While in Quebec the mercury exceeds the freezing point in several places, the provinces of Western Canada must endure extreme cold. An “extreme wind chill” of -55 is forecast for some areas.
Environment Canada has issued alerts for nearly all of Alberta, Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba and northern Ontario. Yoho National Park and the Elk River Valley in British Columbia, as well as four regions of the Northwest Territories are also affected by an alert.
In the Northwest Territories, wind chills can reach -55 and are expected to persist throughout the weekend.
In Manitoba, the wind chill is expected to ease over the course of the day to range between -30 and -40. Tonight and tonight, the cooling will again be between -40 and -50.
The weather is expected to improve in Alberta today, bringing an end to “extreme wind chill”. In Saskatchewan, the “episode of extraordinarily cold weather” continues.
Caution
Environment Canada asks citizens living in these provinces to be careful.
“Frostbite that can occur within minutes is a constant danger in these conditions,” reads the website.
“Watch for symptoms associated with the cold: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and change in color of the fingers and toes.”