Extreme cold warning issued for Edmonton area, Boxing Day breaks record
CBC News | Posted: December 26, 2017 3:09 PM | Last Updated: December 26, 2017
It's going to be a chilly Boxing Day across the province
Edmontonians are being told to brace for another brutally chilly day in the city.
An extreme cold warning remains in effect on Boxing Day for the Edmonton region, and almost every area of the province. A swath of Alberta communities — stretching from Fort Chipewyan in the north to Lethbridge in the south — are contending with brutally cold temperatures.
In Edmonton Tuesday morning, car and truck engines struggled to choke to life and local roads remained slick as temperatures hovered around -29 C.
Environment Canada is forecasting a high of -24 C in Edmonton on Tuesday, with an extreme windchill that will make it feel more like -40.
Boxing Day established a new low for the region, breaking a daily record set in Dec. 26, 2016, when temperatures dropped to -24.7 C.
Overnight, temperatures are expected to fall to a low of -27 C, with a windchill of -36.
'Extreme cold puts everyone at risk'
Extreme cold is expected over most of central and northern Alberta today and tonight. Environment Canada expects the frigid weather pattern will remain "entrenched" for the remainder of the week.
"Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia," according to an advisory from Environment Canada.
"Extreme cold puts everyone at risk."
Albertans braving the cold are being told to watch for cold-related symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
Temperatures on Christmas Day plummeted to -31 with the windchill.