By Chris Brown

Extreme cold to linger a couple more days

Dec 20, 2022 | 4:33 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Environment Canada is forecasting wind chills as low as -41 C on Wednesday evening and an extreme cold warning for the Medicine Hat-Bow Island-Suffield region remains in effect.

The coldest wind chill values will occur in the overnight and early morning hours. Extreme cold warnings blanket much of western Canada on Tuesday afternoon. Environment Canada issues the warnings when very cold temperatures or wind chill create an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.

Relief will start to come on Thursday and by Christmas Day temperatures are expected to be around zero degrees. A chinook is expected to roll in and stay until the end of next week.

The extreme cold has caused a spike in requests for roadside assistance, Brandon Klassen, with the Alberta Motor Association’s automotive services department. He says they’re getting thousands more calls than typical this time of year.

On Tuesday morning, calls for full service (tow or winch) are at seven times the normal volume, and requests for light service (boosts, unlocks) are more than four times normal.

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Environment Canada says young children, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, people working or exercising outdoors and those without proper shelter are most at risk during extreme cold spells.

People are urged to watch for symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes. And if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.