- Dress in three layers: something that moves sweat off your skin, something warm, and a shell that stops the wind.
- Here, the wind is often a bigger problem than the temperature. A windproof outer layer makes the biggest difference.
- On chinook days, wear layers you can peel off. On cold snap days, cover every bit of skin.
- Skip cotton next to your skin. Once it’s damp, it stays cold.
- Keep a spare hat, mitts, socks and a blanket in the car all winter.
A Lethbridge winter can give you a calm minus 5, a roaring chinook and an Arctic cold snap in the same week. No single coat suits all three. A few simple layers you can mix and match will.
This post is the quick version. For the full guide, see our Clothing and Footwear page, and for a suggestion based on today’s weather, try What Should I Wear Today?
Three layers, three jobs
Base layer. This sits against your skin. Its job is to move sweat away so you stay dry. Wool and synthetic fabrics do this well. Cotton doesn’t: it soaks up moisture and holds it, and wet clothing pulls heat from your body much faster than dry clothing.
Mid layer. This is your warmth. Fleece, a wool sweater, or a light insulated vest traps warm air. On a cold day, add a second one.
Outer layer. This is your shield. In Lethbridge, its most important job is stopping the wind (more on fabrics and shells in the layering guide). Down is very warm for its weight but loses much of that warmth when wet; synthetic insulation copes better with damp.
Why the wind matters so much here
Wind strips away the warm air around your body. Environment and Climate Change Canada uses the wind chill index to describe how cold the wind makes it feel on bare skin. Their risk levels:
- Wind chill of minus 28 to minus 39: high risk, and exposed skin can freeze in 10 to 30 minutes.
- Minus 40 to minus 47: very high risk, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Minus 48 to minus 54: severe risk, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Minus 55 or colder: extreme risk, under 2 minutes.
ECCC also notes that frostbite can happen faster in sustained winds over 50 km/h, which we see often enough. On a windy day, a windproof shell, a hood and a face covering matter more than an extra sweater.
Chinook days: dress to peel off
A chinook can push the temperature up by 15 degrees or more in a few hours, then the cold comes back just as fast. On these days, wear lighter layers you can take off and carry, instead of one heavy parka. Keep the windproof shell, because chinooks bring strong, gusty winds. If you’re out all day, bring the warm layer along for the trip home. Our chinook lesson explains why the swings happen.
Cold snaps: cover everything
When Arctic air settles in, aim for no bare skin and keep trips outside short.
Know the early signs of frostbite. The Canadian Red Cross describes skin that turns pale or shiny and rosy, then stings, then goes numb. If you see this:
- Get indoors or out of the wind.
- Don’t rub or massage the skin.
- Warm it slowly. Health Canada advises water just slightly warmer than body temperature, never hot.
- Get medical help for skin that is hard, waxy, white or blue, or has lost all feeling.
Our Staying Healthy in Winter page covers frostbite and hypothermia in more detail.
Kids and seniors
Health Canada lists babies under one year old and adults 65 and older among the people most at risk in extreme cold. Small children lose heat quickly and often won’t say they’re cold, so check their hands, ears and cheeks often. Layer them like yourself, and bring dry mitts and socks.
For older adults, some health conditions and medicines make it harder to feel or fight the cold. Boots with good grip, a warm hat and a phone in an inside pocket help. A quick check-in on a neighbour who lives alone is a kind thing to do during a cold snap.
Head, hands and feet
- Head and face: a warm hat that covers your ears, plus a scarf or neck tube you can pull over your nose.
- Hands: mitts are warmer than gloves because your fingers share warmth. Thin liner gloves under mitts let you use your hands without going bare.
- Feet: insulated, waterproof boots with enough room to wiggle your toes. Tight boots cut off circulation. Wool or synthetic socks, never cotton, and a dry pair to change into.
For boots and ice grips, see our Footwear page.
What to keep in the car
Many of us drive in a light jacket because the car is warm, which is fine until the car stops. All winter, keep these in the vehicle:
- A warm hat, mitts and a scarf for each person who usually rides along
- Spare wool or synthetic socks
- A warm blanket or sleeping bag
- Winter boots, if you drive in shoes
The full list is on our Vehicle Emergency Kit page, and our Winter Driving page covers the road side of things.
Dress for the wind, plan for the swings, and keep a little extra in the car. That’s most of a Lethbridge winter handled.
Sources
- Environment and Climate Change Canada: Wind chill and the Wind Chill Index
- Health Canada: Extreme cold
- Canadian Red Cross: Cold-related emergencies
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: Cold environments: health effects and first aid