It's been more than a week, but a cold spell gripping much of the country is refusing to let up. From the Maritimes to the Prairies, the country is deep into a nasty freeze that won't taper off until at least the weekend.
Most of the cold can be blamed on a dip in the jet stream down to Florida, which has paved the way for extremely cold Arctic air to flood southward into central and eastern Canada. Only British Columbia is being spared from the deep chill -- the result of the moderating effects of El Nino.
Temperatures across the country are below seasonal. But although it may feel like a shock after two relatively mild winters, Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment Canada, says this is not abnormal Canadian winter weather.
And though you may not want to hear this, Phillips points out that we won't hit the winter midway point until Feb. 5.
"We are the second-coldest country in the world behind Russia, and people are impatient this year because they have not been used to this cold for the past few years," Phillips says.
Across the country, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are feeling the chill the most. Parts of Saskatchewan faced daytime temperature highs Wednesday of just -30 Celsius -- and that was before the face-numbing wind made it feel even colder.
In Regina, the frigid weather forced children indoors. Playgrounds were empty, as schools stopped allowing students to go outside during breaks. They'll likely remain indoors Thursday morning, too, when the wind chill will make it feel like a staggering -53.
The bitterly cold weather may have claimed a victim in Sept-Iles, Quebec, where a man was found dead on the staircase of a home for the mentally handicapped. Gilles Dumas, 42, who was wearing a coat, hat and gloves, was found Tuesday on an exterior staircase. An autopsy will be performed.
In Montreal, the temperature has plunged to - 40 degrees with the wind chill. Frostbite is a real possibility, since the average person's skin begins to freeze at a wind chill of -25, and freezes in minutes at -35, according to Environment Canada. The signs and symptoms of frostbite include numbness, tingling, pain and swelling, pale, waxy skin that feels hard. It most often affects fingers, toes, nose and ears. If you suspect you have frostbite, do not rub or massage the area. Warm it gradually, using body heat such as a warm hand, or warm water.
Then there's the chill in Nova Scotia, where it's so cold the road salt isn't working anymore. That's because salt doesn't actually melt ice; it dissolves into the liquid water in the ice and lowers its freezing point.
Throw a little salt on the roads, and the freezing point drops to -6 C, add a lot of salt and the melting point can be lowered to -16 C. But when you've got temperatures around -15 or lower, like they got in Nova Scotia, the salt won't have any effect because it cannot get into the structure of the solid water to start the dissolving process.
Maritime road crews have switched to sand but complain that it tends to blow off the road.
And if it's not the cold, it's the blowing snow. The wind is playing havoc with Maritime drivers, as visibility drops to zero at times. One Annapolis Valley man told ATV News that he had just been involved in one crash and was sitting in an RCMP cruiser, giving a statement, when the cruiser was hit from behind by an 18-wheeler truck. No one was seriously hurt in either accident.
The eastern United States is suffering too, with cities from Washington, D.C. to Portland, Maine grappling with temperatures between -10 and -15 C.
Local SPCAs are reminding pet owners that if it's too cold for you to go outside, it's too cold for your pet. Winter's chill affects animals, just like it affects people, so pets shouldn't be left outside for extended periods in winter. And sick, old or short-haired dogs should wear a coat or sweater to protect them from frostbite.
