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This is missing the point. People think of Canadians as tough hardy, northerners because it's -8C in Toronto and we've been having really nice February, last y

This is missing the point. People think of Canadians as tough hardy, northerners because it's -8C in Toronto and we've been having really nice February, last year it was like -20C all month. It's -12 in Montreal right now. It's still interesting to think about it but don't try to imply that it's not actually cold, bitter and rough sledding here because we're "south" of London. Because it's 8C in London right now.

brillenfux 11y ago
That's continental vs maritime climate for you. Rain or not, at least we don't freeze our asses (so bad) over here :D
- sandworm101 11y ago
  It was 13* and sunny in Vancouver today. Even though we are north of much of canada's population, snow is very rare.
mfoy_ 11y ago
-14C in Ottawa right now, it's the wind that makes it nippy, though.
- dasil003 11y ago
  Incidentally that's the coldest temperature ever recorded in London.
- mpg33 11y ago
  +10C in St John's, NL right now.
  - tonyarkles 11y ago
    -4C in Saskatoon, SK today. The variation is really what makes it tricky. Sure, it's decent today. There's a predicted high of +8C, but Sunday night it's predicted to have a low of -22C. When you're outside in light clothes one day, and then need to bundle up like crazy 2 nights later... It starts to get to you.
  - kizz246 11y ago
    +16 C in Langley, BC (Next to Vancouver) yesterday, gonna be a balmy +15 today. Crocuses are up and my herb garden is already kicking.
- the_fury 11y ago
  A balmy -6C in Toronto.
cmrdporcupine 11y ago
The point is that many Americans treat 'Canada' as a bucket in which everything is cold weather. And yet the whole swathe of the northern states Minnesota, North Dakota, upper Michigan, etc. are _significantly_ further north and colder than where the bulk of the Canadian population is. I once had a coworker from Atlanta at our office in Toronto. Overheard him on the phone talking to his wife, gobsmacked by the cold, which he said "it's just so far north!" and yet that's not the reason -- we're no further north than northern California. He happened to be here during a cold front that came out of northern Ontario. It's a classic continental climate; summer heat here is as intense as that of many southern US states. The climate on the north side of Lake Ontario is actually milder than on the other side due to lake effect and weather patterns. Just got back from a trip to the Finger Lakes; our wines in the Niagara region are noticeably riper than those from down there.
- dasil003 11y ago
  It's an interesting climate over there because of the continentality plus the moderating influence of the lakes. For instance, I am from Minneapolis which is much colder than Toronto in the winter and also much hotter in the summer (in fact our record high is higher than Florida's record high, but I digress).
- brooklyndavs 11y ago
  Thats funny. I wonder if the same coworker from Atlanta would make the same comment about a city like Chicago? I've spent years in both Chicago and Toronto in the past and it seems like the climate is almost identical. Toronto maybe being a touch colder in the winter, but not by much. Summer I remember was almost identical (hot and humid). Chicago also has that classic continental climate, as does most of the upper midwest. Actually, I think the climate on the south side of Lake Ontario is a bit warmer and wetter (thus the lake effect snow). The cold air is moderated a bit as it crosses over the lakes, but it also picks up all that moisture. In fact, I think the windward side of all the Great Lakes are similar and might be in different climate zones vs the leeward side of the lakes. I know in Western Michigan for example there is a bit of a fruit belt because of this.
  - 11y ago
raattgift 11y ago
Not just "south", but actually way south; Toronto is about 43.5 N; Central London is 51.5 N. There's 60 nautical miles between each degree of latitude, so for an 8 degree difference, that's a bit more than 888 km. Roughly the same distance further north from London and you arrive at Uppsala (north of Stockholm), and St Petersburg. Toronto is on roughly the same latitude as Cannes, Nice, Toulouse and Monaco -- the Côte d'Azur / French Riviera. Edmonton, Alberta is between Manchester and Leeds in England, and close to the latitude of Hamburg. If you really want to bend your noodle, consider that Los Angeles is at the same latitude as Rabat, Morocco and Miami is at the same latitude as Luxor, Egypt.
- Ensorceled 11y ago
  I know, I went to London at New Year's and was gob-smacked at the realization I was NORTH of Moosonee.
josephjrobison 11y ago
Here's a better way to illustrate it rather than looking at a table of latitudes http://prntscr.com/a87wn7 http://prntscr.com/a87wn7
Mikeb85 11y ago
And it's 6C in Calgary right now (high of 16C today!).

brillenfux 11y ago

That's continental vs maritime climate for you. Rain or not, at least we don't freeze our asses (so bad) over here :D

sandworm101 11y ago
It was 13* and sunny in Vancouver today. Even though we are north of much of canada's population, snow is very rare.

mfoy_ 11y ago

-14C in Ottawa right now, it's the wind that makes it nippy, though.

dasil003 11y ago
Incidentally that's the coldest temperature ever recorded in London.
mpg33 11y ago
+10C in St John's, NL right now.
- tonyarkles 11y ago
  -4C in Saskatoon, SK today. The variation is really what makes it tricky. Sure, it's decent today. There's a predicted high of +8C, but Sunday night it's predicted to have a low of -22C. When you're outside in light clothes one day, and then need to bundle up like crazy 2 nights later... It starts to get to you.
- kizz246 11y ago
  +16 C in Langley, BC (Next to Vancouver) yesterday, gonna be a balmy +15 today. Crocuses are up and my herb garden is already kicking.
the_fury 11y ago
A balmy -6C in Toronto.

cmrdporcupine 11y ago

The point is that many Americans treat 'Canada' as a bucket in which everything is cold weather. And yet the whole swathe of the northern states Minnesota, North Dakota, upper Michigan, etc. are _significantly_ further north and colder than where the bulk of the Canadian population is. I once had a coworker from Atlanta at our office in Toronto. Overheard him on the phone talking to his wife, gobsmacked by the cold, which he said "it's just so far north!" and yet that's not the reason -- we're no further north than northern California. He happened to be here during a cold front that came out of northern Ontario. It's a classic continental climate; summer heat here is as intense as that of many southern US states. The climate on the north side of Lake Ontario is actually milder than on the other side due to lake effect and weather patterns. Just got back from a trip to the Finger Lakes; our wines in the Niagara region are noticeably riper than those from down there.

dasil003 11y ago
It's an interesting climate over there because of the continentality plus the moderating influence of the lakes. For instance, I am from Minneapolis which is much colder than Toronto in the winter and also much hotter in the summer (in fact our record high is higher than Florida's record high, but I digress).
brooklyndavs 11y ago
Thats funny. I wonder if the same coworker from Atlanta would make the same comment about a city like Chicago? I've spent years in both Chicago and Toronto in the past and it seems like the climate is almost identical. Toronto maybe being a touch colder in the winter, but not by much. Summer I remember was almost identical (hot and humid). Chicago also has that classic continental climate, as does most of the upper midwest. Actually, I think the climate on the south side of Lake Ontario is a bit warmer and wetter (thus the lake effect snow). The cold air is moderated a bit as it crosses over the lakes, but it also picks up all that moisture. In fact, I think the windward side of all the Great Lakes are similar and might be in different climate zones vs the leeward side of the lakes. I know in Western Michigan for example there is a bit of a fruit belt because of this.
- 11y ago

raattgift 11y ago

Not just "south", but actually way south; Toronto is about 43.5 N; Central London is 51.5 N. There's 60 nautical miles between each degree of latitude, so for an 8 degree difference, that's a bit more than 888 km. Roughly the same distance further north from London and you arrive at Uppsala (north of Stockholm), and St Petersburg. Toronto is on roughly the same latitude as Cannes, Nice, Toulouse and Monaco -- the Côte d'Azur / French Riviera. Edmonton, Alberta is between Manchester and Leeds in England, and close to the latitude of Hamburg. If you really want to bend your noodle, consider that Los Angeles is at the same latitude as Rabat, Morocco and Miami is at the same latitude as Luxor, Egypt.

Ensorceled 11y ago
I know, I went to London at New Year's and was gob-smacked at the realization I was NORTH of Moosonee.

josephjrobison 11y ago

Here's a better way to illustrate it rather than looking at a table of latitudes http://prntscr.com/a87wn7 http://prntscr.com/a87wn7

Mikeb85 11y ago

And it's 6C in Calgary right now (high of 16C today!).