Red Deer’s record-breaking run is about to end.
And it’s about time.
After two days of deep freeze history making, the temperature was expected to climb to a more seasonal range over the next few days.
Records were set on Tuesday and Wednesday in Red Deer and a number of other Central Alberta communities. On Wednesday morning, the temperature in the city sank to -36.2C, demolishing the 14-year-old record of -32.7C.
“We blew it away. That’s pretty significant,” said Environment Canada meteorologist David Wray. “The strangest thing I guess is we’re used to seeing these kinds of temperatures, perhaps in January. Mid to late January tends to be the coldest time of year.”
Sundre had the demoralizing distinction of being the coldest place in North America on Tuesday, when the temperature dropped to a new all-time low of -39.3C. The town was back in the record books Wednesday hitting a low of -37C, beating the previous record of -31C set in 1996.
Rocky Mountain House also broke a 1996 record, hitting a low of -35.4C, four degrees colder than the previous low on record.
Across Alberta, nine records were broken early Wednesday and there were a number of other near misses, Wray said.
An arctic ridge of high pressure was to blame for the wintry blast. “It’s kind of a pipeline of cold air, coming right down over top of you.”
The good news is the end in sight. Today’s high is expected to hit -6C and Friday’s high is expected to reach -2C.
For many vehicle owners, the cold snap had them reaching for the phone for help.
The Alberta Motor Association has been snowed under with calls for assistance over the last couple of days.
“It has been definitely very busy,” said association spokesman Kent Dixon. “We kind of got hit with a double whammy.”
First there was the snow, then the cold hit.
Central Alberta drivers could expect to wait up to five hours for towing, but basic service calls, such as getting into locked vehicles or battery boosts were being handled within a couple of hours.
“As the weather warms up over the next few days things are going to get much better,” he said.
Among those looking for a break from the big chill is City of Red Deer roads superintendent Jim Chase.
When the temperature warms up to the -12 C range, the city’s anti-icing brine solution and salt-sand mixtures can do their job and driving will become a lot less hair raising.
“We’re anticipating probably after (today) when the weather starts getting warmer we’re going to start trying to get rid of some of that ice that’s down some streets like 32nd Street and 40th Avenue,” said Chase on Wednesday.
In the meantime, the city is continuing to hit the slippery areas with sanders.
On Wednesday, three sidewalk plows were in action to give walkers clear routes.
“We’re concentrating on sidewalks now that we’re caught up on the streets,” he said. A selection of the most hazardous downtown streets were singled out for plowing, a job that was finished overnight Tuesday.
The cold, combined with Christmas season light displays, also meant record power consumption for the year. Electricity usage peaked at 135 megawatt overnight Monday, prompting the city to ask residents to conserve power during peak periods.
The message got out it seems and power consumption peaked at a slightly lower 133 megawatts over Tuesday, said Ligong Gan, manager of the city’s electric light and power department. Two megawatts is enough electricity to power about 2,000 homes. Normal power consumption at this time of year ranges from 115 to 125 megawatts.
Gan hopes residents will continue to take steps to reduce consumption during the 5 to 7 p.m. peak period.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com