Residents of northwestern Ontario are in for an exceptionally cold few days as a pocket of Arctic air has blown into the region.
Environment Canada has issued high-level alerts warning locals of windchill temperatures as low as minus 40 or even minus 45 degrees Celsius.
The Arctic airmass is expected to persist through the weekend.
Those in affected locations should cover up all exposed skin, as frostbite can take hold in a matter of minutes.
Drivers should keep emergency supplies such as blankets and jumper cables.
Anyone experiencing colour changes in their extremities, pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling should head inside and warm up immediately.
Workers who must be outside should make a conscious effort to go inside for regular warming breaks.
Other cold-related symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness are also good indicators of a need to stay inside and keep warm.
Environment Canada’s multi-day orange-level cold warning is in place for the following locations:
- Red Lake – Ear Falls
- Sioux Lookout – Savant Lake
- Kenora – Nestor Falls
- Dryden – Ignace
- Fort Frances – Rainy Lake
- Armstrong – Auden – Wabakimi Park
- Gull Bay – Black Sturgeon Lake
- Atikokan – Upsala – Quetico
The agency has now also issued a yellow-level warning, with slightly less severity, to locations east of the orange warning:
- The City of Thunder Bay
- Beardmore – Jellicoe – Macdiarmid
- Superior West
- Nipigon – Rossport
Locations under the yellow-level warning may experience windchill lows of minus 40 degrees Celsius.
