An extreme cold warning issued for parts of Alberta Friday morning was expanded by Environment Canada Friday afternoon to include Edmonton and surrounding areas.
Environment Canada said temperatures will fall into the low -30s overnight and, combined with the wind, it will feel more like -40 by Saturday morning.
People in Fort McMurray, Alta. woke up to a temperature of -37 C Friday morning — and that’s without the dreaded wind chill. With the wind chill, it felt more like -47 in the northeastern Alberta community.
READ MORE: It has not been this cold in Calgary in over 1,000 days
The frigid temperatures prompted Environment Canada to issue an extreme cold warning for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), along with Fort MacKay and Fort Chipewyan further north.
READ MORE: 4 things AMA wants Alberta drivers to keep in mind during province-wide cold snap
A warning was also issued on the western side of the province, for in and around the communities of Peace River, Fairview, High Prairie and Manning.
“A period of very cold wind chills is expected,” Environment Canada said in its update.
The warnings come as a vicious cold snap that swept into much of Alberta Monday remains frozen in place. Extreme cold warnings were also in place Thursday for parts of southern Alberta, but have since been lifted.
The weather agency urged people living in areas under a warning to dress appropriately for the cold and suggested wearing synthetic and wool fabrics, which provide better insulation. People are also urged to wear layers including a wind-resistant outer layer as well as warm socks, gloves, a toque and scarf.
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What triggers an extreme cold warning?
Environment Canada issues extreme cold warnings when it determines there is an “elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.”
While the warning applies to all people in affected areas, the weather agency said the following groups of people are particularly vulnerable to cold conditions:
- Homeless people
- Outdoor workers
- People living in homes that are poorly insulated (with no heat or no power)
- People with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and diseases affecting the blood vessels
- People taking certain medications, including beta blockers
- Winter sport enthusiasts
- People who consume excess alcohol
- Infants and seniors
Low temperatures, high power usage
The continued deep freeze also led to three new records set Thursday for winter electricity consumption in Alberta.
On Dec. 8, 2016 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Alberta was using a record hourly average amount of electricity at 11,442 MW. This surpassed the Wednesday, Dec. 7 record of 11,404 MW, and the Monday, Dec. 5 record of 11,400 MW.
The Alberta Electric System Operator said the new winter peak usage was set due to cold weather, reduced daylight hours and the convergence of Christmas lighting load at homes, businesses, malls and buildings across the province.
AESO said another factor that contributed was the low market price for electricity, as it prevented price-sensitive industrial facilities from going offline during peak hours. The average wholesale price for electricity during that peak hour was approximately $30/MWh.
December and January are typically the time of year when Albertans use the most electricity, but due to significant supply and a healthy reserve, the AESO isn’t worried about power outages.
READ MORE: Alberta electricity demand surges to all-time high as province remains frozen in cold snap
For the latest information from Environment Canada on the extreme cold warnings, click here.
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