Decided to follow the temperture in Nuuk. Actually mild compared to what I am
going through from the greater Montreal region...
Copilot:
Weather; does Nuuk, Greenland have warmer winters than Montreal, Canada? Clearly, Montreal's summers are warmer, but the winters... How bad does it get??
Nuuk’s winters are milder than Montreal’s — sometimes dramatically so — even though Nuuk is far north. Montreal’s continental climate produces far colder lows and longer deep freezes, while Nuuk’s coastal, maritime Arctic climate keeps winter temperatures closer to the freezing point.
Winter Temperature Comparison
Why Nuuk Is Warmer in Winter
Nuuk sits on the southwest coast of Greenland, heavily influenced by the ocean.
Maritime climates change temperature slowly, preventing the brutal deep freezes typical of inland North America.
Montreal, by contrast, is far south but landlocked, so Arctic air masses can plunge temperatures dramatically.
How “Bad” Nuuk’s Winters Get
Based on climate data:
Average highs in the coldest months hover around −5 °C.
Average lows bottom out around −10 °C to −11 °C.
Nuuk’s mean annual temperature is −3.9 °C, reflecting persistent coolness rather than extreme cold.
Snow and wind are common, but the temperature rarely reaches the brutal lows familiar to Quebec winters.
How “Bad” Montreal’s Winters Get (for comparison)
Deep freezes of −20 °C to −30 °C are normal.
Wind chills can push perceived temperatures into the −30s or −40s.
Montreal’s winter is longer, with more freeze–thaw cycles and harsher cold snaps.
Bottom Line
Yes — Nuuk’s winters are noticeably milder than Montreal’s, despite Nuuk being far north.
Nuuk is cold, snowy, and dark in winter, but not nearly as brutally cold as a typical Montreal January or February.
Montreal wins for summer warmth, but Nuuk wins for winter gentleness.
If you want, I can break down month‑by‑month comparisons or add wind, snowfall, or daylight differences — which are very dramatic between the two.
Could I see month for month comparisons ... and also daylight differences...
Yes — a month‑by‑month comparison makes the contrast between Nuuk and Montreal extremely clear: Nuuk is consistently milder in winter but dramatically darker, while Montreal is far colder but much brighter in mid‑winter.
The tables below use the best available climate summaries for Nuuk from recent sources . Montreal’s values come from long‑term Environment Canada normals (internal knowledge).
What jumps out
Nuuk’s coldest lows (~−11 °C) are warmer than Montreal’s typical winter days.
Montreal routinely hits −20 to −30 °C in cold snaps; Nuuk almost never does.
Nuuk’s summer is extremely short and cool; Montreal’s is hot and humid.
🌞 Daylight Comparison (Approximate)
Nuuk’s latitude (64°N) produces extreme seasonal daylight swings. Montreal (45°N) is much more moderate.
What this means in practice
Nuuk’s winter is dim, not brutally cold.
You get only ~4 hours of daylight in December.
Montreal’s winter is bright but harsh.
Even in January you still get ~9 hours of sun, but temperatures can be savage.
Summer flips the script: Nuuk gets near‑midnight sun; Montreal gets warm, long days but nothing extreme.
🧭 Overall Takeaways
Thermal comfort: Nuuk wins in winter; Montreal wins in summer.
Daylight: Nuuk is extreme — very dark winters, very bright summers.
Seasonality: Nuuk’s climate is “cold but stable”; Montreal’s is “warm summers, brutal winters.”
If you want, I can also add wind, snowfall, or wind‑chill comparisons, or build graphs to visualize the differences.
* * *
So people from Danemark would not feel too dispirited from a Nuuk winter...
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