I'd definitely choose the rain. It's a bit selfish, as we are quite high up anyway, but even at -1 and below, i don't like scraping the windscreen and driving on icy roads. Especially as i am in and out of the car all the time.
Ah ! I have crossed over Niagara Falls a few times, in my journey to see friends in Michigan from the East Coast. Its a short-cut I suppose. Although I haven't been to Toronto, I have seen it on the horizon ! I have never visited the Falls in winter though...I have seen photos and it looks marvelous ! I did stay at Niagara-on-the-Lake once ...very nice ! So much nicer than the Yankie side ( opps ! )
Shrug it off, Humber... the perks for living where and as I do certainly overcome the time limited weather concerns. A few days down the road a
Chinook wind will start blowing and the temperature can rise as much as 50 degrees (F) overnight... a sight and experience to behold. Otherwise it's the reason why Mother nature provides goose down and wool...
By the way, in most cases, the homeless are well cared for here. I can imagine there are some in large cities that don't wish to identify themselves and sleep out in the cold, though. Many churchs here make late night patrols to seeks them out and bring them in, if they want to.
Ohhh, there's a memory....Loved to see the Chinook arch arrive when we lived in Calgary.....the snow melted and the temperature rose..a wonderful and welcome sight...x
to answer the OP: Americans are better set up for it. They get cold every winter - not this cold, but they've got the insulation and the equipment to deal with it.
Britain isn't prepared for a long series of heavy storms like we've been having - I can't remember so many before. You have to ask if the public would stand for the expenditure necessary to buy anti-weather gear that might only be used once in 30 years.
I'm on the east coast of the US at the mo. It's minus god knows what and everyone is bundled up in thick clothing but this afternoon I saw a girl walking down the street in the shortest mini skirt and tights. They build them tough here
Years back I worked with a guy who had been on the Russian front in WW2.
Every time we said it was cold he would reply '' NO, Is Not cold! Cold is when your piss freeze before it hits the ground''