Surviving the Polish Winter

Do any of you guys have any tips for getting through the polish winter? I've never been to the country before and was wondering what it's actually like.

I've heard it can get as low as -20C, i don't know if this is an exaggeration or not. Do people avoid heading out at nights due to extreme cold, or is it tolerable providing you have the right clothing?

I'm moving to Poland next month and was wondering whether to purchase myself some warm clothing before flying over, however i think it would be just as easy to buy stuff like that in Poland.

Sometimes lower.


It's not always freezing. Last winter was quite mild. I would say some people stay at home when it's bad. I don't though.


You'll only need a warm coat, sweater and some good footwear.

It can get cold, but at the same time the streets might be dry with no snow.

There's no hope...

Unless you have a long shaggy white coat.......

In Wroclaw It's not so bad...

True. The cold can possibly last for a couple of months, but we don't seem to get much snow.

Temperatures below minus 10 [in Wroclaw] don't usually last more than a few days.

afc1903, Where are you moving to ? nearest city ?

For -12°C you need not dress like an eskimo :) Just grab a desent coat and some warm shoes. I survive the Norwegian winters ,and i always wear jeans and a wintercoat ,even in -30°C. :)

cheers for the info folks.

the biggest problem during Polish winter is not the temperature, but the wind,
you'll be fine with -10 C and a little sun, but you'll freeze to the bones with -1 C and North/East wind from Arctic area or Siberia

And what about Krakow?

Krakow is close to the mountains. So, colder.

I would argue with that - even though Krakow is close to the mountains, it's down South of Poland too so I think an average winter temperature in Krakow is one of the warmest in Poland.

learn about layering. find synthetic fabrics or go with wool. look into good windbreaker.. poland winter isn't all that tough. canada or skandi winters can be worse. i camp all year round and hardly ever get cold.. i was a tad on the cool side when i camped at -30F.. otherwise it's no biggie.

check this out:

static.backcountry.com/images/items/medium/TNF1865/WTBLK.jpg

backcountry.com/store/TNF1865/The-North-Face-WindWall-Thermal-Jacket-M ens.html?CMP_ID=SH_NXT001&CMP_SKU=TNF1865&mv_pc=r147&CP=%20NexTag&CMP= SPC-NexTag&ATT=TNF1865&GCID=C2000x031&keyword=TNF1865+windwall+thermal +jacket+men#

i have one that's similar and i sweated hard in the coldest part of the winter last year (around 0F)

As everyone had been saying, it's not a big deal. Once the temperature gets below -5 or there abouts it doesn't really feel any different, even if it's -20. For everyday walking about you just need a good jumper and a sensible coat and you'll be fine. I highly recommend a hat too. A good hat can work wonders (by good I mean one that covers your ears).

I think you're from the UK, so you're probably worrying about if it will be cold indoors. Have no fear, most places in Poland have extremely effective heating and insulation - unlike back in Blighty where central heating is generally pathetic and double-glazing is regarded as a luxury. These people know what their doing when it comes to building warm places to live.

I agree.... The UK is uselss for any kind of extreme temperature. in the winter everywhere is too cold, in the summer there is no air conditioning.

If it happens without warning then people talk of little else....
English people are obsessed with the weather and yet they are always so surprised when anything happens like rain or snow.... dafty english! hehe

Some facts for the Brit Bashers.
The UK has a temperate maritime climate so we don't have extreme cold.
UK public buildings, shops and workplaces have more air conditioning and what private homes have is a matter of personal choice - but double glazing has been a mandatory minimum requirement on new buildings for many years.

Brits talk about weather because it is more changeable than continental weather and therefore more interesting.

Here are the FACTS for London and Warsaw:

bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003790

bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT004140

Precipitation is greater in London but only for 5 more days than Warsaw and since London is warmer, it doesn't fall as snow. Humidity is always greater in Warsaw, so I'd rather be "daft" and dry, than Hot/Frozen and bathed in sweat.

My Warsawarian friends always ask after the English weather, usually because they are envious in their sweaty offices.
Oh, and the UK has more convertible cars on the streets than Poland too, especially in the south.

Note that the UK only has a "meteorological office" while Poland has an "Institute of meteorology and water management" - so who is obsessed now?

Isn't that just a question of terminology? Come on, you're not seriously telling us that The Home Office is called that because it is deemed to be less than a Ministry? Hey? ;-)

The "Met Office doesn't claim to "manage" anything, but the Polish "Water Management" is a claimed activity and judging by the frequent flood damage, their "management" is not working.

This is nothing, down here in Puławy 2 years ago, we recorded -36C, admittedly, this is quite rare but it does happen, and strangely enough, it doesn’t feel that cold because it is a very dry cold. Sometimes you can even see snow coming out of the air when there are no clouds, where the moisture freezes and falls, now that’s weird.

We seem to be straying further and further from the point here. If there is a point. I just felt like stating that names of institutions are just that, names, and cannot reflect any imagined or real national characteristics such as obsession with the weather etc.

Lots of really important and serious institutions in Britain are called Office.
Lots of really important and serious institutions in Poland are called Instytut.
Just a different tradition.
On a related note, I think both the British and Polish are obsessed with the weather. It's always too wet / hot / cold / whatever. And everyone's always genuinely surprised when it snows in December. ;-)

And yours worked great this summer...

Who's a Brit basher? I AM British.

Let's talk about London fog :))

You realize the guy who started this thread got bored and wandered off weeks ago.

Only until the Gulf Stream changes as it is predicted (by some) to do.

Just wanted to add a question here - could someone suggest the proper shoes to wear during winter, both for office and outside the office? thanks.

If the weather is a bad, meaning deep snow, wear some sort of boots and carry your shoes into work.
But, the authorities are pretty quick when it comes to clearing the streets of snow.
I usually wear trainers year round, unless I'm in a suit and then it's regular footwear.

You are not visiting another planet. We can deal with snow.

Take no notice of what others say...you need eskimo snow shoes , a fur coat, and a spear for hunting seals and fighting off polar bears....OFFICE...YOU MEAN IGLOO DON,T YOU...?

depends where you are flying from. If from the USA, buy it there, clothing is cheaper in the states.


it can, but not that often. the coldest areas in Poland are the northeast, then the east and southeast. northwest and southwest have milder winters.