Edmonton has a fairly dry climate. We seldom have puddles and even an hour or so after a rain the streets are often dry again.
The air in our houses too are dry. This is caused by our cold climate. Cold air does not carry moisture well but warm air does, so when cold dry air comes into warm houses in the winter and warms up, it sucks up moisture, drying skin and other surfaces. But still it usually is dry, so static electricity can accumulate in a body (dry air is a poor conductor), and be released when a person touches a metal doorknob or other metal object.
Also some fabrics store electricity so removing clothes sometimes sets off a static electric charge, creating a series of electric snaps that are visible in the dark.
Relative humidity is a measure of water held in air as a percentage of how much it could carry. When it is cold, say -20° C, it may be snowing outside and the relative humidity may be 90 percent, but when that air comes into warm houses, it warms and the air still carrying the same amount of water then will have a relative humidity of 30 percent.
This dry air can cause dry skin or other health problems but dry air has long been known to aid in recovery from some lung conditions. "Go to Alberta for the dry air" was a cure often prescribed by doctors.
Edmonton's dry air and lack of large nearby body of water means our weather changes quickly in the short run and our climate ranges widely through the year. (A large body of water works as a heat sink, absorbing heat in the day and in the summer to lower temperature highs and then releasing heat to keep things warm even at night or in winter.)
In Edmonton a rise of 20° Celsius through the day is not uncommon, with a fall of about 20 degrees back down again in the evening. The rise in temperature is most seen in places exposed to the sun. Shaded places can retain the cold of the night well into the afternoon.
To cope with the day's change in temperature, people often use layers of clothing that they take off or put on as the temperature climbs and falls. Others with more bodily resistance to cold simply go out in the morning in shorts knowing it will warm up and that shorts will be enough to make them comfortable. Others less resistant to the cold will go out that same morning in a thick jacket or even a down-filled coat and a toque, taking the toque off and opening the zipper of the coat as the day warms. So often in Edmonton you can see people in shorts and people wearing down-filled coats on the same day.
It is common to have the last of a winter's snowfall in early May but also to have days in May when the temperature rises to above 30° Celsius. October can likewise vary from temperatures in the mid-20s in temperature, as happened on October 17, 2018, to days of snowfall.
Snow has been known to occur in September but it is more common for the first snowfall to happen in late October (especially Halloween evening!) or early November. Sometimes this melts before winter sets in for good. The first snow that will stay until the spring sometimes happens even later than that, sometimes not until Christmas time.
Temperatures falling to below freezing causes water and other liquids to freeze. Water expands when it freezes so containers containing water or other liquids left in the cold may break or crack when the liquids freeze. Conversely, cool or cold temperatures means you don't need to worry about leaving many foods in the car or outside. Low temperatures will not make food spoil from heat.
In the very cold, plastics, metal and many other materials become brittle and can break easily. Plastic toboggans and shovels, even parts of an automobile, break easily when put to use, stepped on or pushed around during periods of intense cold. Even parts of an automobile may become brittle and easily broken.
My advice to new arrivals facing their first winters here is to eat lots of food - your body will need fuel to keep warm. Warm drinks such as tea or soup are also useful to keep body temperature up.
Humans are amazingly adaptable. After a while - measured in months or years - your body will adapt to the cold. It is important to moderate the temperature in the house, to keep it no warmer than say 18° C, as your body that has grown accustomed to the cold will probably not feel comfortable in extreme warmth of more than 20°C.
Despite the challenges, people have lived in Edmonton for thousands of years. The old saying is that the first winter is not so bad. Your body holds heat from the warm climes that you left. Those who come here from colder climates should have no trouble, of course. The second winter may be a shock so the third winter, when you know what to expect, is the worst, they say. Good luck!
(The vocabulary in this piece was chosen so as to be easily understood by someone learning to read English.)
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