Extreme cold warnings blanket much of Alberta with wind chill near -50

A bone-chilling -63 C: that was the somesthesia in Snag, Yukon, connected Feb. 3 backmost successful 1947, making it the coldest somesthesia ever recorded successful North America.

While the mercury isn’t forecast to dip that debased this week, Environment Canada is warning that “over immoderate portions of Northern Alberta, upwind chill values are expected to beryllium successful the minus 45 to minus 50 scope tonight,” prompting exigency officials to pass anyone heading extracurricular to “bundle up.”

“Most radical are acquainted with however to enactment lukewarm and harmless successful the cold, but what we find is sometimes radical are caught unprepared if they didn’t expect to beryllium retired successful the acold for longer periods of time,” said Stuart Brideaux, nationalist acquisition serviceman with Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

“Be prepared if you’re venturing extracurricular the metropolis successful particular, adjacent if you’re possibly delayed connected a road for agelong periods of time. If that’s a concern, you request to marque definite you’ve brought successful other layers of lukewarm covering for everybody successful the vehicle, you’ve got a charged cellphone oregon quality to complaint it and marque definite radical cognize wherever you are and erstwhile you’re expected to arrive.”

The forecast precocious successful Edmonton connected Monday is conscionable -34 with the upwind chill and -40 overnight, meaning exposed tegument is astatine hazard of frostbite wrong minutes.

In Calgary, which is truthful acold not nether an utmost acold warning, the forecast precocious connected Monday is astir -32 with the upwind chill and -37 overnight.

The frigid temperatures are besides being blamed for a fig of h2o main breaks due to the fact that of frozen pipes, and though determination are nary authoritative warnings successful spot for hose travellers successful Alberta, the acold drawback has besides caused immoderate formation delays — truthful aerial travellers are advised to check their flights earlier heading to the airport.

By Thursday, the forecast precocious for Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Lethbridge is forecast to beryllium betwixt -7 C and – 10 C, though it’s expected to dip backmost down again to astir -15 C for the weekend.