Extreme cold weather leads to some Sask. school divisions cancelling bus routes
Deep freeze is coldest weather Saskatchewan has seen this season, according to Environment Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued extreme cold warnings for most of Saskatchewan which has led to many school divisions in the province shutting down their bus services.
The cancellations include all buses from the Prairie Valley School Division, Regina Public Schools, Regina Catholic Schools, Conseil des écoles fransaskoises and Saskatoon Public Schools.
Many Greater Saskatoon Catholic School division bus services have been cancelled including:
- The service for elementary school students in Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville.
- High school students from Martensville and Warman who get bused to Bishop James Mahoney High School.
- All intensive needs high school buses in Saskatoon.
Many Saskatchewan school divisions cancel their bus service when wind chill reaches -45.
WATCH| Meteorologist Christy Climenhaga debunks some of the common misconceptions about this divisive weather measurement:
In southern Saskatchewan, you need a temperature or wind chill of –40 for at least two hours before you see a warning (that number drops to –45 in northern Saskatchewan).
Most of Saskatchewan's regions had extreme cold warnings issued as of 4:40 a.m CST Wednesday morning as the coldest wind chill values were expected to be between -40 and -45.
Prairie Valley's bus service will be reassessed midday. A notification will be sent at 1 p.m CST if buses can't transport students home at the end of the day. Buses won't be running all day for the school divisions in Saskatoon, Regina and at Conseil des écoles fransaskoises.
School divisions ask parents to report any school absences to the school.
Warmer weather on the way
This chilly spell has been the coldest weather Saskatchewan has seen this season, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang.
She says people in Saskatchewan can expect warmer temperatures as soon as later today.
"The cold air is going to move off into the eastern parts into Manitoba and we're going to see some southerly winds come in," Lang said. "This morning should be the coldest of the air and then we will get some relief later today."
Lang said a blob of arctic air parking itself over Saskatchewan combined with high winds created the exceptionally cold weather.
"The really cold air combined with the winds are creating quite a high wind chill," Lang said. "So we're not really seeing extreme cold temperatures, but we're seeing those extreme wind chill values."
