Look for the first extreme cold warning of the season over the next two days. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Mackenzie Screamer

‘Mackenzie Screamer’ sends temperatures tumbling to extreme cold levels in Prince Albert

Dec 5, 2022 | 11:18 AM

“Cold, and very cold.”

Those were the words Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang used to describe the weather coming into Prince Albert over the next two days. A quick look at the forecast shows just how right she is.

Prince Albert is heading toward its first extreme cold warning of the season as temperatures are expected to plummet overnight. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a one-night freeze either.

“It does look like it will meet the criteria, which is you have to get down to windchill values of -40 C for at least two hours,” Lang said. “That will be met probably in the overnight period and through the morning. You’ll probably see some recovery in windchill values into Tuesday afternoon, and then we’re looking for the cold air to surge once again.”

The coldest air is on the way for tomorrow evening, with temperatures expected to dip below -35 C even before the windchill factors in. During the day, about the warmest it will get is -26 C.

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“There’s going to be a push of cold Arctic air moving in again,” Lang said. “When we get these little systems moving through, we often get a little blast of cold air behind it. That’s what’s happening, and of course when the skies clear that allows for any warmth that there is to radiate off into space.”

As is so often the case in Saskatchewan, this represents a quick turnaround. On Sunday, the daytime high was around -4 C. Just 24 hours later, the temperature isn’t likely to get above -25 C.

“We had a little bit of a weather system move through, what we call a Mackenzie Screamer,” Lang said, “which means it forms in the Mackenzie Valley and then whistles through usually the central part of the province, bringing a little bit of light snow and then a big push of Arctic air in behind it.”

According the Lang, the jet stream is poised almost right over Saskatchewan, keeping the warm air out of the area and allowing cold air to flow into the province. The good news is, some mild relief is on the way starting on Wednesday.

“When we get more westerly winds from the jet stream, we get a sort of return flow of milder air, chinook winds if you like,” Lang said. “It will start chinooking in Alberta so they’ll be happy to hear that. We get sort of the tail end of that.”

Lang added it’s important to dress in layers over the next couple of days and limit the amount of time you spend outside if at all possible.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP