British Columbia residents in many parts of the province are being asked to avoid nonessential travel on Monday and to dress for the weather if they must be outside as temperatures continue to drop.
Environment Canada has placed much of the coastline, inland and the low continent on extreme cold or outbound Arctic warnings, with icy winds ranging from minus 20 ° C to minus 50 ° C.
The most extreme temperatures are forecast for the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District, Williston, McGregor, Pine Pass, Chilcotin, Peace River, and Cariboo regions, including Quesnel, Prince George, and Stuart-Nechako.
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BC braces for extreme cold, near expected record lows in Greater Vancouver
A slightly warmer air mass is expected to arrive later Monday, but Environment Canada urges residents to monitor older family, friends and neighbors due to the elevated risk of hypothermia and frostbite.
“Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle, like extra blankets and jumper cables,” he says. “If it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.”
Environment Canada has put much of the province under extreme cold and arctic exit warnings on December 27, 2021.
Environment Canada
Cold winds from the northeast hit the north and central coasts of the province, bringing the wind chill values closer to minus 20 ° C. They will last until the end of December.
Eastern Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Greater Victoria, Southern Gulf Islands, Comox, Campbell River, Howe Sound, and the Sea to Sky Highway communities can expect similar temperatures.
Environment Canada predicts the cold will last through Wednesday with “near record cold temperatures” earlier in the week.
Elk Valley, Yoho and Kootenay parks could experience a minus 35 ° C wind chill that will last through Wednesday for Yoho Park, but moderate Monday for Elk Valley.
Light winds with temperatures around minus 27 ° C are expected to generate extreme wind chill values of minus 35 ° C in Kamloops, Ashcroft and Salmon Arm on Monday, with some moderation in temperatures in the afternoon.
The Yellowhead area, which includes Williams Lake and 100 Mile House, could see a maximum of minus 40 ° C in the cold wind Monday morning, as could Clearwater and Blueriver.
It’s so cold in Clearwater that Township Mayor Merlin Blackwell was able to dump a cup of boiling water from his porch and make it freeze in midair when the temperature reached -34 ° C.
The Ministry of Transportation, through DriveBC, is asking British Columbia residents to avoid non-essential travel on sections of Highways 1, 14, 17 and 18 due to winter driving conditions.
Saanich police are also asking residents to avoid driving if possible due to the ice on the roads.
The city of Vancouver has expanded its own cold weather alert and a list of warming shelters and extreme weather response shelters in the city. can be found on their website.
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Reference-globalnews.ca