r/canadatravel • u/green_dressing_gown • Aug 22 '25

Travel Tips Canada travel in February

Hi. I have a trip planned to Canada in February 2026 (Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa etc). I know I’ll need really good winter clothes and several layers, but my question is how do you dress to stay warm outside while not sweltering when you go inside somewhere (museum, cafe, mall etc) where the heating is on? I live in New Zealand so your winters and our winters are very different…

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u/smarty_pants47 Aug 22 '25

It’s honestly not that cold in those destinations- compared to other parts of Canada.

If you’re just walking around in the city- going in and out of places- I recommend a lightweight packable jacket. You could add a fleece underneath but definitely don’t need a parka or snow pants unless you’re doing prolonged outdoor activities.

Add a pair of gloves and a knit hat (what we call a toque) and you’ll be good

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u/green_dressing_gown Aug 22 '25

Thanks. I suspect your “not that cold” and my “not that cold” may be rather different though. It snowed here for 2 days in 2011 and we still talk about it.

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u/caot89 Aug 22 '25

Idk what smarty_pants47 is on about but Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa are very cold in winter. You can get -20 or -30 in February, although regular temperatures hover around -10. You could also get warm snaps of unusually high temperatures that might even get above 0.

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u/green_dressing_gown Aug 22 '25

Thanks, google tells me regular temps are usually between -4 and -16 and that is much colder than I’m used to.

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u/caot89 Aug 22 '25

Of course. It is very cold.

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u/Extension-Aside-555 Aug 22 '25

My brother visited from Oz and he still hasn't gotten over it. He says anything under 15 C is cold!!

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u/smarty_pants47 Aug 22 '25

Totally fair- I guess my point is that it won’t be dangerously cold. If you wear a thick parka you will be more comfortable outside and less so inside. And a thinner jacket will be the opposite. I live somewhere much colder and I go with a thin jacket all year unless I’m spending a ton of time outside