A severe weather warning remained in effect on Thursday for Red Deer and central Alberta due to extremely cold temperatures, says Environment Canada.
Frostbite will occur in minutes.
Red Deer’s early morning temperature was -33 C, with a windchill of -45 C. Today’s high will be -27 C.
There’s a 30 per cent chance of flurries this morning. A northwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 was forecast for the morning, and the afternoon windchill is expected to reach -39 C.
School buses were cancelled and schools were closed at both Wolf Creek Public Schools and Chinook’s Edge School Division for due to the extreme cold.
Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools cancelled all rural Red Deer County school bus service, but schools remained open. Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Olds, Innisfail and Rocky Mountain House school buses were cancelled, but schools are opened.
Environment Canada said the prolonged cold snap is expected to persist into the weekend for many areas of Alberta and people should watch out for cold-related symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures, or wind chill, creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.
If it’s too cold for people to stay outside, it’s too cold for pets to stay outside, said Environment Canada.