Edmonton is on track to endure the fifth coldest February in the city’s history.
Altogether, the first 17 days of the month have sunken 12 degrees below average this time of year, and people on the streets of Edmonton are feeling it.
An unlucky visitor from Toronto says he’s not built for the Edmonton weather.
“The coldest weather I’ve ever seen,” said the Torontonian CityNews spoke to. “My opinion is you can’t live in Edmonton without a car or something. It’s pretty painful.”
But, Tuesday morning was actually the first-time Edmonton saw temperatures dip to -30 C in 2025, according to meteorologists.
Here, just north of downtown on 118th Avenue, you can see trees, light posts, and even a building coated in ice.
This is what’s left after Edmonton’s firefighters battled a blaze early Sunday morning.
READ MORE: EFRS battle early morning fire in Alberta Avenue neighbourhood
“Edmonton firefighters got a lot of grit, they’re tough people, and the men and women show up when they need to,” said Cory Whitlock, the Deputy Fire Chief for Edmonton Fire Rescue Service.
EFRS shared a photo on social media, showing just how hard the weather was on firefighters working in -29 temperatures.
It takes a very special person to be a first responder and our firefighters are no exception. They never quit, no matter the incident or whatever the environment throws at them.
Thank you to our incredible firefighters.
????: Sunday, February 16, 2025 pic.twitter.com/xlbKKzbvm8
— Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (@EdmontonFire) February 16, 2025
Whitlock says these temperatures can make a rescue much more challenging.
“I was witness to a couple fixes that our mechanics did right on the scene to keep the ladder trucks in the air, the water flowing, just to try and keep us in that firefight as long as we needed,” said Whitlock.
But while this cold month is “on track” for the history books in terms of temperatures, that’s not going to be the case.
Meteorologists are forecasting warmer days ahead as we march on through to the end of the month… so watch out on the roads for those pesky freeze-thaw cycles.