A car brakes going downhill on Line 7 Innisfil, Ont., on Jan. 15. Orange weather alerts have been issued for all of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as most of northern Ontario.Christopher Drost/The Canadian Press
Bone-chilling cold warnings are sweeping the country this morning, with some regions expected to reach lows of -50 C with the wind chill.
Environment Canada has issued orange weather alerts for all of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as most of northern Ontario, warning of severe weather conditions likely to cause significant damage, disruption or health impacts.
Residents in those areas can expect wind-chill temperatures between -45 C and -50 C ahead of a slow warming trend this weekend.
Globe Climate: The environmental cost of winter road salt
Meanwhile, the rest of Ontario and most of Quebec won’t see much relief today, as an Arctic air mass hovers over the region, bringing prolonged wind chill values between -40 C and -45 C.
It has been so cold in Toronto that extra outreach teams were dispatched to encourage people to seek shelter indoors.
Once the weekend hits, all of New Brunswick is expected to see temperatures between -30 C and -37 beginning Saturday, with the coldest temperatures expected in northwestern areas of the province until Sunday.
Editor’s note: The headline has been corrected to state that the outside temperature in parts of Canada will feel like -50 C with the wind chill.