Okanagan bracing for bitter cold

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Okanagan.

Residents across the valley are being told to expect bitterly cold air as an extremely cold arctic air mass in the far north makes its way southward over the weekend.

According to Environment Canada, temperatures will plummet to values not seen in years.

As a result of a strong north winds, wind chill values are expected to reach between minus 30 and minus 40 through the central interior by Sunday morning and down to minus 30 in the Columbias and southwest interior by Monday morning.

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Most of the Kootenays are expecting similar cold wind chill values but not until Monday night.

The Okanagan is also expecting more snow throughout the weekend with two to four centimetres expected Saturday and another five centimetres forecast for Saturday night.

Five centimetres of snow is also expected to fall in the valley on Sunday.