Extreme cold warnings in effect across much of Canada

A polar vortex moving from the west affected Northern Ontario on Saturday before descending towards Toronto and extending towards Quebec and the Maritimes.

Extreme cold weather warnings (new window) are in effect over a large part of Canada, among other places, for the period from Saturday evening until Wednesday.

From Sunday to Wednesday, the Queen City should feel the temperatures that will be the coldest we have experienced this seasonsays Patrick de Bellefeuille, meteorologist at Météomédia.

Minimums of -17 or -18°C are expected Monday and Tuesday. Wind chills could reach -25 or -27, says Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng.

He emphasizes that it is already a much colder winter than the last one, when the effect The Child had contributed to unusually mild temperatures. The minimum recorded in January 2024 was -14°C.

Temperatures could be lower than those observed for several years. Remember that frostbite can occur within minutes on exposed skinwe can read on the Environment Canada website.

What is a polar vortex?

Polar vortices are domes of cold air that are generally confined to the poles.

Normally, there would be a temperature difference large enough between the North Pole and the Tropics for a jet stream to be created around this dome which will circumscribe it on the pole.explains M. de Bellefeuille.

Except what happens with climate change is that the pole warms so much that the temperature difference […] is smaller, the current is therefore less active. In doing so, it deforms more easily and lets this polar vortex flow over the regions, either in Russia, or over Northern Europe, or on our side, as is the case this time.

This vortex is particularly large, underline the two experts.

It covers a very, very large area. So, it’s not just Ontario, it’s also the United States, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, and also the Prairiesdit M. Cheng.

All warming centers open Saturday evening

Dr. Samuel Vaillancourt, emergency physician at the Hospital St. Michael’s of Toronto, says that caution is required for everyone during periods of extreme cold, to avoid frostbite and hypothermia.

The homeless, of course, are even more at risk [ainsi que] children, the elderly and people who are intoxicatedhe specifies.

The doctor says the most important thing is to keep your core body temperature elevated by wearing appropriate clothing and regularly sheltering in a warm place if possible.

Hot liquids are the most efficient way to warm up because the liquid transmits a lot of heat. So, teas, hot chocolates, all that can really helphe said.

He emphasizes that cold spells are always particularly busy times in emergency rooms.

The City is making additional places for certain shelters for very cold weather, but even then we expect that there will be many people who do not necessarily have a place to take refuge.he said.

The City of Toronto indicated Friday that it will do its best to get as many people inside as possible in anticipation of the extreme cold expected in the coming days.

The two emergency warming centers which normally only open when it is at least -15°C will open in advance, from 5 p.m. Saturday evening. The shelter system will also be able to temporarily accommodate people in places that are not usually used for accommodation.

With information from Alexandre Vidonne