Weather and activities in Toronto

November 1, 2006 10:41 PM

What's the weather in Kingston, Ontario like in late November?

I'll be travelling to Kingston and Toronto in late November. I live in New Mexico, so I don't really have much of an idea of cold weather. What kind of clothing should I bring?

Also, is there anything fun to do in Toronto over a weekend? What should I see?

posted by pravit to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

Wet and windy. Kingston is super, super windy. Bring a waterproof winter coat, a warm hat (touque) and scarf and some waterproof shoes. It will probably be in the low 30s F, or possibly the mid-high 20s. It may snow. Kingston is a very pedestrian-friendly city if you're staying downtown or at the university.

weather for Kingston
weather for Toronto
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:47 PM on November 1, 2006

In a word: shitass.

As for Toronto, it depends what you like to do and what weekend it is. There are numerous threads about Toronto in general--check the archives--and nowtoronto.com, eyemagazine.com, and blogto.com might be of interest.
posted by dobbs at 11:00 PM on November 1, 2006

After Halloween the temperature seems to drop significantly—or more accurately, the temperature settles down to about 0-5C (between 30-40F), with nighttime lows down to the mid 20s. I wouldn't worry too much about snow, as the big stuff doesn't ever seem to hit until December at the earliest.

The key is layers. This should get you through most of the weather you're likely to encounter: a leather/ski jacket or long winter coat (think peacoat, not sub-zero parka); a fleece or warm hoodie; sweater or long-sleeve shirt; t-shirt or undergarment of your choice. Jeans are about the bare minimum for this time of year; anything thinner and you'll need long underwear to be comfortable (actually, longjohns wouldn't be so bad with jeans either). A second pair of pants will do in a pinch (or, in my case, an entire Kingston winter). Shoes that are warm will be important, along with toasty socks. I leave the choice of toque or no toque to you, but it's nice to have. Gloves or pockets as necessary. If you have neither a toque nor gloves, just hit up a local downtown store for what you need.

As for Toronto, what's your fancy? Plenty of stuff to do in the city, though if you're outdoorsy you might have a problem (Toronto is only marginally milder than Kingston, and even that's debatable). I'd add Torontoist to the list of sites to hit up, and Chromewaves if you're into music.
posted by chrominance at 11:44 PM on November 1, 2006

I lived in Kingston for a few years until this year.
Best advice, just skip the horrible little hick town of Kingston and go directly on to Toronto. And don't buy into the hype about Queen's--it's just a bunch of rich, bratty snobs. The cool bar ratio is far too low to counter balance that.

Kingston being right at the bottom end of lake Ontario means there's a lot of wind, clouds, and precipitation--the most clinically depressing weather I've ever endured. Last Halloween there was already snow on the ground.
posted by archae at 12:51 AM on November 2, 2006

Kingston is fucking cold, fucking ugly, and fucking depressing.

As for what to do in Toronto... it's a metropolitan area of 3 million people, give or take. What would you like to do?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:24 AM on November 2, 2006

I have lived in Kingston for 16 years and am currently attending the university for a graduate degree (no bratty snob here). The weather in Nov. is, as the others said, cold and windy and possibly wet. Not the nicest weather but if you're dressed appropriately then you'll be fine (above is an excellent post about layering). I would add that a scarf is mandatory. A nice warm one if you have, not silk.

The university is packed with rich kids who have entitlement issues but what university isn't? I highly recommend a walk around the campus as there are some lovely buildings and a nice little art gallery. The downtown neighbourhoods are also filled with interesting houses, if that's your thing.

Things to see or eat in Kingston:
-Minotaur Games on Princess St. (this is the main downtown street)
-Cooke's Fine Foods on Brock St. (one st. east of Princess - I love this store hard)
-Pan Chancho Cafe or Chez Piggy for lunch (same owner)
-Chien Noir if you want a french bistro
-Aqua Terra if you like comtemporary cuisine (in the Radison [Ramamda?] hotel)
-Kingston Brew Pub off Ontario St. (the one along the water) for microbrewed beer
-Wooden Heads (fancy pizza and excellent for dinner - one of my favs)
-Royal Military College (across the bridge - kinda far away but still nice)

That's all I'm going to include for now. If you want more info feel free to email me (in profile).
posted by LunaticFringe at 5:55 AM on November 2, 2006 [1 favorite]

I would also like to recommend Chez Piggy for a proper meal while in Kingston. I'd almost make it a must.
posted by furtive at 6:33 AM on November 2, 2006

Oh, the ferry in Kingston to Wolfe Island is free, and there's a bakery on the island near the ferry, and not much else so at least you can get a pastry for the ride back.
posted by furtive at 6:34 AM on November 2, 2006

As for weather, you'll need a coat on top of your sweater, and you'll want gloves (or warm deep pockets) and something for your head/ears if you plan on spending any time walking outside. It shouldn't be uncomfortably cold, and it probably won't be a winter wonderland so you don't need a big parka and probably not even a scarf.
posted by furtive at 6:36 AM on November 2, 2006

On November 19 there's the The Santa Claus Parade in Toronto.

It's the world's worst website but the world's best parade. (2004 photoset, 2005 photoset)
posted by booner at 6:41 AM on November 2, 2006

Archae: saying queen's is full of nothing but rich bratty snobs makes you sound incredibly ignorant. Try talking to some people there instead of just 'buying into the hype' of its reputation, as you've done yourself. (I'm a queen's grad, if you can't tell!)

So: the weather in kingston is crappy. It is damp and cold. Bring layers, a scarf, gloves. Toronto will be cold too, but not as cold as kingston, and not nearly as damp.

I wish your first trip to Canada was sometime from May to september! You'd get a much better first impression!

That being said, Kingston is quite pretty, and Toronto has lots to see and do. Have fun!
posted by Kololo at 6:47 AM on November 2, 2006

Oh, and furtive: apparently Chez Piggy has closed! It was good though.
posted by Kololo at 6:47 AM on November 2, 2006

Kololo: Not according to their website. Where did you hear this?
posted by LunaticFringe at 6:55 AM on November 2, 2006

City of Toronto Special Events page.

Good events listings in the free weekly: www.nowtoronto.com
posted by ChuckLeChuck at 7:29 AM on November 2, 2006