While it’s been bitterly cold in Edmonton over the past week or so, Dec. 29 is officially the coldest day of the year so far.
The city dipped below -30 C for the first time in 2017 on Friday morning. Edmonton hit -31 C at around 7 a.m.
Before this, the coldest temperature recorded in Edmonton this year was on Boxing Day, when the city hit -28.9 C.
The last time Edmonton dipped below -30 C was on Jan. 4, 2015, when the city hit -30.2 C.
READ MORE: Dangerous deep freeze having impact on Edmonton’s first responders
The temperatures are before the wind chill is factored in. With the wind chill on Friday morning, the temperature in Edmonton felt more like -38.
Wind chill values in other parts of Alberta included -45 in Fort McMurray, -44 in Lloydminster and -36 in Red Deer, according to Global Edmonton meteorologist Tina Simpkin.
Watch below: Global meteorologist Jesse Beyer’s weather forecast for Edmonton and surrounding areas for Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.
MAP: A look at how grossly cold it’s been across Canada
The extreme cold forced closures and schedule changes at all three local ski hills.
The operations manager at Snow Valley said the last time the hill closed due to cold weather was three years ago.
Watch below: After a week of this bone-chilling cold, many Edmontonians are getting a little stir crazy, Sarah Kraus looks into some ideas for indoor activities in the city to keep you and your family entertained.
In Edmonton on Friday, the Alberta Motor Association’s wait time for boosting a vehicle was four hours. The wait time for a tow was up to eight hours.
In Calgary, the wait time for a tow was anywhere between 12 to 24 hours, the AMA said Friday.
“People are not plugging in their vehicles of course, and when they’re not plugging in at this type of temperature, they’re going to require a boost,” Randy Loyk with the AMA said Friday morning.
“When temperatures dip below -15 C, you should be plugging in your vehicle.”
READ MORE: It’s so cold in Calgary, it’s too chilly for penguins at the zoo
The frigidly cold temperatures come as an extreme cold warning remained in place for Edmonton and much of Alberta on Friday. In fact, extreme cold warnings were in place for six provinces and one territory on Friday morning.
The cold temperatures are expected to stick around until the new year. Simpkin said those attending outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Edmonton area should expect temperatures around -22 C on Sunday night with light southerly winds.
READ MORE: What should you do with your pets during extreme cold spells?
Temperatures are expected to improve on New Year’s Day, with a high of -12 C expected on Jan. 1, 2018. Simpkin said Edmonton will see the temperatures climb through next week with highs near 0 C by the end of the week.
Watch below: It’s been bitterly cold in Edmonton this week. How are the city’s homeless and those who work outside coping?
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