(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Bundle up

Extreme cold warnings issued for most of province, temperatures to drop further this weekend

Feb 5, 2021 | 12:18 PM

For most of the winter, we’ve had it easy. It’s been unusually mild in Saskatchewan since December with few exceptions, but that is going to change.

As of Friday, most of the province is in an extreme cold warning, meaning temperatures of wind chill are expected to reach -40 Celsius for at least two hours.

And because we’ve been treated to such a mild and pleasant winter thus far, meteorologist Terri Lang with Environment Canada said this cold snap could feel even colder.

“We’ve been running way above average, so I think it’s going to feel colder because of that,” Lang said. “But when you look at the records for the day, this is quite on par with Saskatchewan winters. Februarys are often extremely cold, and running records around this time are in the mid-minus 40s. So we know this is not that all unusual.”

Lang anticipates that Sunday and Monday could be the coldest days. The forecast for Sunday in Prince Albert is a high of -29 C and a low of -38 C at night. Melfort has a similar forecast, with a high of -27 C and a low of -37 C.

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“The deepest of the cold will probably be on Sunday and Monday, then we’ll get a slight reprieve but not very much,” Lang said. “We’re going to get some clouds and a little bit of snow that will be coming in from the North East, which is an unusual pattern.”

Lang said all of Saskatchewan and most of Western Canada will go through a similar cold snap.

When temperatures drop to these low temperatures, Lang said frostbite can form on exposed skin in less than 15 minutes. That can be shortened by a strong wind as well.

“The windchills aren’t actually a temperature, they’re a measurement on how quickly frostbite can set in,” Lang said. “That’s why we issue extreme cold warnings when the temperature reaches -40 C, just because it can happen so quickly. People should limit their time outdoors, and if they are outdoors, they should cover up their extremities and face as much as they can.”

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW