Alberta braces for extreme cold this week

Alberta is expected to get extreme cold temperatures this week, causing bad driving conditions and leading to some closures.

Environment Canada says Calgary is expected to get periods of light snow Saturday night, with winds between 20-40km/h.

The temperature will be -20 C, -30 C with the wind chill, with a risk of frostbite.

Sunday is also going to be cold with periods of light snow and similar winds.

Temperatures are expected to fall to -22 C in the afternoon, -33 C with the wind chill.

Alberta RCMP is warning of poor driving conditions in central Alberta including Highway 2 between Red Deer and Airdrie.

Officers are recommending people not drive, as visibility and surface traction are affected by black ice.

Meanwhile WinSport warned of some closures for the week.

“As Mother Nature brings a blast of cold to Calgary, WinSport’s ski and snowboard hill will remain open to guests on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will be closed Monday through Wednesday,” WinSport said. “A decision on Thursday’s operations for skiing and snowboarding will be made on Monday.

“The Servus Tube Park will be closed on Sunday, but is expected to reopen on Saturday, Dec. 24^th, which is the next scheduled operational day.”

In extremely cold conditions, even short periods of exposure can be dangerous. If you're concerned about someone's safety, here's who to call:

???? Call 211 if someone is in distress or staying or sleeping in an unsafe place
???? Call 911 if they're unconscious or need medical help pic.twitter.com/6g92KR9p4p

— Alberta Government (@YourAlberta) December 17, 2022

Meanwhile, the Government of Alberta is reminding people of the dangers of the cold.

The province also wants people to look out for one another during this time.

READ MORE:

• Grid Alert issues Tuesday come as more Albertans plug in cars due to cold weather

• Calgary freezing cold ending briefly

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“Call 211 if someone is in distress or staying or sleeping in an unsafe place. Call 911 if they’re unconscious or need medical help,” the province tweeted.

“If you see someone in distress, make the call.”

The Calgary Zoo told CityNews when it’s this cold, some of their animals are kept inside.

“Our Animal Care, Health & Welfare Team always watch habitat temperatures closely to ensure the comfort of the animals in their care,” the zoo said. “Each species has their own temperature parameters based off up-to-date observation of behaviour and an understanding of their unique anatomy.

“Some species, like our African lions, enjoy the heated rocks in their habitat and others prefer the comfort of their indoor spaces when the temperatures drop. This means that some residents may be inside while it’s this cold, while others will be even more active in freezing weather than during warm days.”

The temperature is expected to remain low for the rest of the week.