Environment Canada reissued an extreme cold warning for Calgary on Saturday around 10:30 a.m. after the previous one was dropped on Friday morning.
The agency said: “Extremely cold wind-chill values below minus 40 will continue this weekend.”
On Sunday after 2:30 p.m., the warning was dropped for Calgary.
Environment Canada explained that cold air continues to envelop Alberta but a warming trend is on the way.
“This prolonged cold snap is expected to end Monday,” it said.
As of Saturday, all of Alberta was under an extreme cold warning.
Environment Canada issues extreme cold warnings when freezing temperatures or wind chill values create an “elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.”
Global News Calgary weather anchor Jodi Hughes said extreme cold warnings are issued in Alberta when there is either an ambient temperature of -40 C or a “feels-like temperature” (wind chill) of at least -40 for at least two hours.
“Occasionally, Environment and Climate Change Canada will just leave these warnings in place when you are close to the threshold for a prolonged period of time because there is still a risk of frostbite in just minutes,” she said.
“It’s not so odd we were taken out of it Friday, except that so much of the province stayed in it and we did not. Our temperatures were not significantly warmer than, say, Banff, which remained under the warning the whole time or even High Level in northern Alberta.”
Hughes said Calgary temperatures ranged from -17 C to -22 C until after 9 p.m. Saturday, with wind-chill values of -26 to -31. By Sunday morning, the wind chill hit -39 for a couple of hours and is expected to range between -31 to -36 until Monday morning, Hughes explained.
February is typically the third-coldest month of the year in Calgary with daytime highs averaging between -2 C to 2 C and lows from -14 C to -10 C. As of Feb. 13, there have only been two days where the daily high made it above freezing. Calgary has not been above -18 C since Feb. 6.
Environment Canada reminded people to dress warmly, adding: “If it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.”
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