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Bitterly cold Arctic air is flooding south into the Prairies, sending temperatures plunging across the region. The first taste of the bitter cold temperatures will be overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning. The worst of the cold, both in terms of air temperatures and wind chill, is expected to from the mid to late morning on Thursday, with many areas dealing with dangerously low values.

Air Temperature

Alberta can expect to be the most mild of the three provinces tonight and tomorrow morning, but this is very relative given how cold it will still be in some parts of the province. A majority of Southern Alberta, the Rockies and the Foothills will see low temperatures drop into the -10°C to -20°C range. As you move northeast, the air becomes colder, with Edmonton falling below -20°C. Cold Lake is expected to dip below -25°C, while Fort McMurray will have temperatures falling below -30°C.

In Saskatchewan, the “warmest” air will found in the Southwest, where the lows are expected to range from -20°C to -25°C. A large portion of the rest of Southern Saskatchewan, including Regina, will drop to into -25°C and -30°C range Thursday morning. Further north, including Saskatoon and surrounding areas, temperatures will fall below -30°C, though they should stay above -35°C.

Manitoba will see some of the most consistently cold air across the Prairies.. Much of the province is expected to bottom out between -30°C and -35°C. The main exception to this will be the extreme southwestern corner of Manitoba, where temperatures are expected to stay slightly warmer, hovering just above the -30°C mark.

Wind Chill

While many who live in the Prairies are used to cold temperatures in the winter, the wind will make the next few days feel even more harsh.

Brisk winds have been sustained at up to 30km/h across the Southern Prairies, but they will luckily ease throughout the remainder of the evening ahead of the coldest air. By the time the temperatures reach their lowest point Thursday morning, sustained winds should be lighter, at around 10-20km/h. Even so, with air this cold, it does not take much wind to bring wind chill values down significantly.

In Alberta, the comparatively milder temperatures will also translate to the least extreme wind chills. The winds will be very light through the Rockies and into the Foothills, limiting wind chill in those areas. Farther northeast, wind chills will drop steadily. It will feel colder than -20°C around Red Deer, -25°C in Edmonton, and -35°C in Cold Lake and Fort McMurray.

Most of Saskatchewan will be dealing with harsh wind chill values Thursday morning. Wind chills across much of the province will make it feel colder than -35°C. Regina and Saskatoon are both expected to see wind chills in the -40°C to -45°C range, while parts of Northern and Central Saskatchewan could see values approaching -50°C at times during the morning.

Manitoba will see fairly uniform wind chill values, much like the air temperatures.

There will be a bit of relief in the Northeast, where winds will be lighter, but for most of the province, wind chills values will range between -40°C and -45°C. Parts of Central Manitoba could see wind chills dip below -45°C, where winds are a bit stronger.

***Wind chills values and frostbite times based on air temperatures and wind speeds.***

With the wind chill values this low, it’s important to remember that frostbite can develop in as little as 10 minutes on exposed skin. Limiting time outdoors will be important, especially during the coldest part of Thursday morning. If you do need to be outside, dress in multiple warm layers and cover as much exposed skin as possible. Pets should be kept inside and it is also a good idea to keep an eye on any pipes that could be vulnerable to freezing during this prolonged cold.

This stretch of extreme cold is expected to continue into the weekend, with little relief during the day. We will continue to share updates on just how cold it is expected to get, along with when a slight warm up may arrive.