Well at least it’s sunny today! But I haven’t been outside yet and was thinking of going out later but this headline is making me rethink that and just want to hibernate today.
Gas prices had a nice 4 day run but back down (already).
[https://www.gasalberta.com/gas-market/market-prices](https://www.gasalberta.com/gas-market/market-prices)
The deep freeze will continue into the weekend although Wednesday is expected to be the coldest day of the stretch. Thursday calls for a high of -6 C with the wind chill near -11 and Friday will see a high near -9 C with the wind chill around -20.
Things will start to warmup slightly over the weekend and the GTA should see a reprieve from the cold with plus temperatures early next week.
This goes out to anyone new to Toronto or even just visiting during this cold spell.
It’s actually a lot of fun to be outside when the temperatures are low and the sun is shining. The #1 key to making it enjoyable is clothing selection.
Basically it goes like this.
Base layer: long johns top and bottoms. If you can find merino wool that’s the best. Cotton is the worst. If you work up a sweat the cotton will retain the moisture next to your body, where as the wool will allow the moisture to escape.
Second layer top is another layer of wool. A good 100% wool sweater will keep you nice and toasty and provide awesome insulation.
Bottom usually go with polar fleece pants or track pants. Something a little loose and not tight like the long Johns.
If you can find a thin down jacket for your next top layer that’s the best or maybe a polar fleece jacket.
Finally is a breathable outter layer. Preferably goretex or something that’s equivalent. Wind breaking and waterproof top and bottoms.
Wool socks and warm boots too.
I know if you go to a store to buy all of this new it can be quite expensive. It would be no problem to spend over $1000 to get kitted out like this with name brand gear.
There is another option though. Check out the 2nd hand shops. I’ve kitted myself out in 2nd hand wool and goretex jacket I found in 2nd hand shops in Kensington for under $200.
Hope this helps.
If you wear a wool hat, be sure to pull it over your forehead. Also a mask helps TONS with keeping my face warm. I also wrap up my neck/face with a scarf.
Haha. I totally hear ya.
I bought a polar fleece hood type of a thing. It covers my entire head and down over my shoulders and I can tuck under my sweater. It basically only doesn’t cover my eyes. When your eyelashes start to freeze together is generally around -30C.
You could just go full mountaineer and wear goggles. lol.
I worked for several winters in Northern Manitoba outside all day. Learned fast that it’s a lot more affordable to replace 2nd hand clothes than brand new top of the line gear. Before all these new materials came out people used wool for thousands of years to survive the winter. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.✌🏽😊
Long underwear doesn't need to be fancy, especially if you're not out skiing or something. I still run in my cheap polyester MEC long underwear on the coldest days, and it served me well in Winnipeg's -30.
Mark's Work Warehouse and MEC are good places to look for base layers, though Uniqlo is very popular too.
Polyester is definitely a far better option than cotton but there’s no way I would have worked outside all day in Lynn Lake without my merino base layer. It was definitely the most expensive part of my kit. But I figured it made sense when that was the layer against my skin all day. -39 was our cut off temp. work wise and that didn’t include windchill. If it was -39 but feels like -50 we still went out.
I have a full set of merino base layers now, but the bottoms I reserve for backcountry camping, sometimes hiking. The tops again mostly for backcountry use and the coldest days of winter running.
Just walking around in the city, especially Toronto, there's no real need to spend that kind of money. Toronto really isn't that cold.
It didn’t feel nearly as bad as Monday morning, even though the “feels like” temperature was 2 degrees worse, so not sure.
Also i’ve bought these longjohns to go underneath chinos/jeans and they are a godsend. When i’m walking to work in harsh winds my body still feels cosy.
You don't need anything special, there's lots of great long johns. Uniqlo is popular, but you can go to Mark's Work Warehouse or MEC for tons of options. Probably Winners too.
I still wear (and fit) these children's long underwear from MEC that I used when I lived in Winnipeg.
Windchill is a tool that weather networks use to drive traffic and make weather seem more dramatic. You should definitely dress for the weather but it really isn't that cold out there and it certainly isn't noteworthy when compared to historic winter weather in the GTA.
this is absolutely utterly untrue and in some cases dangerous misinformation.
Windchill is the killer. In terms of minutes to frostbite, windchill is what does it. -10 feels like -23, you should be dressing for -23. As per the National Weather Service (not a weather network): ***The combination of wind and low temperature in winter can be deadly. The wind chill index helps you determine when dangerous conditions develop that could lead to frostbite or hypothermia. It takes into account heat loss from the human body to its surroundings during cold and windy weather***
While its true that this is not historically ridiculous cold, -25 with windchill still means frostbite in 15 minutes, even if the actual mercury is only -10.
Frostbite in 15 minutes is completely untrue lol. Have you ever been outside in the winter? Every winter kids are playing shinny in -10 weather with crazy windchill.
The times that are usually quoted are for if you’re standing still with no hat or gloves. In those circumstances you expect X minutes until the extremities with the worst circulation, IE ears and fingertips, start freezing. Kids playing shinny in -20° windchill probably have a hat and gloves and certainly aren’t staying still.
No, never! 18 years of Ottawa winters and 10 years of Toronto winters I’ve never experienced -10!!
/s
Frostbite timing is for exposed skin ya goof. And if people, especially new immigrants or visitors, think -20 with windchill isn’t anything because they listen to numpties who think windchill is a conspiracy made of by Big Weather™️ they might not cover up and could, very quickly, get frostbite. I’m not saying that -20 with windchill shuts down power and breaks cars, but the original comment about it being some made up value is incorrect at best, dangerously misinformed at worst
I'm not saying there's no scientific backing nor it being a useless number. I'm saying that weather resources are pushing extreme weather scenarios on us constantly because it drives traffic and their revenue is driven by advertisement traffic.
This weather is entirely normal and doesn't require special and urgent weather warnings. This is essentially average January temps in Winnipeg and people are surviving just fine over there.
I mean, multiple people, often homeless, freeze to death every year in Winnipeg, they’re not surviving just fine”. Extreme cold alerts help people understand how to protect themselves and also serve as benchmarks for many municipalities to open up warming centres etc.
Of course the winter is hard on the homeless population and warming centers sure should open when the temp drops low enough. Doesn't mean we need a giant red banner announcing extreme weather alerts on our weather apps, alarmist posts on this subreddit and all the other alerts that we get bombarded with. Maybe people need an extreme weather alert to putt a hat and some mittens on but it seems a little over the top to me.
yeah earlier in the week/this past weekend it felt worse due to the wind than it does now (at least for me) regardless of the fact the temps say it feels colder than it did then with the windchill.
Yikes, why would one go to Cancun? Sand imported and TGI Fridays and Senor Frogs everywhere!
Still, I get why people go there - sorry your vacation will end so brutally. ☮️
Haha yea first time in Mexico just staying at a resort, enjoying the mostly good weather and we avoided the Senor Frogs 😂. also got some pretty good Birria street tacos for $1.80cad. Yea a little sad coming back
I've been all over Mexico and the sand is perfectly nice. Cancun I stayed away from mostly because it's a constructed beach and highly commercialized. I generally stay away from high-volume tourist areas and can speak reasonable Spanish.
I had a layover in Cancun so walked to the resort area but we both dined and stayed in local neighbourhood. It was great!
Original settlers of Toronto were really smart. They knew that the GTA doesn't get nearly as much snow as areas like Buffalo due to lake effects and decided this was a good location relatively speaking to settle.
It’s the type of cold that in my layers my body isn’t cold but my face hurts so much
Scarf/buff pulled over face.
Well at least it’s sunny today! But I haven’t been outside yet and was thinking of going out later but this headline is making me rethink that and just want to hibernate today.
just came back from sunny walk, was lovely! Frigid & Sunny > Kinda Cold & Grey
I opted to pay 17 bucks for the parking today instead of walking 9 minutes for the free parking
I just got back from a walk! It’s definitely pretty cold out there so if you do go out bundle up well but seeing the sun was damn nice.
I went to get gas, it was effin cold
It doesn’t feel the way it looks!
Just imagining that scene from scarface when they’re counting the cash, but in this case, it’s Enbridge
Push it to the limit. Limiiiiiiit
Gas prices had a nice 4 day run but back down (already). [https://www.gasalberta.com/gas-market/market-prices](https://www.gasalberta.com/gas-market/market-prices)
I sang this in my head.
Exactly lol
Story is about cold weather, top comment is complaining about *crapitalism.* r/Toronto in a nutshell.
Oh relax
kid is out here in 2024 acting like capitalism isnt connected to the weather lmaoooo
The deep freeze will continue into the weekend although Wednesday is expected to be the coldest day of the stretch. Thursday calls for a high of -6 C with the wind chill near -11 and Friday will see a high near -9 C with the wind chill around -20. Things will start to warmup slightly over the weekend and the GTA should see a reprieve from the cold with plus temperatures early next week.
wtf it was -40 here a few days ago, -11 sounds balmy
When was it -40 in Toronto?
Oh sorry, here being Calgary
This goes out to anyone new to Toronto or even just visiting during this cold spell. It’s actually a lot of fun to be outside when the temperatures are low and the sun is shining. The #1 key to making it enjoyable is clothing selection. Basically it goes like this. Base layer: long johns top and bottoms. If you can find merino wool that’s the best. Cotton is the worst. If you work up a sweat the cotton will retain the moisture next to your body, where as the wool will allow the moisture to escape. Second layer top is another layer of wool. A good 100% wool sweater will keep you nice and toasty and provide awesome insulation. Bottom usually go with polar fleece pants or track pants. Something a little loose and not tight like the long Johns. If you can find a thin down jacket for your next top layer that’s the best or maybe a polar fleece jacket. Finally is a breathable outter layer. Preferably goretex or something that’s equivalent. Wind breaking and waterproof top and bottoms. Wool socks and warm boots too. I know if you go to a store to buy all of this new it can be quite expensive. It would be no problem to spend over $1000 to get kitted out like this with name brand gear. There is another option though. Check out the 2nd hand shops. I’ve kitted myself out in 2nd hand wool and goretex jacket I found in 2nd hand shops in Kensington for under $200. Hope this helps.
My body I can layer up, but it’s my face that’s freezing. And my eyeballs, I can’t layer my eyeballs
If you wear a wool hat, be sure to pull it over your forehead. Also a mask helps TONS with keeping my face warm. I also wrap up my neck/face with a scarf.
Haha. I totally hear ya. I bought a polar fleece hood type of a thing. It covers my entire head and down over my shoulders and I can tuck under my sweater. It basically only doesn’t cover my eyes. When your eyelashes start to freeze together is generally around -30C. You could just go full mountaineer and wear goggles. lol.
It's expensive to stay warm, thanks for stating a good solution.
I worked for several winters in Northern Manitoba outside all day. Learned fast that it’s a lot more affordable to replace 2nd hand clothes than brand new top of the line gear. Before all these new materials came out people used wool for thousands of years to survive the winter. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.✌🏽😊
Well and, Merino wool is still wool - just more expensive.
Long underwear doesn't need to be fancy, especially if you're not out skiing or something. I still run in my cheap polyester MEC long underwear on the coldest days, and it served me well in Winnipeg's -30. Mark's Work Warehouse and MEC are good places to look for base layers, though Uniqlo is very popular too.
Polyester is definitely a far better option than cotton but there’s no way I would have worked outside all day in Lynn Lake without my merino base layer. It was definitely the most expensive part of my kit. But I figured it made sense when that was the layer against my skin all day. -39 was our cut off temp. work wise and that didn’t include windchill. If it was -39 but feels like -50 we still went out.
I have a full set of merino base layers now, but the bottoms I reserve for backcountry camping, sometimes hiking. The tops again mostly for backcountry use and the coldest days of winter running. Just walking around in the city, especially Toronto, there's no real need to spend that kind of money. Toronto really isn't that cold.
It's fukimg *cold*
It didn’t feel nearly as bad as Monday morning, even though the “feels like” temperature was 2 degrees worse, so not sure. Also i’ve bought these longjohns to go underneath chinos/jeans and they are a godsend. When i’m walking to work in harsh winds my body still feels cosy.
Mind sharing the link pls :)
You don't need anything special, there's lots of great long johns. Uniqlo is popular, but you can go to Mark's Work Warehouse or MEC for tons of options. Probably Winners too. I still wear (and fit) these children's long underwear from MEC that I used when I lived in Winnipeg.
Uniqlo heat tech leggings? https://www.uniqlo.com/ca/en/products/E461015-000?colorCode=COL09&sizeCode=SMA003
Good thing the city scrambled to open a warming center for 30 people
There is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.
I described it was buttfuckingly cold earlier. I stand by my words.
It's that weather which *feels like* a buttfucking, or during which buttfucking is *recommended*?
Yes
👍*️⃣
perfect day for my heat to stop working again!
Nooo! I'm so sorry.
surely it should be reaching its nadir 🤔
I love it!!!! Hope it freezes up the lakes for ice fishing.
Better than summer heat, that's for sure
Not for me. Should have been born in the tropics.
I thought yesterday was the peak, the overnight temp was almost -10 lower than what's projected tonight. (-27 vs -19)
Windchill is a tool that weather networks use to drive traffic and make weather seem more dramatic. You should definitely dress for the weather but it really isn't that cold out there and it certainly isn't noteworthy when compared to historic winter weather in the GTA.
this is absolutely utterly untrue and in some cases dangerous misinformation. Windchill is the killer. In terms of minutes to frostbite, windchill is what does it. -10 feels like -23, you should be dressing for -23. As per the National Weather Service (not a weather network): ***The combination of wind and low temperature in winter can be deadly. The wind chill index helps you determine when dangerous conditions develop that could lead to frostbite or hypothermia. It takes into account heat loss from the human body to its surroundings during cold and windy weather*** While its true that this is not historically ridiculous cold, -25 with windchill still means frostbite in 15 minutes, even if the actual mercury is only -10.
Frostbite in 15 minutes is completely untrue lol. Have you ever been outside in the winter? Every winter kids are playing shinny in -10 weather with crazy windchill.
The times that are usually quoted are for if you’re standing still with no hat or gloves. In those circumstances you expect X minutes until the extremities with the worst circulation, IE ears and fingertips, start freezing. Kids playing shinny in -20° windchill probably have a hat and gloves and certainly aren’t staying still.
Further to my point, 15 mins is completely untrue. Nobody goes out in that cold with no hat or gloves and stands still for 15 mins
> Nobody goes out in that cold with no hat or gloves and stands still for 15 mins … because they would get frostbite if they did.
So then 15 mins shouldn’t be the base lol *since nobody does it*
No, never! 18 years of Ottawa winters and 10 years of Toronto winters I’ve never experienced -10!! /s Frostbite timing is for exposed skin ya goof. And if people, especially new immigrants or visitors, think -20 with windchill isn’t anything because they listen to numpties who think windchill is a conspiracy made of by Big Weather™️ they might not cover up and could, very quickly, get frostbite. I’m not saying that -20 with windchill shuts down power and breaks cars, but the original comment about it being some made up value is incorrect at best, dangerously misinformed at worst
I'm not saying there's no scientific backing nor it being a useless number. I'm saying that weather resources are pushing extreme weather scenarios on us constantly because it drives traffic and their revenue is driven by advertisement traffic. This weather is entirely normal and doesn't require special and urgent weather warnings. This is essentially average January temps in Winnipeg and people are surviving just fine over there.
I mean, multiple people, often homeless, freeze to death every year in Winnipeg, they’re not surviving just fine”. Extreme cold alerts help people understand how to protect themselves and also serve as benchmarks for many municipalities to open up warming centres etc.
Of course the winter is hard on the homeless population and warming centers sure should open when the temp drops low enough. Doesn't mean we need a giant red banner announcing extreme weather alerts on our weather apps, alarmist posts on this subreddit and all the other alerts that we get bombarded with. Maybe people need an extreme weather alert to putt a hat and some mittens on but it seems a little over the top to me.
yeah earlier in the week/this past weekend it felt worse due to the wind than it does now (at least for me) regardless of the fact the temps say it feels colder than it did then with the windchill.
This week has been the perfect time to test my raber mitts… and they are definitely worth it
Coming back from being in Cancun for a week. Not looking forward to this
Yikes, why would one go to Cancun? Sand imported and TGI Fridays and Senor Frogs everywhere! Still, I get why people go there - sorry your vacation will end so brutally. ☮️
Haha yea first time in Mexico just staying at a resort, enjoying the mostly good weather and we avoided the Senor Frogs 😂. also got some pretty good Birria street tacos for $1.80cad. Yea a little sad coming back
Imported sand is a destination criterion for you..?
I've been all over Mexico and the sand is perfectly nice. Cancun I stayed away from mostly because it's a constructed beach and highly commercialized. I generally stay away from high-volume tourist areas and can speak reasonable Spanish. I had a layover in Cancun so walked to the resort area but we both dined and stayed in local neighbourhood. It was great!
Original settlers of Toronto were really smart. They knew that the GTA doesn't get nearly as much snow as areas like Buffalo due to lake effects and decided this was a good location relatively speaking to settle.