Subscribe to our daily newsletter
(Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)
Dangerously cold

Dangerously cold snap continues across Saskatchewan

Dec 10, 2019 | 9:43 AM

The dangerously cold weather isn’t expected to ease much over the next week or so.

We won’t break the -20 C mark today, and wind chills in the -40 C range are anticipated overnight tonight and into tomorrow.

“We are expecting this dome of cold air to stay over the next couple of days,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang. “Through the day today and overnight tonight, really cold temperatures, dangerously cold temperatures.”

Lang said some of the extreme cold warnings in effect for northern and eastern Saskatchewan could expand to central areas later today.

Wind chills in the central region are expected to be around -42 C overnight, and that can freeze skin within minutes.

The criteria for an extreme cold warning in northern Saskatchewan is -45 C, and Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting wind chills to hover between -45 C and -50 C overnight tonight.

Lang said it’s vital to dress properly during periods of extreme cold.

“That means covering your extremities…hat, mit, good boots, as well as dress in layers,” Lang said. “It’s actually the air between the layers that insulates you and keeps you warm so dress appropriately, don’t be outside if you don’t have to be for any length of time.”

Travelling with an emergency kit in the vehicle is recommended, especially in the dangerous conditions.

Lang said a weather system is expected to move through the province overnight Wednesday into Thursday, bringing with it periods of snow and slightly warmer temperatures.

“Then we’ll see some more cold air push in for the weekend, and then a slow moderation next week to maybe above seasonal by midweek, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed for that,” Lang explained.

When the temperature is reaching the -30 C range, Lang said it doesn’t take much of a breeze to jack up those windchills.

“A wind less than 10 km/h can create a high windchill,” she said. “Even you walking or riding a bike, you’re creating your own windchill as you move along.”

The normal high for this time of year is around -11 C, with the lows generally at -21 C.

cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974

View Comments