With the temperature forecast to drop by a major amount this weekend in Calgary, it seems as though local residents are preparing for the city’s usually harsh winter months.
In that preparation, an online discussion has kicked off to vent about Calgary’s winters. The Reddit thread asked the fitting question, “What oddly specific things about Calgary winter make you grumpy and angered?”
Hundreds of Calgarians responded, and boy, did they have a lot to say. Here are some of the worst things about winter in Calgary, according to local residents online.
Never-ending darkness
Jeff Whyte/Shutterstock
Among the worst things listed about winter in Calgary was how dark it gets, especially when people are working indoors during daylight hours.
“Going to work in the dark, working 9-5 inside and then coming home when it’s dark,” one user wrote.
“Not seeing the sun from 5 pm on Sunday night to Saturday morning for weeks on end is enough to make me genuinely insane,” another user agreed.
Some locals even shared that working daylight hours is so rough that they actually get to avoid the darkness by working nights.
“I work mostly nights. People always ask me how I deal with winter as if that’s somehow more difficult. I consider myself lucky, I get to spend all my free time when the sun is shining,” a commenter shared.
“Agree — when I work day shifts, I never get to see the sun — actually see the sun more working nights lol,” another person echoed.
Bad drivers
oasisamuel/Shutterstock
The discussion on the worst things about winter in the city soon shifted focus to its residents — specifically, its residents’ inability to drive when it snows.
“[The] unpreparedness of Calgary drivers once snow hits. It’s like people completely forget how to drive or don’t realize we have snow every year,” one person ranted.
“People forgetting how to drive in the snow every time. Hasn’t snowed in two weeks? Ope, completely forgot how to drive again when the snowflakes fall. Never mind, we’re in [February], gotta forget again real quick,” a second user agreed.
Others also shared their dread at driving during wintertime in Calgary but took a break from targeting local drivers and instead vented about the icy roads.
“The first icy week is horrifying to drive in,” one commenter wrote.
“Fearing death everywhere you drive,” another person added.
The extreme cold and snow
Snowy Calgary roads (@lizinka/Instagram)
In a similar vein to the frustrations at the winter drivers in the city, Calgarians also had a general frustration with the extreme cold and snow specific to the city.
“I feel like the constant melting and refreezing of snow due to the chinooks is very specific to Calgary winter. It’s awful, creates a slushy, salty, brown mess over and over all winter,” one commenter shared. “[It] wrecks your shoes/boots and makes things icy as hell. I’ve lived in colder cities, and the snow just stays frozen, and the ground [is] fairly clean all winter. Much less annoying.”
Other users agreed with the stress that the snow brings, with one person sharing how it puts a strain on the city’s houses.
“Plus the stress that puts on our houses. Specifically windows. I am sure they wear out faster in Calgary because of the constant temp changes putting more pressure on the structure and popping the seals faster as well as the rest of the house,” another user wrote. “Houses are always fighting the battle between the inside heat and outside cold. Changing the temps so much [wreaks] havoc on the materials.”
What do you think is the worst thing about winter in Calgary? Let us know in the comments below.