Saskatchewan is on to Day 2 of an extreme deep freeze, and already the temperature is colder Tuesday than it was on Monday.
As of 6:30 a.m., Environment Canada had issued extreme cold warnings for every region of the province south of Meadow Lake and Prince Albert, all the way to the U.S. border. Regions in the province’s far north, like Stony Rapids, Collins Bay and Uranium City, were also under the extreme cold warning.
As part of the advisory, the weather agency said, “a multi-day episode of very cold wind chills is expected. A cold, arctic air mass is entrenched over southern Saskatchewan.
“Extreme cold wind chill values of -40 to -45 C are being reported in almost all of southern Saskatchewan again this morning.”
Environment Canada expects the arctic air mass to linger over the prairies “for a few more days.”
Regina was sitting at -29 C, with a wind chill value of -41 on Tuesday morning. Saskatoon was at -31, giving a wind chill value of -44.
Prince Albert was the warmest community in the province, sitting at -26 C, with a wind chill of -37.
The weather agency warned that people going or commuting outside should watch for cold-related symptoms, like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
It advised dressing warmly, in layers, with the outer layer being wind resistant.
For those travelling, Environment Canada meteorologist Dan Fulton urges people to go prepared
“If you’re leaving the city, make sure you have an emergency kit in your car. In case you get stranded, you’ve got to be able to stay warm until you’re rescued,” Fulton said.
The Canadian Automobile Association says such a kit should include things like warm blankets and clothes, food and water, tools for snow removal, booster cables and a first-aid kit.
For anybody going outside, Fulton urges people to cover up and bundle up.
“If you have exposed skin at these temperatures, these wind chill values, you can get frostbite in minutes,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the warning signs of frostbite could include numbness and tingling, discolouration, hard or waxy-looking skin, stiffness and blistering after warming up.