Western Canada is witnessing wind chill temperatures of -55 degrees Celsius in light of severe cold warnings

Edmonton – Cooler temperatures and arctic winds in most western counties have brought wind temperatures down to -55°C, forcing ski mountains to close and keeping backyard owners indoors.

“We play a lot of board games and watch movies,” said Lance Clore, who holds a ring for his four children in his backyard in Edmonton.

“It’s very difficult. Below -20, it’s dangerous to put someone in the ring.

Environment Canada said Alberta, most of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, along with parts of Manitoba and Ontario, are under a severe cold weather warning.

He said air temperatures in Edmonton and coal will range from -40 degrees Celsius to -55 degrees Celsius.

Edmonton, Calgary, the surrounding Sky Mountains and the Rocky Mountains have already been closed for several days due to the bitter cold.

Paul Clann of Edmonton Nordic Ski Club said people can still ski cross-country. But even on the city’s famous north streets of Goldbar Park near the Clan’s home, the freezing cold seems to put people aside.

“On Christmas Day, we usually don’t see many people here, but Boxing Day will start to see more, and the numbers will definitely be lower,” said Klan, a former member of the National Biathlon. a team.

“We came to our knowledge at the time. I skate in just about any temperature. All you have to do is wear the right clothes.”

Environment Canada, cold arctic winds in western and central Saskatchewan with temperatures as low as -45 ° C.

Arctic outflows and low temperatures are expected to drop to -20°C or nearly 20°C across most of British Columbia. The company added that the severe cold will continue until next week.

Cold temperatures are a boon in disguise for Iceville, Prairie’s largest outdoor ring, being built for the second year in a row at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium, which opens at noon on New Year’s Day.

Mark Rathwell of the Regina Exposition Association, which operates the stadium, said there was some freezing and thawing when the team built the circuit last year. But this year it has been very cold since construction began two weeks ago.

Creating a loop in the field takes a lot of work because the field is built in the middle so it drains. He explained that they have to start from the outside and create multiple layers of ice.

“This year the snowmakers said we have better conditions,” Rathwell said with a smile. “It was cool.”

Several cities in western Canada have already opened emergency shelters and heating centers for people who can’t stay outside, including Vancouver, where Monday was the 11th. That’s nearly a record low for the city, which was founded in 1971 when it fell -12.8 degrees.

Edmonton officials said Monday they will suspend essential snow removal due to the extreme cold, which could put employees, contractors and their equipment at risk.

Temperatures continued to rise in the Winnipeg area on Monday, including in Oakbank, east of the capital, and Andrew Mead said his two sons, 5 and 7, were enjoying curling in the family’s backyard.

Monday was still a relatively cold -10, but a sharp drop was expected overnight, and will be gone later in the week when Mitt and his family rent an A-frame cabin in Riding Mountain National Park.

“As long as you are warm and appropriately dressed, it would be nice to be outside on cold days,” he said. “We do not care”.

This Canadian press report was first published on December 27, 2021.