Modern Vespa

My daughter is getting married just north of calgary at a place called Canmore on December 29th this year. So my question is what sort of weather and temperatures are we likely to expect. Becauseof the luggage weight restrictions and the fact we will be carrying suits etc should we pack any special thermal clothing? We wont be spending too much time outside, but my wife is planning on taking allsorts of warm weather gear. My thoughts were a pair of thermal leggings and vest, wind proof warm jacket, thermal gloves and wolly hat, plus a couple of jumpers.

So all you hardy locals any advice would be gratefully received

Anyone???????????????????

I don't live in Alberta, but I have been to Canmore and Banff (which is close by). You could expect alot of snow with temperatures between -5 and -14 C.

Dress warm, and be prepared for snow.

It's going to be cold! If you're going outside for any length of time: boots, gloves and coat. Average is around 0 degrees Celcius.

H

Canmore is at the base of the front range of the Rockies. That time of year is typically nippy, but can be surprisingly mild if the winds are right. There are a few cold snaps in December and January that can get seriously cold (-30C). Average low temps that time of year will run -10 ~ -15C, with highs around -5

This should help.

It's dry and fuckin cold...and windy and fuckin cold.
The only thing between Calgary and the North pole is Edmonton and a lot of fuckin cold.
I live 500 miles west of Calgary and it gets cold here but Calgary is really fuckin cold.
Some of the crazy bastards from the Apocalypse scooter club still ride and meet for coffee tho....

Thanks one and all. One final question( for now anyway) is it windy? I only ask because I spent some time in the Falklands many years ago and although the cold was bearable it was the wind chill that made it really cold.

Calgary = Falklands....but not as pretty

Yep, you can expect wind and the windchill factor can be a real wake up call. If you are not used to extreme temps, make sure you take a balclava like this one http://www.cpgear.com/default.asp?mn=1.19.56&f=pd&pid=43

You'll find your skin dries out pretty quickly too. Make sure you have chapstick and body lotions. I am a displaced Canadian (from Toronto) and recall being in Calgary in 40 below weather. Not pleasant at all.

If your daughter lives there, send her some money and ask her to buy some stuff for you which you can leave at their place rather than lugging it back and forth on the plane. Tell her to bring it to the airport when she picks you up! (That's what I do)

I've been there in the winter and the best pice of advice for you is to place a ladder under your daughter's window and give her some money as an incentive to elope.

Way cheaper than the cold weather clothing you'll need and never use again.

Canmore in Dec.-Jan. Jesus.

Only been there once. Minus 40 and windy.
The locals are fond of saying "but it's a dry cold". I think this means that when they find your corpse in Spring it'll be totally dehydrated.

Cancel any life insurance you may have. You want to be worth way more alive than dead.

Oh, it may be colder than Calgary. See here:
http://www.canmoreadventures.ca/main.php?page=86&n=Weather

good luck with that. cheers

edit: Oh. you may want to wear a hat and gloves. Expect sun.

The average may be -7.4 C but the record was -42.8. As Dirty Harry said "are you felling lucky?" Oh, and once the temps get down to around -20, you NEED good winter gear, or you don't leave the hotel.

Regards
Harvey

I lived in Calgary for almost 20 years. Yes it's cold. Dress in layers and you will be fine. Down jackets and wool sweaters are best. Mittens are better than gloves because your fingers will be warmer and make sure you are able to cover all exposed flesh if you are out in windy and cold conditions. Exposed flesh will freeze. Hoods and scarfs are good. That being said it doesn't get extremely cold all that often. If the Chinook winds are in your favor you could be greeted with temperatures above 0°, even as high as 15°C and it's always warmer in the mountains than on the prarie.

Thanks it's sounding more and more inviting with each reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm at the park in shorts and flip flops working on my laptop while my girls are playing (and YES....I am playing with them too for all you no-child-havin-but-child-rearin' "experts") and it is a nice 85 or so degrees so my answer may sound cruel but send a nice gift with regards...

jk...just like riding...no bad weather, just bad gear...I always overdress, especially if there will be a car around to stash any extra gear I don't want to carry around if I get too warm.

It's cold now. Thought of Dave and this thread.
Forecast for Canmore:
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
Overnight Temperature: -34°C
Clear with cloudy periods.

Looks like it could get warmer, Dave, guess you'll be jumping on a plane any minute now. Enjoy.

cheers

Wear your heavy coat on the airplane and take a small fold-up bag to place it in once on the plane. It saves space in your luggage.

Janine

Ice fishing. R

wear boots with thick soles. standing on frozen ground in trainers ... brrrr. i get goosebumps just thinking about it.

you can get away without having to buy a load of extra winter gear as long as you've got a warm jacket, some good boots or hiking trainers with a thick sole, and long underwear.

when i lived in montreal, i always used to see blokes walking down the street in -20 weather, wearing thin leather jackets, business shoes, and no hats, scarves, or gloves. i can't imagine how they stayed warm in that weather, they must have blood vessels like hosepipes.

it's been really interesting to hear what people expect of calgary in the winter. i have lived here my entire life and there's one thing that can be said for our winters - UNPREDICTABLE. this december has been rather cold but in a week i could be riding my vespa again. you never really know for certain what to expect. best thing to do is prepare for the cold but be happy if you get to leave your parka in the hotel room the whole time.

by the way, "dry cold" is the fact that we get very little precipitation or humidity and for the most part the sky is clear throughout the winter. it can be cold but because of the high altitude and the low humidity it's the kind of cold that seems, well, dry. very different from toronto.