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Calgary's in a bitter cold snap, but that's nothing new — check out these century-old photos

The long-running cold snap that has most of the province in its grip isn’t letting up just yet.

Glenbow Archives' image a good reminder of the days before snow tires and seat warmers

CBC News ·
There's no immediate let up in the forecast from the frigid weather that's plagued Calgary and much of the province for several days. (CBC)

The long-running cold snap that has most of the province in its grip isn't letting up just yet.

Environment Canada says Calgary, and much of the province, will experience wind chill values between –40 and –45, especially overnight and early in the morning. 

Most of southern and central Alberta remain under extreme cold warnings.

"Skies are forecast to clear tonight for many areas, especially over eastern and central regions, allowing temperatures to plummet," the agency said on its website.

"This will produce extreme wind chill values again for many regions by Tuesday morning."

The extreme cold is expected to linger until Thursday, when Calgary should get a high of –9 C.

According to YYC Weather Records — a Twitter account run by computer scientist Rolf Campbell, who developed software to pull in Environment Canada data to create weather statistics — it's the longest cold snap stretch since January 1998.

The average daytime high for this time of year is zero and the average night-time low is –12 C.

People out braving the cold should watch for cold-related symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, and numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.

Environment Canada also reminds people that if it's too cold for people, it's too cold for pets.

There's nothing really new about it being super cold in Calgary this time of the year.

Here's a look back at how people in Calgary have endured — and enjoyed — our frigid winter weather as far back as the late 1800s.

George Barclay Bruce and his family pose outside in Calgary in the winter of 1894. A caption on the photo said: 'And now the blizzard's blast they bear at 40 below zero.' (Glenbow Archives)
This photo from circa 1883 shows Mr. and Mrs. J. Edwin McKibbin at their tent home, which was at the corner of 12th Avenue and First Street S.W. (Glenbow Archives)
Someone took this picture of three very cold looking Calgary firefighters in about 1910. (Glenbow Archives)
The freezing temperatures were a good thing for these workers hauling blocks of ice at the Alberta Ice Company in Bowness (now part of Calgary) in 1911. (Glenbow Archives)
Driving out to Banff for the winter festival was much more of an ordeal in 1918. The road was narrow and unpaved, and this car slid out on the Cochrane hill. (Glenbow Archives)
Two children, possibly the sons of William P. Taylor, sledding on an ice slide in Calgary circa 1910-1929. (Glenbow Archives)
These cars were snowed under in a winter storm in Calgary in 1954. (Glenbow Archives)

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