How cold does it get in Canada in the winter? How does your house stay warm?

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Imaka

I lived for two winters in the Arctic, about 800 miles from the North Pole. The houses were very well insulated - walls were about 18 inches thick. Most new housing there might be described as "row" housing in the south - several two story houses attached to each other in a row - more economical to heat. The houses were heated mostly with hot water radiant heat, and were very warm, in fact too warm. The temperatures outside went to about 50 to 60 degrees below zero (without windchill) and stayed there for weeks on end, but we would sometimes have to open the door to cool the house a little. Good insulation makes all the difference.

SteveN

In Montreal, Quebec area, it will generally only go down to around -12C, but with the wind chill factor, it feels like -30C!

Our home is heated by a forced-air furnace that runs on heating oil. However, because of the price of oil and gas in Canada being so high, we just invested in a heat pump to reduce the dependency on oil.

Many houses are using hydro-electricity in Canada for their heating needs, because of the abundance of flowing water in our country that makes electric heating less expensive than wood, gas or oil.

I am looking at alternate heating sources as well. As I would like to get a wood stove or wood pellet stove installed in case the power goes out (our oil furnace is powered by electricity to run the fan and the pump)

moglie

I am in Ottawa Ontario and the average temp in winter is
Month ÂºC ÂºF
December -7 19.4
January -10 14
February -8 17.6
Due to technological advances I use gas heat and sometimes when my husband and I feel romantic we light up the fireplace. Others may use hydro electric heat. Can you believe it, Canadians living indoors in houses? What is this world coming to and who approved this

Angela O

I'm in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I've seen it get -48 with the windchill during a blizzard.

Our houses stay warm because we have furnaces and insulation. Pretty basic really.

The day of the blizzard is the only day I remember the city shutting down - it was so bad that you couldn't see houses across the street, everything was just white.

We stay warm by dressing in layers and winter clothing (toque, mitts, winter jacket, ski pants, etc).

MelissA

Toronto, Ontario (Don't call us pansies Lol) and this past winter the coldest in Toronto was somewhere around -35 to -40 Celcius. We have heating in our houses to keep us warm...

tropicaltraveler

southampton, ontario..its can be anywhere from 0'c to -25 ' c.
our houses dont..we live in igloos with polar bears as pets, dog sleds ar transportation.....

(we have heat like anywhere else, electric, oil, gas..some have woodstove)

karmagurl

I'm jealous freeside! LOL!

I'm in Ontario, I think everyone has answered the winter question really well - but did you know in summer here it is often hotter than in most of the US and Europe? There are many summer days it can be 36 celsius with a high humidity level making it like in the high 40's? (And remember, that celsius, not farenheit!) 36c would be like 97f.

godthatfailed420

i live in Grande Prairie Alberta the coldest Ive seen it was -50 Celsius in Rainbow lake. But I'm from southern B.C and a cold day there was like -20. But your body adapts to the cold after a few days of it as long as you got a sweater and a jacket, and socks definitely need socks. and our houses stay warm with a furnace and insulation silly.

freeside49

hahah... I'm in Vancouver and a cold winters nite here if -5 C which is about 25 degrees F ....
You often have to put on a jacket to stay warm in January.. what a pain!

Okay yes it rains ALOT in the winter tho!

Hoof Hearted

here, in Steinbach, Manitoba, ive seen it go -50 degrees celcius (with the wind chill)... normally it only hits about -30 to -35 degrees celcius without the wind chill factor... with it, it can go to -40 (ish)... our house stays warm because it is insulated properly and there are no holes or anything in the walls and roof... and we have nice heating in our house (its a new house so it is beautiful heating and not much wear and tear)

kenoplayer

In St. John's, Newfoundland(Eastern Canada), temps can go from 0C to as low as -15C with a windchill factor of -25C. But that is only during the months of January and February. I use electric heat. Way cheaper than oil.

Marina K

it depends where in canada you live...its a huge place with a large variety of different climates.Im from Alberta and it has gotten down to -50C. As for our house staying warm...we have a heater....along wiht an extremely high heating bill!

Webber

Prince George, BC. It might hit a low of -40c, but not usually. We have to bundle up while indoors because no one has yet thought of using Canadian lumber, insulation and furnaces in our houses.

itssoeasy

houses, cars, and public buildings all have heating.

Man

I live in Vancouver and it never gets colder than -10 degrees celcius. The place I live in uses a built in electric heating system.

MasterPython

Calgary AB. It hover around -15 to -20 and can go down to -30 or lower on cold days. But we get chinook every so often so it warms up to 0 or so for a few days. We have a gas furnace.

Ajidamoon

I live in North Bay Ontario, right on the Lake, where it usually hovers in the -40 range with wind coming off Nipissing. I grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where winters are quite wet and slushy, never getting colder than -8 or so. I have also lived in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, which is pretty far North, where winters got to -80 at their coldest with wind chill. Twas cold enough to freeze your nose hair but felt really nice with deep breaths. I have always had a natural gas forced air furnace, and as an added touch, a fire place. Plus the usual insulation and other materials generally used to keep heat in a house.

Karen C

I'm in Ottawa now - covered by moglie's answer but I used to live in Calgary. Those Chinook's used to change the weather in minutes and hours not days! Must be that global warming messing things up so that now it takes days for a Chinook to change the temperatures. Actually, I think MasterPy is just trying to prevent the rest of us from sending hate mail because he gets warmer spots in the winter than the rest of us! :o)

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