'Winter's last hurrah' brings cold snap to northern and central B.C.

Bundle up, B.C. — a cold snap is headed to the northern and central areas of the province, with temperatures expected to dip up to 16 degrees lower than what is usually recorded at this time of the year.

David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said this week could bring "winter's last hurrah" after the relatively mild temperatures experienced in November, December, and January.

"It's bundling up time, it's the balaclava, it's the booster cable, it's the layered look because hey, this is what we're all about here in Canada, and we're going to be tested this week," he said.

The forecast shows that temperatures in Prince George could dip town to -29 C overnight by Tuesday.

"The good news is there's more winter behind you than ahead of you. While the coldest moment of the winter has descended upon us, it doesn't look like it's going to be too long."

Extreme cold warnings

Extreme cold warnings are currently in place for Peace River, the Cassiar Mountains, Fort Nelson, and Watson Lake.

"Extreme cold wind chill values of near minus 40 to minus 45 are expected for tonight and Sunday as an Arctic airmass settles over the region," reads a warning from Environment Canada.

Phillips said the cold temperatures aren't likely to be record-breaking, and that temperatures may return to normal just after Valentine's Day.

Elsewhere in the province, snowfall warnings are in effect for the Fraser Canyon, the Fraser Valley, the Nicola and the Similkameen region, with around 20 to 30 centimetres expected in those areas.

The snow is expected to hit the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt and along Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton.