Winter??? What's this winter you speak of???
Oh.... I see.... I guess you mean that slush that we get in Vancouver
Seriously though I spent some of last winter in southern Alberta and the snow from what I observed was the "dry" kind and also the winds seemed to blow the snow relatively well however gear was still needed to remove/clear snow.
Shemagh or toque (I have a fleece one from MEC) for head, GOOD jacket, mittens, snow pants (or you can do what I do sometimes and wear long john polypro and some thicker pants), and a pair of good boots is all you need.
For boots I personally bought some hiking boots from Coast Mountain Sports. They ran me about $100. Composite toe, steel shank, and relatively insulated so I can I can keep my feet warm.
Also for mittens the ones that have the one pocket for 4 fingers and one pocket for your thumb are the best since your fingers are side by side and will keep your hands warmer.