Finally breaking out of the deep freeze across the Prairies
Extreme cold warnings span much of Western Canada as wind chills in the -50s dominate across the Prairies, but a warm-up is finally on the horizon
It's not a classic Canadian winter if we don't see Arctic air surge out of the North, enveloping the country in periods of extreme cold. This winter has certainly proven to be a 'classic,' as Arctic air has seeped south, enveloping much of Western Canada in its icy grip.
The polar air, which extends across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has been bringing frigid, plunging temperatures to the region for an extended amount of time. Widespread extreme cold warnings remain in effect through Wednesday, ahead of a major pattern change that will see the extreme cold finally start to relax.
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It's important to remember that frostbite can happen within minutes of having bare skin exposed to the extreme cold, resulting in severe, long-lasting damage to your body. Spending too long outdoors in the cold can also lead to hypothermia, a life-threatening condition.
Read this article by the Canadian Red Cross on everything you need to know about how to keep yourself and others safe from the extreme cold.
Icy low continues to grip parts of the Prairies through Wednesday
Over the weekend, temperatures fell to the -50s in the northern parts of the Prairie provinces, while those in the southern portions saw temperatures drop below -50 with the wind chill.
Temperatures remained more than 20 degrees below normal for a majority of the region on Monday. Saskatoon saw temperatures feel like -46 with the wind chill, while those in Manitoba, specifically Brandon, saw the most frigid temperatures, with a wind chill of -51 throughout Monday.
Key Lake, Sask., reported temperatures reaching -48.8°C on Monday--only 0.2°C away from its monthly record.
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The severe cold will linger across all three Prairie provinces through Wednesday, before the pattern responsible for the dangerous conditions begins to finally break down.
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Pattern change gives glimpses of early spring
A blocking pattern off the coast of B.C. is decaying, and will allow for the return of onshore Pacific flow. That will bring a rapid change from below seasonal temperatures to above seasonal by the end of the week.
Warmer air will start to flow into Alberta on Thursday, where southern regions could see temperatures reach the double-digits later in the week.
Temperatures will luckily break the freezing mark across the Prairies by the weekend, as the warmer air sweeps eastward into Manitoba, as well.
The switch will also usher in a pattern of mild winter weather, with some early spring-like temperatures climbing well above freezing. A couple of weak systems will track across the region this weekend and early next week, but no major storms are in sight.
Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across the Prairies.