Extreme cold temperature warnings impacting most of Sask.

A ridge of high pressure from the Arctic is putting the province into a deep freeze, and it's expected to stay that way for a couple of days.

Early Friday morning, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued extreme cold warnings for much of the North and South of the province. The warnings are activated when wind chill plunges to the -40 C range.

"It's pretty cold elsewhere too, except maybe in the extreme Southwest, so it's just a little bit warmer than warning criteria elsewhere, but still very cold, so don't let the warnings necessarily fool you, it's quite cold everywhere," said Dan Fulton, a meteorologist with ECCC.

Areas like Saskatoon are sitting around the -40 C mark with wind chill, Regina at -39 C and even Maple Creek in the southwest of the province hitting -30 C.

It's -46 with wind chill in Stoney Rapids, with extreme cold temperature values feeling like -45 C occurring through northern Saskatchewan regions.

Fulton said he expects the cold temperatures to persist through Friday and Saturday, only to get slightly better on Sunday with some warming meaning no more extreme warnings. By the middle of next week Fulton said temperatures will continue to get slightly warmer.

"If you're traveling by vehicle, it's a really good idea to have an emergency kit in case your vehicle breaks down or you get stranded somewhere just to keep warm, like an emergency blanket, things like that."

Frostbite can develop in minutes on exposed skin, according to Environment Canada. 

The agency also advises outdoor workers to take breaks to warm up inside, and for pet owners to be cautious of letting their animals outside.