An extreme cold warning for Strathmore continues today (Jan 12).

Wind chill values between -40 and -55 occured this morning and will continue throughout the day.

Temperatures will continue to fall through the weekend. Saturday (Jan 13) and Sunday (Jan 14) will be the coldest, with temperatures ranging from -40 to -48°C, and wind chill values near -55. Wind chills could even be a bit colder in open and exposed areas.

Temperatures and wind chills are forecast to warm up sometime early next week.

Environment Canada says on their website that the cold poses greater risks for young children, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, people working or exercising outdoors, and those without proper shelter.

The website recommends watching for cold-related symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness, and colour change in fingers and toes.

Dress warmly. Dress in layers that you can remove if you get too warm. The outer layer should be wind-resistant. 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.

Watch for colour changes on fingers and toes, pain, numbness, a tingling sensation, or swelling.

If present, move indoors and begin warming. Keep moving to maintain your body heat and seek shelter from the wind.

Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks to warm up. Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill create an elevated risk to health, such as frostbite and hypothermia.

Today (Jan 12) there is a high of -32, tonight is a low of -42 and then, as we head into the weekend, we are expected to see highs of -36 for Saturday (Jan 13) and -33 for Sunday (Jan 14). 

Continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, email ABstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #ABStorm.

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