First, about me. I am a small man, in between a boys' XL and a men's S. I bought the boys' XL in lieu of the $200 Men's Small Varius Guide jacket i was contemplating before. At $130, it was a bargain, and add to that a $30 coupon from D13k's Sporting Goods, It was a STEAL at around $109.The jacket doesn't have the features that a big-boy North Face would, such as a removable hood, (doesn't even stow away on this model unfortunately..) no pit-zips, and the zippers aren't taped at all. Add to that the fleece was too small on me, and it wasn't very warm. I got chilly standing outside my car in 55 degree weather! Seemed very thin and papery. Together they hold up OK, but wasn't as warm as I thought it would be. They definitely skimped on the fleece. I could barely fit it into it. Fitting into the shell alone was fine. The arms were shorter than expected and it all has to do with the way the fleece zips into the jacket. The fleece is too small for the jacket and it pulls the sleeves towards the body making for an uncomfortable fit at the arms. I tried living with it, but just couldn't. It was way too annoying. When it rained, the hood would kind of bunch up on the brim area and I got an unexpected splash of cold rain water to the face. Jacket did not pass the shower test because the non-taped zippers started to leak. Bad news in the snow or torrential downpours.. The severe lack of features for the price ultimately made me return it.All in all, for a kid playing in some snow or going to school, this is a high end luxury jacket. Just not what I was looking for. To be honest, I think that for the expense you're paying, (especially for a child) there are better options, even at a department store. This one is simply expensive because of the name brand. Picked up the full-featured Varius last week, and couldn't be happier. Twice as much, but at least I can take off the hood, for pete's sake.. Peace of mind knowing I just picked up quality and performance? Priceless. Now, excuse me while I hit the trails!

According to a live chat with North Face they don't rate any of there coats for temp ratings. Here is what I asked/ answered:
Is it for severe cold conditions? If not, i need to return it.
Jacob S.: It will be good for standard to mildly harsh conditions. I wouldn't say severe.

Beautiful coat but the liner is so paper thin that I can't imagine this keeping someone warm during New England winters. Also the liner might be "fleece" but it's not what I generally think of as fleece. It's more of a thin, almost rubber-like fabric. Not something that I would wear alone. I ended up exchanging it for something a little warmer. This coat would be good for use during a high activity sport, such as spring skiing or winter x-country, but not for standing around at the bus stop in January.