Extreme Cold Warnings Issued For Ontario As Wind Chill Nears -40 C & Toronto Feels Frigid
Ontario is among the coldest places in the world right now. 🥶
A person stands outside in a winter coat. Right: The city of Toronto on a cold day.
Extreme cold weather warnings have been issued across Ontario as the province experiences a bout of frigid weather.
Daytime highs in the province are parked in double-digit negatives as several communities experience wind chill values nearing -40 C, and the temperatures have even catapulted Ontario onto a list of the world's coldest places.
With the cold expected to continue into the weekend, if you have any plans, you may want to move them indoors.
Why you should care: Extreme cold warnings were issued by Environment Canada on Friday, January 19, with a "period of very cold wind chills" expected.
The warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.
Several regions in Ontario are under the warning, including Geraldton-Manitouwadge-Hornepayne, Kapuskasing-Hearst, Kirkland Lake-Temiskaming Shores-Temagami, and Timmins-Cochrane, where with the wind chill, temperatures are feeling close to -40 C.
Kirkland Lake registered as one of the coldest places in the world on Friday, according to Weather Now, which tracks weather extremes across the globe.
The town in northeastern Ontario was a frigid -33.2 C Friday morning, with the wind chill making it feel like -37 C.
In Toronto, temperatures at Pearson International Airport were reading -9 C on Friday morning, but with the wind chill, things felt like a freezing -17 C.
North of the city, Barrie's temperature on Friday morning was a frigid -16 C, but the city felt like -24 C with the wind.
Meanwhile, Parry Sound had a temperature of -20 C, with wind chill values making things feel like -28 C.
What they’re saying: Amid the frigid weather, Environment Canada is advising residents to cover up and watch for cold-related symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
"Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill," it says.
ICYMI: According to The Weather Network, the chilly temperatures in Ontario this week are a result of the Arctic air that brought historically cold temperatures to Western Canada flooding into the Great Lakes, bringing with it some of the coldest temperatures of the season.
Extreme cold warnings were issued earlier this week for southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe as wind chill values neared -30 C.
Thankfully, Ontario isn't experiencing the drastically cold temperatures that Western Canada experienced with this blast of Arctic air, which brought wind chill values to - 58 C in Edmonton last week.
What comes next: According to TWN next week will see a much welcomed warm-up.
Southern Ontario can expect to see "more comfortable air" as temperatures climb above freezing by the second half of next week.
"Temperatures in the lower single digits could even reach the snow belts, helping to melt some of the impressive snow banks they’ve built lately," says TWN.
Keep reading: Unfortunately, snow squalls are continuing in the province on Friday, but at least an end is in sight!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.