Much of Alberta is under weather warnings Friday morning, with snowfall warnings to the south and extreme cold warnings to the north, where wind chills are set to plummet to -40°C.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued extreme cold warnings for northern and central Alberta, including areas to the immediate north, east, and south of Edmonton.
Wind chills will ease as temperatures climb throughout the day but could return Friday night and into Saturday morning as temperatures drop and winds pick up.
Alberta’s far north is also expected to face freezing cold wind chills.
“Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia,” ECCC warns. “Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.”
ECCC
Meanwhile, a snowfall warning is in effect in southern Alberta, with 10 to 15 centimetres of snow expected. ECCC says the snow will begin late Friday afternoon and continue until early Saturday afternoon.
Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.
Thankfully, both of Alberta’s major cities are in for a big thaw soon. Calgary is expected to reach double-digit temperatures, and Edmonton is set to see a high of 8°C by Wednesday.