5 Differences between the Winter in Calgary (Canada) and Umeå (Sweden)

I am back, peeps! And this time, we’re diving into something I get asked about a lot—what’s winter really like in Calgary (Canada) compared to Umeå (Sweden)?

Before I start, I just wanted to mention that, I’m not here to generalize because Canada is HUGE (the time differences alone are wild—Toronto is 2 hours ahead of Calgary, while Winnipeg is an hour ahead). Each province experiences winter differently, and the same goes for Sweden! This is just my personal experience comparing these two places I’ve lived.


Sunshine vs. Darkness: A Huge Winter Difference ☀️🌑

First off, Calgary’s winter is SWEET, if I do say so myself! I totally enjoyed my first winter here. One word—Sunshine! ☀️

In Umeå, winter meant short daylight hours. If the sun even peeked out, people would rush outside for walks, smiling, trying to soak in whatever little light they could get. But in Calgary? Even in the middle of winter, we get so much sunlight. The skies are blue, and the sun is out, even on cold days.

 So my first difference will definitely be that it is sunnier in Calgary than in Umeå.

📸 : This was taken in February 2017 in Umeå around 3 PM—yes, that early, and it was already dark!
📸 : I mean this was just December 2018...Talk about good weather/sunny days😍 (Calgary, 2018)

Chinook Winds: Calgary’s Secret Winter Cheat Code 🌬️

If there’s one thing that makes Calgary’s winter even better, it’s the Chinook winds (a.k.a. the snow eater). Calgary is lucky because every now and then, warm air sweeps in, raising temperatures dramatically—yes, even in the dead of winter!

Imagine this: It’s freezing one day, and the next, it’s +5°C in January! I never ever experienced this in Umeå. Winter in Sweden is consistent—once it’s cold, it stays cold! But in Calgary, you get breaks where you can ditch the heavy coats and actually dress down a little.

📸 : The face you give when you can dress down some days, during the winter period #Bliss😍
📸 : A very warm day sometime in January 2019 (btw, look who is all grown😍)

When Does Winter Start? Umeå vs. Calgary ❄️

Another difference? Winter starts much later in Calgary.

  • In Umeå, it starts getting cold by November, and real winter stretches from November to April.
  • In Calgary, November was still pretty mild! Of course, we had some chilly and windy days, but real winter didn’t kick in until January. And guess what? By mid-March, it’s already warming up 💃🏾 
📸 : This picture is one of my best pictures so far in Calgary. Talk about 4 seasons in one picture😍

Humidity & Dryness: A Winter Struggle 💨

Now, here’s something that took me by surprise—Calgary’s winter is DRY. Even the water is hard!

  • When I first landed in summer, I constantly had a dry throat and was always looking for something to drink.
  • I drink way more water here than I ever did in Umeå!
  • My skin and lips dry out fast, especially in winter!

In Umeå, the cold felt harsher because of the humidity, but Calgary’s dry air makes winter feel different. I’m not complaining (okay, maybe a little 😜), but it’s something to keep in mind if you ever move here!


Snowfall: Who Gets More? ☃️

If you love snow, then Umeå wins this one.

  • In Umeå, snow sticks around for months. Since there’s less sunlight, it just piles up and stays put until spring.
  • In Calgary, snow melts faster thanks to sunlight and Chinook winds. It’s like winter teases you with snow, then suddenly warms up and melts it away.
📸 : Made of Snow. So beautiful😍 (this was in February, 2017)

Final Thoughts: Which Winter Wins? 🤔

All in all, I’d say my experience in Umeå prepared me for Calgary. But if I had to describe my first winter in Calgary in one word? SWEET! 🍬. Even on the days when the snow was “serious,” I still went to work. #BaddestWinterSlayer 😂 . Many people even told me this was a nice winter, so maybe Calgary was just being kind to me!

So for peeps out there who are always asking me how it feels like, well, this is me sharing my raw/first-hand experience. All winters are definitely not the same, as a matter of fact, many people said the winter this year was nice. Maybe it knew, we would be here😂😝. That will be all from me today. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet! Until next time...💋

📸 : Teni showing off her #WinterSlay

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