By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Lethbridge lands on Expedia Travel’s “Cities with the Most Miserable Winters” list

Dec 15, 2017 | 10:15 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Any true Albertan knows how to tough out winter; 
those lows down to -40 degrees celcius, blizzard-like conditions, sudden dumps of snow, and yes – those Chinooks – won’t keep us down. Most of the time.
 
But that kind of weather certainly isn’t for everyone. Expedia contributer and blogger Carolyn Albee has come up with a list of the top 15 cities with the most miserable winters in Canada, and Lethbridge is number 13 on that list.
 
Albee writes, “In the towns on our list, your eyelashes will freeze shut so fast you won’t know what hit you. Record snowfall? They’ve got that too.”
 
The article details the criteria Albee used, including “Frostbite Factor,” total average snowfall, the number of ways to stay warm, and “The Worst of the Worst” medal, which is awarded to towns/cities that hold national records. (Lethbridge did NOT get one of those)
 
While we know that Lethbridge doesn’t often have weather so cold your eyelashes and nosehairs will freeze, there was one major factor that got us on that list.
 
Those Chinooks.
 
Or as many people know, the “forget-about-brushing-your-hair-cover-your-eyes-if-you-wear-contact-lenses-secure-your-shirts-and-skirts-and-don’t-bother-wearing-a-hat-because-it’ll-end-up-in-the-middle-of-traffic” kind of days.
 
The Chinooks that Lethbridge experiences can often raise temperatures from -15 or -20 degrees celcius, to plus 10 to 15 degrees celcius in a matter of hours. And wind warnings from Environment Canada often describe gusts of 100 km per hour or higher.
 
It’s all part and parcel of living in southern Alberta. Right?
 
The review wasn ‘t all bad. In fact, Lethbridge’s “Frostbite Factor” was only one thermometre and there were only two “Let it Snow” icons. 
 
Lethbridge DID receive an impressive FOUR “Great Indoors” icons – meaning there are lots of great places in the city to get and stay warm.
 
So who made the top of the worst list? Baker Lake, Nunavut, with two “Let it Snow” icons, five “Frostbite Factor” thermometres, just one “Great Indoors” icon, and the “Worst of the Worst” medal as the blizzard capital of Canada.
 
Agree or disagree? See the list for yourself here. http://www.expedia.ca/travelblog/cities-miserable-winters-ranked/