Extreme cold continues in Calgary, records broken across Alberta

Calgary and parts of Alberta are breaking records with the extreme cold arctic air continuing Wednesday.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has continued its Extreme Cold Warning for southern Alberta that was issued Monday. It now includes all of Alberta, along with parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Temperatures Wednesday in Calgary are -32 C with windchill feeling like -45 C as of 9 p.m. — a record for the city. Calgary’s previous record was -21 C, set in 2000.

For the overall temperature on the ECCC weather page for Calgary, it has -35 C as the record for the coldest day, which was set on 1884.

The weather agency says temperatures will warm up by the weekend.

Multiple cities in the province join Calgary with breaking temperature records due to the extreme cold.

There are 54 cities and towns with broken records for low temperatures, the coldest of which is Hendrickson Creek, with a low of -48 C and around -50 C with windchill.

Banff, Bow Valley, Edmonton, Fairview, High Prairie, Manning, Waterton, and Willow Creek all have broken records and temperatures between -35 C and -44 C.

Closures and updates

Schools within the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) were closed Tuesday, but all schools are now open on Wednesday.

It says that while schools are open, no buses are running to Airdrie, Cochrane, and Chestermere.

#CCSDedu families: All CCSD schools are open today. However, there are no buses running in Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere. Parents can determine if it is safe for students to get to school during severe weather conditions.

— CCSD (@CCSD_edu) December 21, 2022

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has said that schools will remain open until the winter break.

All CBE Schools are open until the winter break. As Calgary is experiencing extremely cold weather, please review our winter weather reminders: https://t.co/LHWNngDQvO. pic.twitter.com/hc62thLhzZ

— Calgary Board of Education (@yyCBEdu) December 20, 2022

The CBE says that parents should assume all schools will remain open unless the school contacts them directly.

Information regarding the weather and the CBE response is on its website and is shared on its social media accounts.

Additionally, WinSport said on Wednesday that it will close its winter hill until at least Thursday due to the cold in the city. In a tweet, WinSport will update if anything changes for Friday.

Due to extremely cold temperatures, we have made the decision to close the winter hill for Thursday, Dec. 22 as well.

Stay tuned for updates on possible closures and cancellations for Friday.

— WinSport (@WinSportCanada) December 20, 2022

Meanwhile, the Calgary Zoo’s Zoolights is closed Wednesday and Thursday.

⚠️ ZOOLIGHTS, presented by Olympia Trust Company, has been cancelled Wednesday (Dec 21) & Thursday (Dec 22) due to the extremely cold weather.

ZOOLIGHTS will hopefully resume on Dec 23 (weather permitting). Thank you for understanding. Learn more: https://t.co/8EIlB93uGb pic.twitter.com/trzd7dphWi

— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) December 21, 2022

The zoo says it will contact all ticket holders to provide an alternative date to attend. It hopes the holiday event will resume on Dec. 23.

Indoor holiday dinner bookings will continue in the evenings as planned.

Regarding road service, the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) says there is a 74-hour wait time for full-service towing or winching and a 54-hour wait time for light service, including a battery boost, lockout, a flat tire, or fuel delivery. Lastly, there is a six-hour wait for a locksmith.

In addition, there is no service for battery boosting, but AMA says Lube City or select Approved Auto Repair Services (AARS) facilities have services available.

The extreme cold has also impacted western Canada as flights and cancellations surge.

In a statement, WestJet says it has seen 210 cancellations on Tuesday due to the weather in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. So far, there are 86 cancellations on Wednesday.

Related Stories:

• AMA has 74 hour wait for roadside assistance for Calgary

• WestJet flights impacted by extreme weather across western Canada

Ways to stay warm

With these extreme temperatures, the ECCC says that frostbite and hypothermia are at a greater risk.

Frostbite can occur in five to 10 minutes, and the risk of hypothermia increases without proper attire and warm clothing.

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The ECCC recommends dressing warmly by wearing layers.

Cover up any exposed skin, as frostbite can develop in minutes, and watch for any colouration on fingers and toes, or feel for numbness or a tingling or swelling sensation.

Keep dry and keep moving to maintain body heat and to seek shelter from the wind.

Outdoor workers should also take regularly scheduled breaks.

While taking your dog for a walk might be a regular part of your day, if it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet.