one extra blanket. I once had 4 cats sleeping with me and it felt like a huge quilt.

[@ninemoonplanet]

That is literally what they called a "three dog night" when people brought the dogs into the bed so all kept warm .

[@whiskybrush3219]

😂😂😂

[@gold5th]

So you're whom is starting the rumours. -40 I put a jacket on.. and maybe a toque.. only Jeans and t-shirt under it. I still ride motorcycle in -21C.. as long as there's no ice on the roads

[@meggo329]

​@@gold5ththe rest of us are normal people who need to be warm. Were I am we call motorcycles donor cycles as you will be donating your organs especially if you drive around in -21.

[@ChrisM-tn3hx]

About 30 years or so ago, we had a cold snap where I lived that lasted about 6 weeks. Temperatures dropped below -50 for the duration, and wind chill hit more than 65 below zero Celcius (that's 85 below zero Fahrenheit). Interesting things that happen at that temperature: - People can die from exposure extremely quickly. For that reason, you need to cover every square millimeter of exposed skin. - At -30, it takes about 20-30 minutes to get frostbite. At -50 tp -65, it takes only seconds. - Sound carries a lot further in extreme cold - Your nostrils tend to freeze shut - The extreme cold can cause railroad tracks to fracture - If you throw a pot of boiling water in the air, it will freeze into snow before it his the apogee of its arc. - You couldn't turn off your vehicle, because the lines would freeze, the oil would thicken to sludge and/or the battery would fail, and it wouldn't start again - Vehicles with air brakes may experience brake failure - tire pressure goes way down, causing issues when driving. You have to put more air in when the temperature gets that cold, but also have to be careful to let the air back out when the the weather warms up so they don't explode. - You need multiple sources of heat and lots of stored food. Being able to travel for more food is less likely, and probably dangerous, assuming anything is open. - A lot of things will break easier.

[@sylvaindoyon590]

You are right -50 Celsius is very cold. I'm a retired military member and I personally have been on training exercise in Wainwright Alberta and we had a recorded temperature of minus 59 degree Celsius. That cold front of at least minus 35-40 degree Celsius lasted almost a week. Sleeping in a tent and working outside at these temperature is no joke. The key is moving constantly and keep exposure to a minimum especially in the wind. I retain good memories from this and made me a more resilient soldier even to this day. Stay warm brother cheers 😊

[@billfarley9167]

Was with the Arctic Rangers in Resolute Bay, NWT in the 1970's. We used to train you guys plus American servicemen in Arctic survival. It was amusing to watch American soldiers fly in from Texas with about 10 Hercules aircraft, land in Resolute, taxi to an unused runway, turn the Hercs until they were facing the boonies, drop the ramps and all personnel exiting the aircraft with that WTF look on their faces. Two Arctic Ranger Inuit to an aircraft and off they'd all go. The last time the ramps dropped was in Texas before they boarded with temps around +70F.

[@papajack57]

Shiloh Manitoba -50, joint exercise with West Germans, their gear was rated for -30 only,.....learned most of my German cuss words on that ex...lol.

[@25inspector]

Yep Wainwright gets friggen' cold! Sleeping in a tent isn't much fun at that temp.

[@maplobats]

My first winter ex in Wainwright was what got me to think, "...maybe this isn't the career for me..."

[@roberttanguay8532]

Ahhh, yes, on exercise in good ol Wainwrong in the middle of winter. The only ones who are always warm are the cooks who sleep in their flying kitchen. Amazing how warm 6 pilot lights from their stoves can keep you, and if it's really cold, they just turn 1 stove on low. I was a cook, and we always had hot coffee and hot soup on 24hrs in the mess tent, and we always had a min of 2 immersion heaters full of hot water 24hrs just so the troops could wash and shave with some comfort. It was amazing how many volunteers we would get to help with KP 😊

[@deesmith6459]

I remember being asked to cut down our power consumption that night…it was so cold…about -52c, I live just southeast of Edmonton in a forested rural area, and we unplugged almost everything we could to help. It was so elating to see within such a short time, that almost everyone did the same thing. Love living here, but the stark reality of the possible implications that night, were really scary. Thank you so much for caring about us, and our situation. It says so much about you, caring for your fellow inhabitants on this planet. Much love ❤️

[@deniset1714]

The coldest I've experienced was -72 (with the wind chill) in Dawson Creek, BC. The local radio station gave out "Popsicle Awards" to anyone who wanted one. It was a bitterly cold week.

[@searlearnold2867]

I used to work in the Alberta oil and gas industry and there were a few times when the temperature dipped into the -50's Celsius in the mountains. We had to stop working outside and concentrate efforts on keeping the generators and steam generators operating so that the engines and equipment wouldn't freeze. A lot of equipment would become hazardous to use due to the risk of breaking and physical exertion becomes dangerous after 20 minutes outside.

[@lamborghiniperlini1710]

experienced many nights of -60C wind chills working in Northern Alberta. Just have to layer up

[@davidseanor4595]

I arrived in Alberta in the winter of 1969 when it was -40C for 60 days straight. Dealing with it becomes second nature so much that you sort of become accustomed to it. We had our first snowfall 2 days after Halloween and just getting into minus temperatures. Snow boots, gloves and toque are out of storage and we start wearing long underwear. Electric blanket for bed is also a must for sleeping comfort. I still like to go for walks in the neighborhood when it hits -40. The stillness is almost magical and each step you take is echoed all around.

[@mw-wl2hm]

I've been in Alberta in -40, wasn't even cold, I'll take it any day to Ontario -10 feels like -40 and you don't warm up even once you come in (though we don't usually get snow until after xmas). I totally get the walks.

[@TayR0C]

I know what you mean about going for walks. I do that too, I love it.

[@takeoffeh9576]

I definitely miss the Blizzard walks back in Calgary. It's a weird calmness especially later in the night.

[@milktobo7418]

@@mw-wl2hm This is all lies. -40 in Alberta vs -40 in ontario is indistinguishable.

[@mw-wl2hm]

@@milktobo7418 Pls. don't tell me MY experience is "lies" The -40 in Calgary was dry whereas in S. Ontario it's extremely humid.

[@kefkamadman]

Back in 2010, I was working in northern Alberta. Mid-January, temperatures dropped, considerably. Now, keep in mind, it was a daily -35 Celsius/nightly -45 Celsius, in southern Alberta, just after New Year's. Come the 15th of January, and I'd already been into work for a couple of weeks. We got shut down. It hit -55 Celsius, with the wind chill taking it to -77 Celsius. One oil rig was late to complete an exploration well, and shut down too late. When the derrick was being lowered into the cradle, the hydraulics failed from the cold, and the derrick dropped around 2 feet, and the steel derrick shattered. Solid, hard, treated steel.

[@raypara4036]

I remember that year. That morning the door hander to the house was covered In a thick frost and broke off as soon as I touched it ... made my way outside...car frozen dead ...truck ..got it started but only made it 20 ft then snapped the drive shaft .. and rear diff .

[@kefkamadman]

@@raypara4036 OOF! Now THAT'S a bad year. Sorry to hear about it.

[@daven953]

I was on a rig move in northern Alberta, in the early 80ies. One of our bed trucks kicked the dog into the winch. ( a piece of thick heat treated steel that engages the 50 tonne winch) -48ish out. It exploded. They decided to shut down a couple of days.

[@tylercmfrost8755]

I've lived in cold Lake for 9 years and it was always -25-40 from December till around late March! Here in Nova Scotia we barley get -20 these days.

[@louisesamchapman6428]

Humidity makes hot hotter and cold colder, but when the moisture in the air freezes and sparkles in the sunlight and every tree and bush is covered in crystals it's a real Wonderland !

[@lifewuzonceezr]

I love a horefrost!

[@YarMahNarNar]

Coldest day I've personally experienced was -53C in Cold Lake, Alberta. It's so cold you don't actually feel it until you go inside to warm up. Exposed skin will get frostbitten if left out for around 3 minutes.

[@Ki11erAce]

Living on CFB Cold Lake in the late 70s we used to watch the thermometers closely, hoping they would hit -50, because that's when they shut down the schools for the day.

[@ouzi9122]

Hit -50 last two winters for a few days in a row just north of Edmonton here

[@Jadyra]

It's not always northern Alberta. I lived near Black Diamond, south west of Calgary and we had a crazy blizzard roll through. Power was out, yes, Temps at that time were minus 28F but the wind chill took it a nasty minus 48F. Repair men were doing their damndest to get power back up, those guys could only be up the polls for 5 minutes at a time. It took about 36 hours to get power back up but I'm glad those guys were able to get things going again. Anyone that did any camping and had some gear did pretty well. One guy got himself a generature and was able to make coffee for the entire town. Very foreward thinking that man.

[@mikeking6783]

There is a beautiful silence when its that cold and sunny, crisp like. I love it when it gets below -30 its an extreme challenge and people really bond together to help others. When you work outside in the winter you're wearing 10pds of clothing and not warm but not cold. When you get home and shed your 10pds and get warm and eat I'll give you 15 minutes before your eyes start to drop! And don't even get me started on a blizzard viewed through you window with a hot cup of coffee, magical..........until shovel time.

[@lifewuzonceezr]

Best cross country skiing time! Those layers are shed before I get halfway and IAM still sweating and beet red

[@dawnhill5484]

I live in Edmonton Alberta, it gets pretty darn cold here. We can usually count on 2-3 weeks of nasty cold sometime in January or February, so -30 is not uncommon. However its when we have to add on a wind chill factor that it gets bone chilling cold. It can suck that -30 down to -37 or -40….so the wind is not our friend!!

[@myflippinggoodness8821]

Fellow etowner! *Tips toque* Also LAYERS! I'm talking undershirt, t-shirt, light sweater, heavy sweater, hoodie, winter jacket Also pajama pants will save your ass too

[@ZenWithKen]

In Canada, we only have two seasons. There's winter and there's getting ready for winter. Nobody likes the cold snaps, but they can be really beautiful at times. On really cold, clear days with no wind, even sound is different. It's hard to describe, you really need to experienced it.

[@billfarley9167]

So how do you account for the Kamloops/Cache Creek, BC area? Semi desert dude. And Victoria, BC is the mildest city in Canada with cherry blossoms blooming in February. Speak for your own area dude, not the whole of Canada, because you're a tad lacking. Back to school you go, son.

[@dickbong3661]

@@billfarley9167 Buddy, most of Northern Canada is technically a desert due to the extremely low precipitation. Just... a very, very cold desert. Also, while Kamloops does have pretty mild weather, it's also literally a short drive down a mountain from a major ski hill, so winter is definitely a thing that noticeably exists there. 99.9% of the country has cold winters, I'm sorry most people don't remember to specifically exclude every single tiny pocket of warmer climates when discussing our countries most infamous cold, in comments section of a video specifically about extreme cold in Canada. The world does not revolve around your specific, niche experience. Back to school you go, son.

[@ZenWithKen]

@@billfarley9167 Ah yes, passive aggressiveness on full display. You've forgotten what your kindergarten teacher taught you. If you have nothing good to say, then don't say it.

[@DeftAnesthetik]

I always thought the 2 seasons were Winter and Road Construction. At least thats what we call them in Alberta. =D

[@ZenWithKen]

@@DeftAnesthetik Lol, true, but me being in Saskatchewan, the grain truck smooth's the ruts out.

[@gordonv.cormack3216]

-50 is an outlier, but -30 to -40 is common in cold snaps throughout the prairies: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton all experience these temperatures. I left the prairies 43 years ago. Here in southern Ontario, we cry bitterly when it hits -20. Normally daytime highs are around 0, and lows maybe -10. I don't own any proper winter clothes anymore.

[@NicolSD]

I have a winter coat but I don't zip it up.

[@cpaton1284]

​​@KC-2049if the river isnt frozen its not cold, lol, winnipeg has 3 rivers that all become skating rinks for at least 5 months .

[@cpaton1284]

@KC-2049 not unless it's salt water , nope, its because the temperatures aren't consistently , well below freezing

[@juliedebiasio]

Dry cold vs humid cold. Southern Ontario is typically humid which goes through all your clothes. Northern Ontario is much drier and colder.

[@fabienneroure9995]

​@@juliedebiasio Very true!🥶 I'm in the Ottawa Valley and winters are bitterly cold because of the high humidity.😭

[@paga12621]

Life just goes on, dress warmly and smile, this is Canada!

[@autumnsylver]

And you won't be able to stop smiling, because your top lip will be frozen to your teeth.

[@bradzimmerman3171]

Absolutely-and climate change lol is just a hoax,I have been in 74 of these cycles and it’s always similar SO Al Gore and trudeau can get lost and take the runt steven Guilbeault with you

[@davidkillens8143]

I once spent the winter up north, where it was below -40 each day. I would shower, quickly thrown on clothes and step outside. My hair would freeze within 30 seconds and then I would comb out the ice. I went from completely wet hair to dry in less than 40 seconds. This is what we Canadians do, accept it as a reality and adapt. Complaining doesn't help, mother nature doesn't give a poop about your feelings. Learn, adapt, and find ways to turn what is misery for many into a fun experience. Because if you notice, many Canadians go outside in cold conditions and have a lot of fun.

[@lifewuzonceezr]

Ah highschool in Hay River

[@sabeaniebaby]

Also, we once experienced a 40 degtemp drop in 3 hours. Went from 24 to -16. We all laughed when we heard the meteorologist predict snow, but we weren't laughing when we exited the mal wearing cut offs.

[@iancanuckistan2244]

In 1974 I was studying in Lennoxville Quebec. I left the library with my roommate and we headed home. It was the coldest I've ever felt. We stopped at a convenience store and bought a couple of beers. The cashier told us it was minus 35C. we walked the eight minutes to our apartment and opened two of the beers. There was ice floating at the top of the bottles. The next morning we turned on the radio and the announcer informed us the temperature had dropped to minus52. Needless to say I took the bus to school.

[@hansbehrmann8152]

In the earlier 90's I was at the most northern part of Ontario known as Fort Severn. Fort Severn is at the mouth of the Severn River which empties out into Hudson Bay. The morning I was scheduled to fly out the temp had dropped down -42 C with a windchill of -51 C , a piece of machinery that been parked near the air strip had been left running during the night so it could be used in the morning. When the operator attempted to move the machine , its wheels had frozen to the ground where it had been parked. The operator revved up the engine and engaged the drive, to break the tires free. There was a loud "Bang", we all turned around to see what happened , the machine was still running, the operator got out of the cab and looked under the machine. We had walked over at this point and I noted the front part of a drive shaft sitting on the ground. The Universal Joint was in a couple of pieces laying on the ground beside the drive shaft. One mechanic told me that breakage of equipment in extremely cold conditions was not unusual as there are a lot of stresses placed on moving parts. One thing that I did see in many northern areas was that heavy equipment parked in the bush will be driven onto wood planks or sometimes small blast mats to keep the wheels or treads isolated from freezing to the ground as well as heavy tarps place over engine areas like a tent and a heater placed under the machine. I don't know if this practice is still being used for heavy equipment.

[@thesteadingoffranya4423]

The coldest i ever had to work in was -47C with a wind chill that dropped the relative temperature to -63C if you were exposed. Canadians who have had to take care of themselves have developed a deep and profound understanding of the power of layers and dead air spaces. We as a generality do not consider a conversation about the weather idle chit chat. lol

[@jonbarnard7186]

I live in Alberta. Although it's rarely reported, it's not uncommon for homeless people to freeze to death in the winter. They crawl into dumpsters and freeze to death. The wind chill is not just painful, it's dangerous. Wool helps a lot. Thank-you Scotland for the wool.

[@mustwereallydothis]

Of course we all took that alert seriously and cut our power usage as much as we could. It wasn't even about being unselfish. It was about not wanting to risk freezing to death if we failed to cut back as much as we could. Until you've experienced that sort of cold, you can't possibly appreciate how quickly it can kill or cost you body parts. My neighbor went outside to help a friend whose propane tank supplying his heating system froze during that very cold snap. He lost at least part of every one of his fingers to frostbite.

[@GoWestYoungMan]

5C today in Toronto but it will be going up to 21C by Tuesday. We usually don't get our first snow till December. A few times each winter we'll get hit by extreme cold -15 to -20C but then it warms back up again. Normally, the temperature fluctuates between +2C and -6C. The coldest I've ever encountered was on a drive to Labrador from southern Quebec. It was -47C. We delayed our trip 1 day but it didn't warm up so we just went. There was no cell reception and only 1 gas station the whole 586 km journey north. Quite scary actually.

[@lauriepardoe7390]

You're lucky to have the Lake Effect. No such luck in Ottawa. Not only the cold, but also in a snow belt, so double whammy!

[@mustwereallydothis]

I've spent ove 45 years of my life in Northern Canada. In my first 20 years, I can't recall a single incidence where temperatures reached much below -40°. I moved south for a decade and came back to this. We now see this sort of weather every year or two because the polar jet stream is weakening drastically, allowing arctic air to escape south. It's the same reason that places like Texas and Florida have been experiencing record breaking, sub-zero temperatures the past few winters.

[@kristinaguerette3865]

This cold snap was last January, and it was the coldest I'd ever personally experienced. I grew up in southern Alberta, now live in Central Alberta. I'd experienced -38 or -39 quite a few times, but it was -44 two nights in a row and -40 for a third night.

[@SharonFromNB]

The trick to not having your eyelashes freeze is Vaseline, doesn't work as well but helps a little on nostril hairs. The colder the air, the further the distance you can hear. Cold air sinks so The air gets "crispy." Don't know how else to describe it. The coldest I've experienced was -46 with the wind chill.

[@MsK-xm7vw]

I’ll tell you what. I live in Rockyview County in Alberta; and, I’ve been in Scotland in the winter. I’ll take a dry -40 in Alberta over a wet -15 with freezing sleet and ocean wind in Scotland anytime! Aberdeen is the coldest I’ve ever felt!

[@darcymartin7608]

I remember when I was in High School in Manitoba the temperature going down to between -50 and -60. I lived in rural Manitoba then so a lot of farm kids were bussed in to schools. It got so cold that the school buses were afraid to turn the engines off because they didn't know if they would start again and they didn't want to leave several buses running in an indoor garage - naturally. So, our schools were closed. My Mom had an old beater of a car, but it was one of the few cars in town that would start. Go Figure! Anyway, she came to the High School to pick me up (we lived about 1.5 kms away). Other students saw me being picked up and she told them to ask me if anyone wanted a ride. The car could hold 6 people comfortably but I think we got about 8 or 9 in that old car. Mom dropped each student off at their door. Each and everyone thanked Mom profusely for that.

[@DrTrin]

I once worked in Edmonton where the base temp was -46c plus a wind chill taking it to -54c. I was supervising a 727 jet engine swap. The aircraft mechanics did 30 min shifts with 15 min of warming up. One of them dropped a wrench from the height of the fuselage and it shattered when it hit the ground. Four days of 8 hr shifts before it warmed up ... to -38c.

[@giorfi-n7v]

I dont know how people can live in northern Alberta or the prairies honestly. Like Siberia.

[@myflippinggoodness8821]

​@@giorfi-n7va bit, yes. The key is LAYERS. Tons of layers. And holy s*** pajama pants 😆 -a genuine Albertan

[@karidennis6154]

When it is cold and the wind starts blowing it does feel colder, it’s called the windchill. So the temperature can be -45 celsius but it can be -52 with the windchill, it basically means that the temperature might be -45 but with the wind it actually feels like -52. Kind of the opposite of the humidex, lol. I live in northwestern ontario and almost every winter we will end up with one or two days where it’s -50 (or colder) with the windchill.

[@mw-wl2hm]

I have been in Alberta when it was -40.. I wasn't wearing gloves and wasn't cold at all and it didn't penetrate so when I went inside I was fine. In S. Ontario even when it's -5 you get an inner chill that never goes away and you shiver long after going in.

[@David_C_83]

Right now it's a cool autumn day, 5C and sunny in Montreal. Coldest I've ever known, around -40C back when I was a kid, somewhere in the mid 90s I'd say, and it's impressive how everything reacts to the cold. The fabric of your coat gets stiffer, the snow that is normally soft and fluffy is crunchy under your feet, any skin that is exposed makes you really feel just how cold it is. If your house is made out of wood that isn't all too insulated over the hear you can hear the wood cracking as well under the stress of the cold. I recall going to rent a movie with my dad, it's only one street away but that little time outside is plenty enough to put all your clothing to the test of how warm it can really keep you!

[@LivvyAlexW]

I live in northern Alberta. After a -50 spell, I see people in tv shirts in -20. It’s warm compared lol

[@doberski6855]

🤣👍Love seeing that! After a bout of sub zero weather in Ontario. It warms up to zero or plus one, and suddenly we are in shorts and tank tops.

[@TacitaSaturnia]

@@doberski6855 It's a dichotomy. -10C in February? Tshirt and gloves is all you need (well, pants/shoes) to clear the laneway. +20 in July? Too cold, i'll wait for it to warm up before mowing the lawn.

[@doberski6855]

@@TacitaSaturnia Agreed! Thank you for the clearing that image up. Had this vision of shoveling snow in nothing but a T shirt and gloves. The potential frost bite areas are just terrifying! 🥶😂👍

[@TacitaSaturnia]

@@doberski6855 You THINK, but i've seen a man, at night, in winter with just cowboy boots, hat, sunglasses, sitting streetside, in a chair, reading a newspaper. Temp was nearer zero, but i have no certainty he had on tiny shorts =p

[@onepieceofgumleft]

+5°C in southern Alberta today ... about average for early November. Coldest day I remember was back in the mid-late 90’s. It was -54°C with the wind chill. I worked as a courier at the time. It was not a fun day at work.

[@gregkral4467]

Yeah I remember Camrose 94, was -57 for a few days. Sucked working by open bay doors

[@SMIFFTHERS]

11°c feels like 9°c here in Southern Ontario Canada

[@nathanadrian7797]

Back in 85 I saw -60 with a wind chill in Grande Prairie!

[@conniemurdoch8528]

My Aunt from Glasgow came to surprise my Mom for Christmas. We usually get a cold spell in early January and it was true in this year. My Aunt however,didn’t seem to react at all in that particular cold spell. She came outside with me to walk me to my car as I was going home and she was wearing just her cardigan - no coat hat or gloves. I asked her if she didn’t feel cold and she said “it’s no that bad”. So I told her what the temperature was (-30/-40 ballpark) and she didn’t believe me. She said it didn’t feel as cold as a cold day in Glasgow. So I think temperatures are deceiving. The number isn’t as significant when you are talking about how you feel at that temperature. She begged us to go skiing every day. She was 65 or older and she said she’d never had such fun. My Dad agreed with her as he’d been to Glasgow a few times in May / June and he put on his long underwear and claimed a spot closest to the electric fireplace. He said it had never felt so cold as that.

[@NatoBro]

Coldest I've been in was the couple of years I was living in central Alberta. -29 C for Remembrance Day. Too cold to play the bagpipes outside! And -30 during February. I worked for federal corrections, so we had to be outside for certain things, especially in the evening during rec time. You learned to bundle up, what clothing really works to keep you warm, and rotating in an out of doors. And make sure your car is plugged in so you can get it started!

[@ChristopherWallace-t6b]

“On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail Talk of your cold, through the parkas fold it stab like a driven nail. If eyes were closed the lashes froze till sometimes you couldn’t see. It wasn’t much fun but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee.” Robert Service, a Scot! 0:10

[@doberski6855]

I believe that is what is called an 'Alberta Clipper'. A channel of cold artic air gets channeled down through Alberta by the Rockies. B.C. gets mostly protected on the other side. Worse I have experienced was -30, while on a trip that took me to Calgary. Where I live in Ontario, we deal with lake effect winter weather. Usually we get missed by the bad storms and get milder versions while they get slammed in New York state below us. Same is true of the Alberta weather, it continues travelling south and does not stop at the border.

[@rickschlosser6793]

I live in northern BC along the Alaska Highway. -40C is something we see most years. I have seen the temp gauges on a Chevy pickup go from ‘-40C’ to ‘OC’ on three separate occasions over 15 years. (Different pickups too) I don’t know what temp that happens at, but does it matter? It’s cooolllddd!!!!

[@connorbichel]

I live in Saskatchewan and at one point I believe it was -50ish (give or take) but with the wind chill it was -63 degrees Celsius...... I was working out in a field testing agriculture equipment (in other words no cover in the slightest) and asked if I could just come into the office today and find something to do. I was told that the windchill doesn't effect the equipment or tractors and the testing had to get done and also not to leave any vehicles (my only shelter/source of heat) running if they were not actively being driven. My response was " It might not effect the equipment, but sure does effect my face" and would literally just drive in circles so the odometer matched the fuel usage...... We were given no funding or allowance or loaned gear to deal with the cold so I had to buy my own or use what I already owned which meant gear that was in no way able to handle that cold and any that was is unfortunately too expensive for the fringe cases that is that level of cold (I think i was typically wearing four pairs of socks and still got frostbite on my feet three times and constantly to this day get sore feet in the cold). Needless to say I left that company within a few months and was very satisfied in learning everything went down hill for them after I left. Feel bad for the coworkers that stayed though.....

[@debclair822]

Yes, we continue to have electric shortages in Alberta. I worked for both AESO ( the electric operator) and a couple electricity providers. We are in trouble. We don’t have power for electric cars which are being pushed on us and heating. People ask about wind chill… When it’s hot a fan cools you. When it’s cold, wind, like a fan, makes it colder. As a native Calgarian, we get cold snaps that can last a few days to weeks. We also get “Chinooks”. It’s a First Nation term. We can be -29C on Monday and +5 to as much as +20C by Wednesday. In 1996, we had a cold October-January where we went over 100 days below -15C without a chinook. This was unusual. Overall, in Calgary, it’s cold to stupid cold for a typical winter. We have multiple weights of winter coats, depending on the temp. Toques, gloves and mitts (sometimes layered), scarves galore, boots. We have the same for our dogs. It’s just life.

[@marieclaudeb.2366]

You pray for the power grid to hold.. otherwise you can’t really survive these temperatures. Houses in cities don’t have wood stoves, there’s no escaping the cold

[@artemia79]

In 2008 I was working just north of Fort McMurray, AB. We had a cold snap that January that lasted for about 10 days where normal morning temperatures were between -35 and -45 celsius, but the windchill was the killer. Consistently worse than -50. I was one of the lucky ones that worked in an office on a construction site, but all of the trades guys were not a happy bunch. In their CBA they only got paid for 2 hours if you had to be sent home because of weather. And you also had to get on the bus every morning, go to site from camp, just to be told to go back. If you didn't get on the bus, you got zero hours.

[@SusanBarber-su3ms]

Alberta is famous for how quickly weather changes. This particular cold snap was the worst in decades and happened when a high Siberian high crossed the Arctic Ocean. It also impacted several US states. It was much warmer a few days later. Where I live in Calgary it can be +15C one day and -25C the next or the other way around. Back in 1988 I volunteered at the Calgary Olympics held in February. The very nice winter coats we received were way too warm for most of the 16 days as temperatures reached as high as 17 or 18C. In summer we can have F4 tornados and 40C temps in the south.

[@donnakassian5016]

I've been through daytime highs of -54C but add in the windchill and it dropped to -65C. My husband said that it felt like he was driving on stone tires so he turned around and came home.. I was so glad to have an electric fireplace in the living room.

[@MarcSherwood]

The first time that I experienced -40 was on a work trip to Edmonton. Being from Vancouver, I had packed my "winter" clothing, but quickly learned that Van winter is NOT the same. As I left the hotel, to walk to a meeting, I was feeling OK. That was until I rounded the corner and the wind hit me. I've never turned around so fast in my life.

[@nojoy23]

Yep, the winter wind in Edmonton is brutal. It smacks you hard especially in the downtown core.

[@MarcSherwood]

@nojoy23 I was staying at the Fairmont Mac, and made it to the corner and the wind hit. That day I learned how to almost navigate the underground. Great city though.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

I worked outside in -49c. Heated boots, ski goggles, and many layers made it tolerable for about 30 mins at a time. steel is brittle at these temperatures making many things break that shouldn't. My truck battery froze solid on my drive home and I had to call for a ride. That kind of cold is scary.

[@444dkm]

Coldest temp I have felt was in Wainwright. Visiting my parents from university. Went down to -54 C. It hurt after coming in from outside. Froze my nostrils shut inhaling hurt my chest to breathe even through a scarf. Sure made coffee taste good coming inside though.

[@CarnivoreRules57]

i remember working out side shoveling snow in minus 50 in Winnipeg way back years ago

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

Weather near the freezing point actually feels worse than weather well below 0 in most cases. We've got more than half of the lakes on the planet, so cool weather tends to be accompanied with a lot of humidity near ground level. The combination of cool weather and humidity is bone chilling. You could wear multiple layers of clothes and the humidity would still get through. When it gets cold enough, the humidity just drops down on the ground, drying the air which makes the temperature much more bearable. As long as you are properly clothed, you'll be fine until about -35. Beyond that, even a hardened Canadian is going to balk at the prospect of sticking his nose out of the warmth of his house. Extreme cold turns oil into sludge which can make it rather hard to start a car. It isn't unusual for peoples to have heating elements that are plugged in to keep the engine warm.

[@jonathangauthier3549]

😅 I'm from Montreal, Quebec in Canada, so our weather is quite different yet equally intense compared to Alberta. In Alberta, most of the atmospheric humidity gets locked in the Rocky Mountains. When I was there in 2005 during the summer, a 30°C was sweater weather, whereas Montreal is so humid, 25°C is getting uncomfortably hot. So I would imagine something similar would conspire in the winter. As Montreal is an island surrounded by 2 sizable rivers (the Saint-Lawrence and Prairies), we get something known as "the lake effect", where water particles sprayed up by the rushing waters gets blown about by the winds, eventually freezing to the closest surface. Most neighbourhoods near large bodies of water are prone to intense ice build up as a result. We also get some crazy snow falls on occasion. Ironically, overcast winter days also tend to be warmer, as the sun doesn't melt the surrounding snow. In Montreal, it's always as though someone turned on a misting machine, which is quite unpleasant in freezing conditions. But for me, the worst is when it's so cold that the snow sounds and feels like styrofoam underfoot. It makes me shudder to the bone! But alas, winter is Canada what sheep are to the UK - ubiquitous! We just get outside early for a little cardio and muscle training to clear the snow before leaving for work/school. We do outdoor sports to not only deny, but embrace the cold touch of death; and we pour hot maple syrup on it, and eat it with a stick

[@maryelizabeth6797]

It makes you feel alive, also gives you good stories to tell later. ❤️🥰

[@nnrrtt]

The coldest I can remember was when I was working in Wawa , Ontario in January . It was -60C with the windchill factored in . And I was cleaning railway lines . Went out for a few minutes and back in side several times . Night skiing in Thunder Bay my buddy and I would eyeball the other guys cheeks and ears to make sure they were not getting frost bite .

[@debbiew7496]

The phone alert system worked well for this emergency power situation and almost everyone complied because no one wants to sit in an unheated house at -40. Happy to bring out the candles and wait for the system to recover. Other things that go wrong with this cold is that vehicles don't start, metal snaps, furnaces quit because of overuse, buses and trains break down leaving people stranded in the cold and schools don't run regular classes because no one wants kids waiting outside in that weather. Some fun loving people make cool videos but most of us would prefer to stay home if we can.

[@BradPower]

Back when I was a teenager, I was working out in the parking lot at a McDonalds in Ontario, Canada, along the highway on one of the coldest days of the year (-45C). My manager even told me not to bother shaving for my shift, so I didn't. I did one loop around the lot and then I came inside, I took my gloves and ran my hand over my beard because it was frosted over. My beard literally broke off as if I cleanly shaved. There was not even stubble left.

[@laureenchard4512]

Extreme cold is not a big deal to us Canadians as we are fine with the proper winter gear. Dressing in layers, heavy warm hooded parkas, warm winter boots, thick gloves. We just put it all on day after day and don't give it a second thought.

[@melindacadarette3447]

It's hard on some people's systems though especially if you're older.

[@edwardcote1331]

that snow won't shovel itself, lol.

[@shelleyfuller4052]

We live in the most southern part of Canada. Today it's 18. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 21. Rest of the week is in mid teens. Love the weather on the 42nd parallel. Mild winters, and warm summers.

[@mom-ski-doodle657]

When it gets this cold, we obviously plug-in our cars, but we also start our car multiple times a day. The coldest I saw was -44C without the wind chill.

[@seanrodgers1839]

Wind is such a factor that they publish a wind chill index. They use a temperature equivalent, so some people confuse it with the actual temperature.

[@sharis9095]

Depending where you live, almost everyone has 2 heat sources, especially in rural areas. Electric and either gas or fireplace or generator. The question is do you have enough fuel on hand (i.e. cut firewood or propane) because you don't expect to run your backup fuel against these types of temperatures. At least not for long. Once of the biggest dangers they don't talk about, is if the power goes out, you can be sitting toasty by your fireplace, but your pipes are going to freeze if you don't trickle enough to keep the water moving. Insulation can only do so much. Once the freeze ends, the pipes start leaking and now your in a cold wet mess.

[@debbiehenson7091]

The coldest I recall is -60 in northern Saskatchewan. I had to leave work and pick up kids from school because they wouldn’t let the kids walk home. I now live in Alberta and remember this cold snap. We all just hunkered down turned off the lights and unplugged things that we didn’t need then hoped for the best. It is just part of living in this climate.

[@foreveracanuckfan22]

It was northern BC near Bear Lake. I was working in the bush for a logging consulting company. It was -36 as a high but we had 70km winds which gave us a windchill of -52 degrees Celsius. We had a 5 km snowmobile ride in then a 4 km snowshoe hike in the mountains before we started working. after 4 hrs we tried to get a fire going but it was too cold to even do that and after 15 min we had to keep walking because we were getting too cold to keep trying.We managed to lay out 4 km of road over hrs before we headed back. So a total of 16 km walked that day in snowshoes and 10 km on sleds. Bottom line is that its not horrid when your moving. But the second you stop . . . the cold sets in fast! We decided not to go out the next day, that shit was crazy.

[@SilentBob731]

"Freak" weather events are only going to get worse...and we are woefully unprepared.

[@timmytwodogs]

What freak weather ? I'm 67 years old and the weather is as cyclical as it ever was.

[@ouzi9122]

​@@timmytwodogslegit lol 😂

[@bengagnon2894]

​@@timmytwodogs No it is not. It is simply not. Every single metric is showing that it is not. Your "feelings" do not matter the slightest. Why would you being 67 years old mean anything at all anyway? Have you been collecting climate data all over the world for the past 67 years? I highly doubt it. However, other people did, mind you. What "you think" is happning is of utter irrelevance. What does matter is that the global temperatures are rising on this planet, and they are rising fast (air and sea). What does matter is that extreme events are more frequent, even though on the larger scale, it is getting hotter and it is getting drier in the plains. It is not cyclincal. Cyclical would mean that it would get colder at some point. It is not. It is only going up, year after year.

[@cbrbird]

10C and cloudy with sunny periods in Parksville, BC at 13:00hrs. Special Weather Statement in effect for 70 - 100mm of rain tonight...

[@jolemire2546]

6C in Montreal today. The cold you are talking about usually happens end of December, January is usually the coldest month of the year, Feb gets a little better. At -50 you layer up, go to work or school and come home and stay in. It will take two minute for frost bite to set in. So YAY winter...NOT!!!!!!!!

[@arniewilliamson1767]

Minus 50 is cool. In Dawson City Yukon when it hits minus 60 it’s chilly. A great fun in the Yukon is swimming in the hot springs in minus 50. As soon as your head comes out of the water your hair instantly freezes. Great fun.

[@michaelchandler490]

I've lived on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic for 35 years and as you can imagine it gets cold in the winter. The coldest I've experiences in -65 celsius but that was with wind chill. Which brings me to my point. Anyone with the proper clothing can withstand almost any cold as long as it is calm. It is the wind that is the problem. I would rather be at -55 with no wind then -20 with a strong wind. The other thing is that you have to take it seriously. When I lived down south we would try to cheat the cold. Go out to the car and freeze in improper clothing while the car warmed up. You can't do that here when it gets really cold. You have to dress for it and you will be fine, although I must admit that for all the time I have lived up here, I've never had to put in an 8 hour shift outside in the extreme cold.

[@mikehazeldine6695]

I know a fellow who lives in Denare Beach Sakatchewan . He told me with the windchill it can get below -50c there.

[@annicklagace7414]

Ya I lived close to there.. I can confirm.. I've been to Denare Beach, I lived in the pas, and Denare Beach is just by flin flon, where we had to go to find a Walmart lol I'm from New brunswick, and in January of 99 , I moved back here , from the pas , and some of the parts of the plane were frozen, at -51, so our flight was delayed ..

[@mastifish]

I work in Northern Canada at a diamond mine. Coldest temperature I've worked outside at -56C. Coldest wind chill -73C.

[@mikeking6783]

lies

[@mastifish]

@mikeking6783 and more damn lies

[@Exaris79]

In Edmonton around mid February, for a couple years now it's been -50 degrees celsius/farenheit. Went out to the grocery and even with double gloves, my had started to frostbite. Luckily the bus showed up and touched the heater to warm myself up.

[@pauldesrosiers5710]

I live in the northwest territories canada and the coldest I've been in was around -50c without the wind, with the wind it was -64c. It was brutally cold, but it's all about how you layer to keep your core warm, but it's a whole different thing to keep your hands and feet warm because you have very limited space to use inside your gloves and boots. One product that comes in very handy is HotHands hand and feet warmers. They are these little packets with several ingredients in them and when you open the packet the ingredients react with the oxygen in the air causing instant oxidation that generates heat and then you just tuck one in each glove and boot to keep your hands and feet warm.

[@charlesmclaughlin3578]

We hit 10 today…awesome for this time of year

[@fionasmith5078]

Yeah, I've had my hair freeze like that, though it's rare here on Vancouver Island. Our winter temperatures usually wander between 10 C and -10 C, but spend most of their time around 0 to 5. But 2021 was a freakish year, with summer temps up to 46 (we usually barely get above 30) and winter down to -20. I don't mind a few cold snaps in winter, but I hate the heat waves!!

[@dmfraser1444]

We have central heating and indoor toilets. This is why we get so many homeless people in Vancouver. They leave Edmonton and go to where it is rarely below -10C. To Vancouver. The social services people cannot rehouse them fast enough here. Los Angeles has the same issue with homeless people migrating from the cold parts of the USA as well.

[@lancerbiker5263]

Hardship tends to bring out the best in people. Canadians have a reputation for being the friendliest folk. Live here and you will understand how important you neighbour can become. The world is learning this from climate change.

[@koru9780]

I lived in Maine in the 70s and it would get to about -25F (-32C) in winter. No the cold weather does not stop at the border and barring the people of the northern states, that is something many Americans don't understand for some reason.

[@nojoy23]

Some Idaho/Montana winters can be worse than what we get up here in Canada.

[@scotthoughton7245]

From Canada. -50. May need a t shirt today. Great channel.

[@charles-antoinedutil6591]

I live near Montreal and I don’t recall ever seeing the temperature drop below -25C. We usually get temperatures between -12C and 0C in the coldest part of winter. Last year, we got almost as many rain days as snow days in winter and didn’t have snow sticking around until early january. The little amount of snow we got (≈ 2 feet) melted really quickly and we could lie in the grass by the end of february. As usual, snow still fell until april though. In the last couple of days, we yet again had temperatures swinging between ≈ 5C to 25C. Not one sight of snow yet.

[@airborne63]

It's +9C during the day, and -5C at night now, north of Toronto. It fluctuates wildly in the Spring and Fall, as we get large weather events from the south......the dis-United States. Power grids in Canada and the United States are interconnected, and in a Deficit power situation, we buy Power from a neighbour, like Quebec, or New York State in the US, and they do the same from us. Most Ontarians HEAT with Natural Gas, which is supplied underground, and don't freeze up, and doesn't rely on the Power Grid, except to operate the thermostat.

[@dgnolan]

I’ve worked out at -50c. When I was 18, I got a job running a forkloader for an oil company on the Makenzie Delta. The night I started working, it was -50c with a 50 mph wind. I don't know what the wind chill was, but it was cold. It's funny, though; you got used to the cold but never got used to the wind. -48c with no wind felt warm by the end of my six-week stint up there. When you asked the off-shift if it was cold that day, you were really asking if the wind was blowing. I only went up once, but I'm glad I did. We worked hard, but it was the best pay. When I returned home to Alberta, it was spring. I took my paycheck and bought a new motorcycle for cash.

[@user-dv6gt5iw4b]

MY outlier happened in the winter of 1998. I was living in Montreal. The day before the famous ice storm, it reached minus 50 with the windchill -70. I remember turning on the radio ( that's how we got current info back then ) and the announcer was warning people that if they went outside with exposed skin, they'd start getting frostbite in 4 minutes. On the other side of the country, I lived in Vancouver for most of the 80's. The winter temps rarely hit zero, and if it DID snow, it usually melted the same day. One of the funnier things I noticed after I moved there, I'd notice billboards from tire stores offering money back guarantees to buyers if it didn't snow that winter. Growing up in Montreal, as soon as I was big enough to use a shovel, I spent more time than I care to think about shoveling the walkways, and driveways for 6 or 7 months of the year.

[@karlweir3198]

I live in Nova Scotia Canada and our temp was between -3 to 0 Celsius today

[@michaelbmiller1955]

I once went skiing and the temperature was -72c with the wind chill. A skiing buddy had to take off his mitt to attach his binding strap (yes long time ago). Took about 5 seconds and he had frostbite on all his fingers.

[@colteck6345]

I live in Ontario Canada and it is chilly here right now, no snow yet (knock on wood) the leafs have changed colour and fallen. I was homeless from 2007-2017 and one night I was out in -47C with a heavy fog. It was cold I couldn't even make a fire. lol Thankfully no frost bite or hypothermia... a whole lot of cursing and swearing but no damage :)) fun fact : you can NOT have a complete thought after -40C, all you can think of is "god damn it's cold".

[@DodgeCharger-d8z]

Bullsht -47 ! Ya because you live on Hudson’s bay ….no where in the population areas of ont was that cold

[@TheDopekitty]

It's a bit chilly today in new Brunswick. 7 degrees today. My hair used to freeze every morning before school in winter after my shower

[@russellwood8750]

I’m an Irish guy who’s been living in the Rocky Mountains in Canada now for about 17 years. I’ve been out in temperatures in the high -30s degrees Celsius to -40s degrees Celsius. However, windchill can make it even cold or bring it into the -50s. It’s not something you see every day. It’s a rare occurrence. It can be cold here, but it’s a dry cold and you’re geared up for it. It’s not so bad really. It’s more inconvenience of the snow and ice more than the cold. Sometimes I think Irish winters were worse with all the rain. It’s a damp, wet cold and that’s impossible to warm up. You have to shower before you start to feel warm. The snow here is not even wet. It starts to snow. You can’t even make a snowball. It’s too powdery. You have to wait till the sun hits it and melts the little bit before you can make formed shapes out of the snow. Owning a four-wheel-drive truck snowshoes and snowmobiles winters no big deal..

[@LifeOfNigh]

We dont get very cold in here in Newfiundland. Were -1 tonight (930pm) but were going up to +13 on wednesday. Weve had a lot of green christmases. We get the cold weather in Jan & Feb, sometimes going down to around -20, a bit lower with the wind chill. but once march comes it starts to warm up again. The snow is usually gone mid to late april. Although weve had really strange years where it snows in june. LOL. This year has been cold early. We had snow for a couple days, but its all melted away again. I use to live in Calgary alberta, and the lowest it went was -40. There were frost bite warnings saying "skin freezes in 2 minutes". I use to go to work kn those days, catching the bus to the train station then the train to work. Id have on 3 layers under my winter coat and paper styraphone under my socks. Then a hat that covered my ears over ear muffs, and a scarf, and a pair of cow hyde mittens over a pair of gloves. The inly thing showing was my eyes. The steam from breathing out would freeze to my eye lashes making them stuck together, so i always had to wipe them off. I dont miss calgary a bit, except the transit system. Much easier to get around then where i live now.

[@bradwall8103]

That exact cold snap they were talking about. Working in the energy sector everyone gets called out to work. 12 hour shifts your eyes start to freeze shut. It’s a wild time

[@timmytwodogs]

Hey man, how are you ? It's + 8 in Southern Alberta. We've had a very mild fall season. Last year it was much colder in November, in the -20s . Montana can get very cold as well.

[@roonboo96]

I’m in Ottawa and yep, we do get cold, but not typically like this and in fact, in the last 10 years or so, our winters have been increasingly mild; so mild, in fact, that our Rideau Canal skateway didn’t open two years ago. However, about 10 years ago, we were under a polar vortex for about a month - late January through February. The temperatures just stuck at about -27C for that whole length of time without windchill. You dress warmly and limit your skin exposure to the elements. I have seen it much colder than that at the mid -30s, but that is pretty rare. This winter is supposed to be more “typical” in terms of temperature and snowfall. That means probably some nights that are pretty cold at lower than -20C temps and days with highs around -15C to -10C and lots of snow. The only good thing about these temperatures is that you don’t have the same risk for freezing rain, which is awful to deal with. I hate the cold, but I prefer to not have to deal with ice falling from the sky!

[@mpccenturion]

2 yrs ago - 72 hrs - -58C Fredericton, New Brunswick - Canada. Froze all the water in the house. Last time I saw that was 1992 - - 74 C - For a 24 hr period - and I worked in that weather for 6 hours. I still have frost bit fingers. Cheers!

[@alyson2673]

I'm in Alberta. I remember getting the alert and going around the house and unplugging things, turning off all lights, only using a couple lamps. We turned down the house temp by a couple degrees. I'm just grateful I was able to hunker down and not go anywhere. We always get a deep freeze end of January/start of February, but I hope it's not like that again.

[@SharonTallon]

The coldest weather I've ever experienced was -58° C, before windchill. There were PSA's on the radio warning us to cover all exposed skin. A few minutes of exposure to that kind of cold will cause frostbite. The taxi companies were really busy because even though the majority of us had had our block heaters plugged in, couldn't get our cars to start.

[@myathehappy_1]

It was -53 or -54c where I live last year and my sewer pipe froze under my trailer so I had to have a guy steam it out. We just stay inside and dont go out. The windows get thick ice on them on the inside. I've had my blanket freeze to the wall before thats why I put my bed away from an outside wall. My kid has a bed tent fit over her twin frame so she can zip it up and keep warm in there at night.

[@jodibraun6383]

I think around minus 40 is the coldest I've experienced. Speaking of unreliable heat, our furnace died during a -27C snap a couple of years ago. We couldn't get it replaced for a few days, so we raced around for a day, borrowing space heaters from aunts and uncles and friends. Finally got them going, and the power went out in our city overnight! 😂 We had 4 cats cuddled under the blankets with us for 2-3 days! It was a bit chilly. 😺😺😺😺