Packing for my move.... winter weather clothes?

I tried searching, and I went to weather underground for a review of weather history for Taiwan, too.

But its always best to ask the “natives”.

Winter Weather… do I really need to pack winter coats, sweaters? Coming to Taipei soon… staying for a long, long time. I been told the weather is equal to Miami, Florida… so I assume you guys/gals have the same predictable weather all year round… humid, rainy, cloudy.

I researched back to Jan 1 2005… was quite surprised to read it say 45 degrees Farenheit.

wunderground.com/history/sta … atename=NA

I am a pretty hearty Northerner from the US. Actually I prefer cold weather… or Fall like weather.

Thanks in advance.

You’ll need some warm clothes for sure. Winter weather is usually around, what? About 13-15 degrees, but it sometimes drops to as low as 7 or 8. Sounds lovely, right? Almost balmy? :laughing:
Think again! Unlike where you’re coming from, the houses are basically unheated, plus the humidity makes it seem REAL chilly. Last time I visited the UK, we were getting nights of minus 20 and I swear, it still felt warmer than here.

Yeah, it gets in your bones. Pack a couple of decent sweaters at least.

[quote=“Andrew72”]I tried searching, and I went to weather underground for a review of weather history for Taiwan, too.

But its always best to ask the “natives”.

Winter Weather… do I really need to pack winter coats, sweaters? Coming to Taipei soon… staying for a long, long time. I been told the weather is equal to Miami, Florida… so I assume you guys/gals have the same predictable weather all year round… humid, rainy, cloudy.

I researched back to Jan 1 2005… was quite surprised to read it say 45 degrees Farenheit.

wunderground.com/history/sta … atename=NA

I am a pretty hearty Northerner from the US. Actually I prefer cold weather… or Fall like weather.

Thanks in advance.[/quote]

Eh, predictable, well, not really… But we have a pretty decent weather forecast service. :smiley: It ocassionally gets pretty hot in summer, but the humidity is what really bothers us. Think Florida… during a hurricane.

If you are going to be in Taipei for the winter, do not, I repeat, do not bring leather jackets. Humidity will make a mess of them, and extra special care will be required.

There is no central heating system, no insulation in most houses, and the humidity factor makes any chill a bone piercing knife. Not cool. Long johns and a couple of thermal clothing/blankets -or a nice feather down, if you already have it- would be welcome. Nothing that requires a lot of care, though.

Take it from someone who come sfrom a place of eternal spring: weather here will be mostly a foe, not a friend. But fall is nice… all three days of it.

BTW, this year the weather has been really weird. No typhoons yet. I’d dare to say winter will arrive well into December, so if you are planning to come, say, September, summer clothes will be your friend.

edit:
and a nice pair of waterproof boots… like rubber ones, if your feet are big. Remember: it rains a lot, really lot. Sidewalks and roads may overflow during typhoons, and teh season has not started yet…

[button]Central Weather Bureau,http://cwb.gov.tw/eng/index.htm[/button] : Taiwan weather

Big brand hiking gear/clothing is relatively expensive in Taiwan.

[quote=“Icon”]Take it from someone who comes from a place of eternal spring: weather here will be mostly a foe, not a friend. But fall is nice… all three days of it.[/quote]Take it from someone who comes from a place of near-eternal drizzle and gloom. The weather here is better than in the UK except for three summer days a year!

Except Taipei gets London drizzle (but with no heated homes) from Jan to April and mostly continuously. I found ONE leather jacket to be my second skin all winter but in summer leave the thing in your car , because it will grow mold in hours if hung in your closet ! Oh it will grow mold in seconds if left in the closet in winter too. LIke leather? Wear it or keep it in the car.

[quote=“sandman”]You’ll need some warm clothes for sure. Winter weather is usually around, what? About 13-15 degrees, but it sometimes drops to as low as 7 or 8. Sounds lovely, right? Almost balmy? :laughing:
Think again! Unlike where you’re coming from, the houses are basically unheated, plus the humidity makes it seem REAL chilly. Last time I visited the UK, we were getting nights of minus 20 and I swear, it still felt warmer than here.[/quote]
Absolutely! Winter in Montreal was far more comfortable than winter here. In a civilized land, during the winter it’s cold OUTSIDE. Here, they open the windows because “you need fresh air.”

In addition to the rest, bring THICK WOOL SOCKS and decent slippers! No insulation + little carpeting + concrete construction = a floor that radiates cold. And yet many people here walk about bare foot, save for a pair of plastic foam flip-flops.

In Taipei, the winter weather is winter in San Francisco, the rest of the year is the rest of the year in Miami.

Agree with all the above except the leather part. Just make sure to keep your room dry with a dehumidifier or aircon and you’ll be fine. Also keep the jacket away from other articles of clothing. You can’t jam stuff all together.

The OP is from the northern part of the USA. I guess then he will think most of the year is unbearably hot and humid in Taipei. But it can get cold in the winter, and as others have pointed out, the same temperature seems colder in Taipei than it would back home because of the humidity and the lack of heating.
So I wouldn’t bring much for winter clothing, but I would definitely have one heavier jacket (not necessarily a winter jacket - it doesn’t need to be down or down-like) and a few sweaters. Rubber boots might be a good idea too - it rains a lot.

I will be going to Taipei in October for a few months and many people are talking about clothes for “winter”. Is that soley December thru January or does it include a little of November as well? I’m going to bring rain boots and a bomber jacket, will that do or should I bring a little more? I’m trying to NOT overpack, so any advice on what clothes to bring from October thru the end of December would be awesome. :bow:

No leather jackets, no wool -humidity absorbing- heavy jackets.

The best one I had here had a removable lining. Easy peachy care.

Can’t tell you about the time of winter -should be November, but in this crazy times, who knows?

Don’t bother with heavy clothing, you’ll be sweating and freezing every five minutes, warm light clothing, layer on/off is best for winter.

[quote=“headhonchoII”]Don’t bother with heavy clothing, you’ll be sweating and freezing every five minutes, warm light clothing, layer on/off is best for winter.[/quote]Does it rain a lot during October-December? :ohreally:

Is there snow in the North Pole?

It is typhoon season, plus in winter it rains a lot. At least in Taipei. And the rest of the island too.

Like the OP, I’m currently packing for Taiwan, but will be in Kaohsiung. Does that change the situation significantly from what everybody has been saying about Taipei? My stay is going to be from September through June.

Yes. Winters are beautiful down there. Dry and warm. Usually mid 20s. Bring a light jacket, light sweaters or the occassional cold snap. Most of the time though you can wear light clothing (especially as your body is adapted to colder weather).

The last winter in Kaohsiung was perfect. Like 75F and sunny everyday perfect. What you will want is a couple of sweatshirts with waterproof shell. I was surprised by how often I wanted to wear a sweatshirt or at least long sleeves during the winter (in the evenings). Kaohsiung doesn’t get much rain in the winter while Taipei is the opposite. But even in Taipei you shouldn’t need a heavy jacket. Especially since when you get to where you are going you want to take the heavy jacket off since you’re coming out of the rain. But it still won’t be warm inside (no heater for the most part). A T-shirt, sweatshirt and a nice rainjacket is the best system imo.

Outside of work clothes for me (while in Taipei in winters) a leather jacket on top of a polo shirt and jeans did me just fine. In the few days when a cold front is passing thru add a pair of leather gloves and a ski cap. Its only really cold when the cold fronts from siberia (thru korea) hit for few days at a time.
South Taiwan has a very different weather to north Taiwan. Far less rain, far more sun and a great deal warmer. I dont think those guys get more then a month of winter if that.

An umbrella is a must for a great part of the year though up north.