Mother Nature holds Manitoba in icy cold grip

WINNIPEG — It is shaping up to be a bitterly cold holiday season in Manitoba.

At 9 a.m. Monday the temperature dipped down to -33.9 C. That makes it the coldest Dec. 23 since the year 2000.

At one point overnight it felt like -45 with the wind chill and in Brandon, -50.

“It’s very cold today,” said Aoiub Ardd, who emigrated from Sudan two months ago.

While Adam Doerksen said he can brave the weather bundled up, he told Global News Monday he’d had enough.

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The Winnipegger boarded a plane bound for Los Angeles, Calif., wearing shorts.

“I’m just dressed for the weather,” he said. “I heard it was warm there so shorts were the best option.”

CAA travel agents have been busy making Manitobans’ escape plans for months.

This cold snap has brought out the stragglers.

“It takes them to go outside a few times and shovel their car out and won’t be able to start and then they say, ‘I have to get away on a vacation,’ ” said Deb Peters, one of the auto association’s agents.

If you are sticking around Manitoba, pay close attention to your vehicle’s tires.

Frigid temperatures can cause air pressure in them to drop.

“The fluctuation is so great that sometimes you can see five psi in some cases,” said Fabian Mundaca of Kal Tire. “It is enough to create some irregular tire wear and wear out your tire prematurely.”

If your tire is already low, the change in temperature could lead to a blowout and leave you stranded in the dangerous cold, waiting for help to arrive.