FREDERICTON — A cold air mass from the Arctic has caused temperatures to drop significantly in parts of Canada, from New Brunswick to eastern Alberta.
Peter Kimbell, a meteorologist at Environment Canada, explains that winds flowing from west to east cause arctic air to sometimes invade southern latitudes for a few days, before retreating north.
Extreme cold warnings are in effect across most of the country for a few days, with temperatures feeling -40°C in parts of Alberta, -45°C in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and -50°C. C in northern Ontario.
At 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, at the Val-d’Or regional airport, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a temperature of -23°C was recorded but a feeling of -30°C with the wind chill, according to Environment Canada .
In Montreal, 500 km further south, it was nearly -15°C on the thermometer Monday afternoon and -25°C with the wind factor. Environment Canada forecast for Tuesday night in the metropolis a 60% chance of snow showers and a minimum of -17°C, but close to -24°C with the wind chill. It should be a little colder Wednesday night.
In Quebec, a mix of sun and clouds was forecast for Tuesday with a 40% chance of snow showers in the morning. Taking into account wind chill, temperatures of -32°C in the morning and -25°C in the afternoon could be felt in the National Capital Region on Tuesday.
-The federal agency specifies that at these temperatures, you can suffer from frostbite within minutes.
Meteorologist Jill Maepea also points out that a weather system that developed on the east coast of the United States brought about 25 centimeters of snow Monday morning to southern New Brunswick and about 15 cm to certain areas of the Prince Edward Island.
Many schools across the Prairies and coastal Atlantic Canada have been closed due to cold and snow.
Police in areas affected by extreme weather are asking people to avoid non-essential travel, dress warmly when outdoors, make sure their gas tank is full and carry a winter driving survival kit – a shovel, blanket and jumper cables.
