How Cold Does It Get?

[arielm]

Hi superpeople who are saving my sanity as we prep to move in June. I have been to BA many hot months, but never for winter. But, we're moving in late June.

So, how cold does it get? I read high 50s and that doesn't sound too cold - and rainfall is less in July than January. But, is it a damp-cold? Are you often outside freezing?

Do places crank up the heat so that you wear layers like the US North East?
Any tips wanted! We're a family with 2 young kids, me/mom and dad/a porteno who doesn't seem able to describe or remember things

GRACIAS!

 

[RichardP]

Rarely gets below freezing but feels a lot colder. Kind of a damp, bone chilling kind of cold.

 

[Yogur griego]

The wind is usually the problem. It can get relatively cold, so bring warm clothes like those you wear in any US winter.

It's a bit like northern/central Italy in my view (less cold than Northern Europe but still unpleasant), although there is almost never any snow in Buenos Aires.

Just to give you an example: I went to Barcelona in December and the nominal temperatures were the same as in Buenos Aires. However, the actual feel in Barcelona is much more pleasant and you won't find the windchill factor in winter there that dominates in Buenos Aires. I guess it's the anarctic winds.

 

[syngirl]

As far as outdoors, think Seattle/Vancouver, with less rain -- ie mostly days rising to around 12 degrees in winter, but when you get up in the morning it can be around 2/3 degrees celsius (today was 1.8 degrees at 7am), and the occasional morning of -2/-3 in the dead of winter. I wear a knee-length wool coat in the winter and am happy, rarely break out gloves and a hat would just be for fashion.

On our bed we use a duvet brought from Canada -- it is a "summer weight" duvet and does us well enough for winter here.

Indoors, the insulation on housing is nowhere near as good as North America -- often there are 1/2 inch gaps in the sliding windows etc! it's kind of crazy. The heating units provided are often not on par for the size of the room if you ask me. In our place for instance we have hot water heating -- however while the downstairs living room is twice the size of the bedrooms upstairs, the heating unit is the same size as the one in the master bedroom. Fortunately the air conditioning units are frio/calor and we use them as back up. Meanwhile in the hallways there is not a single air conditioner nor heating unit, so it is freezing.

Some places have radiant floor heating, but I find I'm always either in a house that is too cold or too hot -- our last place was the opposite of here, in 5 years we never once turned on our heat; our upstairs neighbour always has his floor heating cranked up and it heated our apartment -- I would literally be working in shorts and a tank top all through winter.

 

[Jaredberryman]

It doesn't get terribly cold but the humidity makes it feel much colder than it really is. If you are renting an apartment and have children, consider renting an apartment with a caldera. A caldera is radiant floor heating individualized, so you can control the temperature of your apartment. I have one in my apartment, and it spends very little gas to heat both the hot water and the apartment, so your utility bills are very very low. Most newer apartments have this system, and if it gets too hot, you can turn it off or lower the temperature.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Our heating is controlled by the portero...walls and floors are heated. I am usually too hot indoors!

Definitely cold, I am usually outside around 7am walking the dog, you definitely want to have a good warm coat but can get away without gloves and hats if you are used to a North American winter. Warms up during the day and drop quickly again at night, probably a greater spread of temps than I am used to from Europe so layers are good.

 

[Aleina Dee]

Layer dressing is definitely the way to go. For one the temperature vaies from winter to nice spring day in a few hours and goes right back to winter . Depending where you live you might be in control of your heating .In the stores however you might get a lot more heat than you would wish so layers ,definitely.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I use my Ikea down comforter that I brought down from NY when I go to bed. I sandwiched it between two blankets.
It gets cold here.

 

[DontMindMe]

Whether you think the BA winters are cold or not will depend on where you're from. I'm from the U.S. Gulf Coast, so I sort of chuckle when everyone complains in the summer but am not a big fan of the winter because I didn't really grow up with winter. With that said, having spent four winters in BA, I think some of these responses are a bit extreme. Bring the scarves, gloves and hats but don't expect to get a ton of use out of the gloves and hats at all. Midday you will often want to take of the coat entirely if you're walking a long distance and it's sunny out. I remember walking to work at 9 a.m. every morning and being surprised when I had to wear a hat and gloves four days in a row. That was considered a cold snap and everyone was whining about it. (Oh who am I kidding, they whine all winter long as if BA were the North Pole.) I never even owned a pair of knee-high boots in BA (mid-calf, yes), but you certainly wouldn't sweat if you brought them. The porteños will wear earmuffs when it's 60 degrees out, though. So you can wear a knee-length puffy coat, a hat, gloves, etc. and not look out of place if you're a person who isn't used to the cold, but I really don't think that kind of clothing is necessary. And again, I come from an extremely hot and humid climate so if anyone's a baby in the winter, it's me. BUT keep in mind the time that you will spend outside waiting for buses, etc. In that sense it's better to overdress sometimes.

I do agree about the insulation. That's the killer, especially if you don't have heating in your entire apartment. (Sometimes it's just in the living room, other times it's just in the bedrooms.) I would walk through the front door of one of my apartments and be able to feel the cold wind coming through the sides of the balcony doors across the living room, for example. This can be extremely unpleasant. But in movie theaters, stores, etc. they crank up the heat way too much, IMO.

 

[Lamb]

The wind is usually the problem. It can get relatively cold, so bring warm clothes like those you wear in any US winter.

It's a bit like northern/central Italy in my view (less cold than Northern Europe but still unpleasant), although there is almost never any snow in Buenos Aires.

Just to give you an example: I went to Barcelona in December and the nominal temperatures were the same as in Buenos Aires. However, the actual feel in Barcelona is much more pleasant and you won't find the windchill factor in winter there that dominates in Buenos Aires. I guess it's the anarctic winds.

Its the sea and the river that makes the horrible cold get in your bones. You as a Dutchie should know!