While the east coast dealt with a major snow storm on Wednesday, the west once again faced frigid temperatures which will continue into next week.
From central British Columbia straight through to Manitoba, daily highs have reached just -20 C or colder. Normal temperatures range from -1 C to -6 C.
But it’s British Columbia that’s feeling the freeze.
Vancouver recorded a low of -8.4 C on Thursday morning; the previous record was -7.8 C set in 1948, with records going back to 1937.
People in Prince George, B.C., woke up to a frigid -32 C on Thursday morning. The city’s normal low at this time of year is -9 C.
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“So far the coldest spot in B.C. this morning was Puntzi Mountain…which was -40.8 degrees,” said Brian Proctor, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada. “The old record was -28.7, set in 2001.” However the records only go back to about 1995.
“Really what’s happening is that cold air that was coming down into central Canada is now coming down through basically through the Yukon and through the Northwest Territories, and Alberta and B.C.,” said Proctor.
The upper winds over Alberta are taking the cold air and pushing it across the Rockies, which is bringing the Arctic cold to B.C.
The colder Arctic temperatures have dominated the weather pattern over the past few months. “And we’re not seeing a whole lot of change to it,” said Proctor.
The story is the same in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, where daytime highs are only climbing to -18 C or colder. Nighttime temperatures are dropping to close to -25 C. Though temperatures in the Prairies are colder than the average for this time of year, Proctor noted that they aren’t close to breaking any records.
“It’s been a very cold winter through Manitoba and Saskatchewan, much colder than normal,” Proctor said. “Winnipeg is saying this is one of the coldest winters its experienced in about 60 years.”
READ MORE: Winnipeg posts second-coldest December since 1893
For Alberta, although there’s been a cold spell, warmer air has also flowed into the region which may result in temperatures that are more seasonal over the long run.
Unfortunately, the temperatures show no sign of easing up. The mercury will remain significantly well below seasonal temperatures which range anywhere from -6 C to -1 C and last into early next week.
The cold Arctic air is also creeping into northern Ontario where temperatures are about six degrees below the daily high for this time of year.
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