Extreme cold warnings cover Western Canada

(Vancouver) Weather warnings or special weather statements are posted in every province and territory in Canada, except Manitoba, as winter storms or extreme cold herald the official start of winter.

Environment Canada says wind chill readings across all of Alberta and more than half of Saskatchewan will make it look like -40°C or even colder, while parts of northern Alberta, Yukon and Northwest Territories will experience a wind chill of -50°C.

The cold is expected to continue for the rest of the week and the weather agency says 20 daily low temperature records were set in Alberta on Tuesday, along with three in the Yukon, including a record -49.2°C at Watson Lake , breaking a mark established 67 years ago.

In Ontario, Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for the entire southern half of the province and parts of the north, ahead of an expected storm later this week.

Southern Ontario is expected to receive rain or snow late Thursday, which could change to rain in many areas early Friday, after which temperatures are expected to drop, bringing the risk of a quick freeze. .

Blizzard conditions are possible late Friday through the weekend for areas downwind of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay in southern Ontario.

In northern Ontario, snowfall is expected to begin Thursday in areas near Lake Superior and reach James Bay on Friday.

Homeless people in danger

The arctic front pushing frigid air south also extends across British Columbia, where extreme cold has already settled in parts of the province following heavy snowfall that grounded planes, blocked roads and delayed ferries.

More than a dozen daily minimum temperature records were set in British Columbia on Tuesday, including -47C west of Williams Lake, as arctic flows numb usually balmy regions like Victoria and Greater Vancouver where wind chill values ​​are expected to reach -20°C.

Crown corporation BC Housing, which operates under the Ministry of Housing, has opened emergency heat stops in communities across the province amid fears the extreme conditions could be deadly for vulnerable residents in the province .

Nicole Mucci of the Union Gospel Mission, an organization that advocates for the homeless in Vancouver, says deaths have occurred every year the city has experienced a heavy snowfall or deep freeze, with homeless residents using candles or heaters to keep warm.

“This is something that concerns us deeply,” said Ms.^me Mucci. No one should have to choose between potentially freezing to death or putting their life at risk to stay warm. »

Environment Canada warns that extremely cold temperatures and high winds could bring temperatures between -20°C and -30°C in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

In-person exams have been canceled for a second consecutive day at the University of Victoria.

The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology were on schedule Wednesday after canceling in-person exams Tuesday.

Freezing temperatures in Alberta prompted the province’s electrical system operator to declare a grid alert, its second in two days.

Alberta’s power system operator recorded unprecedented new peak demand on Monday, but continued extreme cold, high demand and an unplanned outage prompted the alert.

The agency is preparing to use emergency supplies to meet demand and is suggesting residents reduce consumption to avoid harsher conservation measures, including rotating blackouts.

A network alert signifies that the operator is preparing to use emergency reserves to meet demand and maintain system reliability.

Highs for the day Wednesday were -32°C in Grande Prairie, -27°C in Edmonton and -25°C in Calgary with overnight wind chills of -40°C.

Chaos at the airport

Vancouver Airport says winter weather caused an unprecedented number of flight cancellations on Tuesday, with only a minimal number of flights departing in the afternoon.

Motorists have been encouraged to avoid non-essential travel and BC Ferries has canceled ferries for many routes.

The woes of travelers stranded in snow at Vancouver airport extend across the country.

Toronto Pearson International Airport is reporting an approaching storm that could derail things further. Hundreds of Air Canada flights have already been canceled due to bad weather in recent days, the airline said.

A statement from Vancouver International Airport said it halted international arrivals for about 48 hours to deal with “congestion” caused by 27 centimeters of snow that fell on Tuesday.

This restriction, which affects 17 airlines and around 30 flights, is due to be lifted at 5 a.m. Friday.

Vancouver airport officials released another statement later in the day on Tuesday, saying improved weather conditions and the work of crews clearing runways has resulted in an increase in takeoffs and landings. However, delays and cancellations are expected to continue.

At Pearson, officials are advising travelers to check with their airline as flight operations could be affected by a storm expected to arrive on Thursday that could cause a quick freeze or blizzard conditions the next day.

According to an Air Canada statement, nearly 600 flights have not been flown in the past five days.

Around 935 Air Canada flights depart worldwide every day, the company says, with a flight completion rate “well over” 98% since the start of December.

Over the past five days, that rate has dropped to 87.25% due to storms in Ontario and British Columbia.

Air Canada said travelers must rebook online if their flight is cancelled, while WestJet is offering a full refund to passengers who proactively choose to cancel.

According to a statement from WestJet, 86 flights have been canceled so far on Wednesday, a number expected to rise as the day progresses. The company said 240 flights were grounded on Tuesday due to disruptions in Vancouver and freezing temperatures in Calgary and Edmonton, while 250 flights were canceled on Sunday and Monday.