It could be very cold in winter. vs It can be very cold.

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'It could be very cold in winter' implies a possibility or likelihood of cold weather specifically in winter. 'It can be very cold' is a more general statement about the potential for cold weather at any time. They are comparable but have nuanced differences in meaning.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 5953 views

It could be very cold in winter.

This phrase is correct and commonly used to express the possibility or likelihood of cold weather in winter.

This phrase is used to talk about the potential for cold weather specifically in the winter season.

Examples:

It could be very cold in winter, so make sure to bundle up.
In this region, it could be very cold in winter due to the high altitude.
It could be very cold in winter, but sometimes we get lucky with milder temperatures.
She always prepares for the worst because it could be very cold in winter.
It could be very cold in winter, so we need to check the heating system.

Show examples from the web [+]

People often lose their way in the dark). We use the modal could as the past tense of can: It could be very cold in winter. (= Sometimes it was very cold in winter.)
It could be very cold in winter. (=Sometimes it was very cold in winter.) You could lose your way in the dark. (=People often lost their way in the dark). We use ...
May 29, 2014 ... Example: It could be very cold in winter. (=Sometimes it was very cold in winter.) ( Possibility). We use could have to show that something is/was ...
Apr 6, 2015 ... We use the modal could as the past tense of can: • It could be very cold in winter. (= Sometimes it was very cold in winter.) You could lose your ...

Alternatives:

It might be very cold in winter.
It is likely to be very cold in winter.
It may be very cold in winter.
It is possible that it will be very cold in winter.
It is probable that it will be very cold in winter.

It can be very cold.

This phrase is correct and commonly used to express the general potential for cold weather.

This phrase is used to talk about the possibility of cold weather without specifying a particular season.

Examples:

It can be very cold in this part of the country.
During the rainy season, it can be very cold in the evenings.
Depending on the altitude, it can be very cold at night.
In some regions, it can be very cold even in summer.
When the wind blows, it can be very cold outside.

Show examples from the web [+]

We use the modal can to make general statements about what is possible: It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold in winter) You can easily lose ...
Possibility. We use the modal can to make general statements about what is possible: It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold in winter) You can ...
Jan 6, 2014 ... It can be very cold in one part of the world and very hot in another at the exact same time. (Sometimes the exact same weather event can do ...
Mar 4, 2012 ... It can be very cold. Or not so much. Check weather daily and pack with layers! Edited: 3:04 pm, March 04, 2012. Report inappropriate content.

Alternatives:

It may be very cold.
It is possible that it will be very cold.
It is likely to be very cold.
It might be very cold.
It is probable that it will be very cold.

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It could be very cold in winter. vs It can be very cold.