Environment Canada

By Brian Konrad

Extreme cold expected through the week

Extreme cold warning;Prairie Rose school closures this morning

Feb 8, 2021 | 5:47 AM

MEDICINE HAT — Extreme cold weather warnings stretch from the Alberta-B.C. border as far east as Ontario this morning.

Environment Canada says this block of cold air won’t be going anywhere for at least the rest of this week.

Wind chills as low as minus 55 are making it too cold to be outside for humans or their pets.

It’s also too cold for several schools in the Prairie Rose school division.

Schools are closed today at Jenner, Ralston, Schuler, Oyen and Acadia Valley, and those busses are not running.

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Here’s the full text of the warning from Environment Canada.

4:42 AM MST Monday 08 February 2021
Extreme Cold Warning in effect for:

• City of Medicine Hat
• Co. of Forty Mile near Bow Island and Whitla
• Co. of Newell near Patricia
• Co. of Newell near Tilley and Rolling Hills
• Cypress Co. near Bowell and Redcliff
• Cypress Co. near Bowmanton Schuler and Hilda
• Cypress Co. near CFB Suffield
• Cypress Co. near Dunmore and Woolchester
• Cypress Co. near Irvine and Walsh
• Cypress Co. near McNeill and Sandy Point District Park
• Cypress Co. near Seven Persons
• Cypress Co. near Suffield and Hwy 879
• Cypress Co. near Tide Lake
• S.A. 2 near Bindloss Empress and Social Plains
• S.A. 2 near Buffalo and Cavendish
• S.A. 2 near Iddesleigh and Dinosaur Prov. Park
• S.A. 2 near Jenner and Atlee

Extremely cold wind chill values between minus 40 and minus 55 continue.

This prolonged cold snap is expected to persist into the weekend for many areas of Alberta. There will be some moderation in temperature at times, typically during daylight hours.

Watch for cold related symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.

Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.

If it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.

Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.