Ah, WINTER IN VANCOUVER. The mountains are covered with fresh powder, the West Coast rainforests are greener than ever, and local restaurants are serving up seasonal winter favorites. Vancouver’s year-round outdoor adventure possibilities make it a popular year-round tourism destination, but for snow sports lovers, winter is the best time to visit.

However, when it’s snowing in the mountains it’s usually raining in the city. Staying warm and dry in Vancouver during the winter takes a bit of advance planning. Here’s what you need to survive and thrive during the Vancouver winter.

Rubber boots.

Leather shoes or sneakers are not Vancouver winter footwear. From November to March, if it’s not already raining in Vancouver it’s just about to start. Rubber rain boots worn with warm wool socks are the shoes you’ll need here in winter. You don’t have to trudge around town in black coal-miner rain boots though. Local shoe shops sell rubber boots in a variety of colors and styles. Vancouver rain boot style is a scene in itself, so spend a bit of time scoping out the local rain boot fashion scene before buying your own pair.

Umbrella.

Vancouver umbrella culture often strikes visitors as bizarre. Vancouverites wait until it’s really, definitely, totally raining before they succumb to the temptation to open their umbrellas. If it’s just drizzling a little, locals try to pretend there’s no rain at all and will stride around the city umbrella-less. Ignoring the rain until umbrellas are absolutely necessary is a common Vancouver winter coping mechanism. Anyone using an umbrella in the drizzle here is from out of town.

That being said, Vancouver is a Canadian city. Like all Canadians Vancouverites value being polite. If it’s raining hard enough for umbrellas, remember to practice proper umbrella etiquette. If someone is walking towards you on the sidewalk and you’re both using umbrellas, the taller person should raise his or hers. Remember to shake the water off your umbrella before taking it inside a restaurant or shop, and never, ever take the wrong umbrella from a communal umbrella stand.

Layers

If you usually spend your winters on the east coast or mid-west of North America, you’re probably used to spending the season bundled up in a puffy down jacket. Vancouver winters are cool and damp, but hardly ever cold enough for big puffy jackets. Dress in layers for the weather here. Easily removable layers like sweaters, cardigans, or vests are good Vancouver winter choices.

Waterproof jacket

A good waterproof jacket is a must for the Vancouver winter. Fashion is pretty casual here, so a sports rain parka will be appropriate anywhere. Trench coats are less common but also a good option. If you really want to look like a Vancouverite, head to homegrown outdoor gear shop Mountain Equipment Co-op to stock up on raingear. Local residents have been buying MEC-brand raingear at this outdoor gear shop on Broadway Avenue for over twenty years.

Travel Coffee Mug and Water Bottle

Most Vancouverites try to live a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. It’s not uncommon to see locals carrying their own travel coffee mugs or water bottles around town. Most coffee shops offer a discount to customers who bring their own mugs.

With a bit of knowledge and advanced planning, it’s easily possible to stay warm, dry, and stylish during a Vancouver winter. Just do as the locals do: get the right gear, then get out and enjoy the city.

Do you want to know what the weather is like? Here is a great site for Vancouver BC Weather. You can also check out Environment Canada‘s web site as well

If you are looking for more inforamtion about Vancouver BC come on over to our main site Things To Do Vancouver and find out where all the best attractions are, best restaurants and where to stay.