Studying in alberta canada for a year, what clothes to take?

Question

Hi there, iam from the united kingdom and iam going over to study in alberta canada for a whole year, i leave next week, and i haven't thought at all about what clothing to take, iam a girl who gets very cold quite easily, and i don't know what the weather is like over there during winter, i know that it is a long walk from my accommodation to the classes, and i have heard stories that the student accommodation gets extremely cold during winter,

thanks

Answer 1

The weather can be very cold in the winter, though what's on the thermometer doesn't tell the whole story. A sunny windless day of below-freezing in Alberta can feel quite warm and you might be fine in a heavy sweater and jeans. I'd bring a few outdoor clothing items to get you through any colder evenings when you first arrive but pack mostly your indoor clothing. As the first poster said, it's probably better to get winter clothing here. It could be expensive but doesn't need to be. Boots and coat are the things to make sure you get good ones of and where most of the money should go. Hats, gloves and so on are inexpensive. Winter clothing will be in the stores when you arrive or very soon after.

Answer 2

Well the weather form Canada and the UK are similar, cold winters, hot summers. You're summer clothes are just fine, and the winter is almost the same. Good Winter coat, scarfs, mittens, hat, boots?

Answer 3

Alberta has an extremely variable climate, much more so than anywhere in the UK.  In the summers, it can go over +30ºC, and in the winter, it can drop below -30ºC, although with the wind chill, it can feel as cold as -40 to -50, depending on what part of Alberta you're in.

The problem is that winter clothing is quite bulky and takes up a ton of space and weight in your luggage.  I would recommend taking mostly clothing suitable for the season you're arriving in, purchasing seasonal clothing as it comes along, and then leaving the unneeded items behind when you leave.

A good winter coat is quite expensive to use for one season and then leave, so I'd check out Goodwill or Value Village to see if you can find an inexpensive used one.