Environment Canada is again warning of extreme windchill values prompting the weather agency to issue an extreme cold warning for parts of East Central Alberta, including Fort Saskatchewan.
Environment Canada predicts windchill values to come close to the -40°C threshold for the weather agency to issue a warning in the areas outside of Edmonton, a warning area that forms a large backward letter C shape to the North, East, and South of Alberta’s capital city.
Edmonton is just outside of the warning area, but the morning will be degrees warmer, with a windchill forecast of -33°C.
“There is this upper low-pressure system, just a bit South of Lloydminster essentially. That’s creating that pocket of cold air, that Arctic air, that sort of fingers up from through North Saskatchewan, to Northern Manitoba, [and] towards Hudson Bay,” said Rob Griffith, Environment Canada lead meteorologist.
“East Central Alberta is totally clear of cloud, whereas there’s some Stratus [clouds] to the West of Edmonton, as well as through Central Saskatchewan and [the cloud] is keeping all of those areas a little bit warmer,” Griffith said, “So, it’s a combination of that cold air mass and clear skies,” in East Central Alberta leading to frigid conditions.
However, Griffith predicts a warming trend is on the way.
“Things should warm up a bit today, and I don’t expect the warning to be in place for [Thursday] morning,” Griffith said. “Things still will be cool for Thursday morning, but just not at the -40°C criteria.
The Thursday forecast high for Edmonton as of the morning forecast is 1°C, while the high at Elk Island National Park is predicted to be -8°C.
